Filed under: Enterprise, OS, Xserve, Leopard
Media Temple launches beta for VPS running on Leopard Server
Teaming with Parallels, Media Temple has just announced the start of private-beta period for its latest (mt) Labs offering, the (xv) Xserve-Virtual -- which they are dubbing "the world's first VPS Leopard Server." Although virtual servers running Linux or Windows are pretty standard hosting options, this is one of the first Mac hosting opportunities I have seen period (outside of a co-lo), virtualized or not.Now that Apple has sanctioned the virtualization of OS X Leopard Sever on Apple hardware, both Parallels and VMWare have announced plans to integrate Leopard Server virtualization into their product lines. While VMWare is integrating Leopard Server in its upcoming version of Fusion, Parallels is taking a decidedly more enterprise approach and working Leopard Server virtualization into its Parallels Server product. Parallels Server uses Parallels' bare-metal hypervisor architecture and as such, each virtual machine runs its own kernel and operating system.
Media Temple, which already partners with Parallels in its (dv) and (dpv) Nitro products, is going to be the first official hosting launch partner for Parallels Server for Mac, offering Leopard VPS hosting on Xserve hardware. The Xserves used by (mt) are running 2 x 2.8 Ghz Quad-Core Intel Xeon 5400s with 32GB 800MHz DDR2 RAM and 3x300GB 15,000-rpm SAS with 16MB disk cache drives on a Xserve RAID Card. In the private beta (apply here), the Xserves will be split into 8 virtual machines, with each VM guaranteed 2 GB of RAM and two cores of CPU resources. The advantage of using a virtual machine as opposed to a physical Xserve, aside from cost, is that hardware maintainance is taken care of by the host. Plus, if something goes completely haywire, the virtual machine can just be reinstalled to its starting point.
The (xv) can be used to host websites, run iChat and iCal server, use Podcast Producer and for anything else a regular Xserve running on a LAN can do. Anything you can install on a regular Mac, you can install on the (xv), and you can control the (xv) using both Screen Sharing and Remote Desktop. Media Temple is still working on the scalability plans for the (xv) but are planning on offering a scale-on-demand package similar to its (dv) product.
Although pricing is currently undetermined, Media Temple will be using the beta testing to find out which configurations are most efficient to help set the ultimate price.
If you have experience running a Mac server, you can apply for the (xv) beta here. It's really exciting to see OS X virtualization, both for enterprise and for home/small business use take off. I can't wait to see the final product!
Thanks Jen and Jorge!
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Reader Comments (Page 1 of 1)
Andre said 1:13PM on 6-17-2008
Wish I had a large enough site and OS X Server experience. :/
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TACO IN PARADISE said 1:22PM on 6-17-2008
About time someone launched a virtualized Xserve product..HOT. Really hoping my beta application is accepted! Anyone already in the (mt)/Xserve Beta Program???
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yalag said 2:04PM on 6-17-2008
Anyone had experience with Parallels server and virtual leopard server? I downloaded their current beta product and installed leopard server for a test run. The performance is horrible. You can barely move around the dock and any kind of animation is basically unuseable. Granted, I dont have an xserve but a mac pro with 8 cores and 4Gb ram should be sufficient....to at least use the dock, smoothly...
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David said 1:30PM on 6-17-2008
This looks good, though I guess it will depend on pricing for me. Since I read about the Mac mini hosting here on TUAW a while back, I put a Mac mini in a data center with Leopard Server and it has been performing great. I like the price and the ability to control the whole machine myself.
But I'll keep an eye on this as well.
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Cloggin said 2:18PM on 6-17-2008
I agree on waiting for pricing. While I can't wait to deploy any Leopard virtual-anything , making life less of a hassle, what's my out-of-pocket going to be?
Curious though, over at ArsTechnica they have an exclusive with MediaTemple on this technology, wouldn't it be wise to provide a source link to them?
http://arstechnica.com/journals/apple.ars/2008/06/17/exclusive-media-temple-parallels-introduce-first-leopard-server-vps
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Arman Zakaryan said 2:16PM on 6-17-2008
Cheers Everyone..we're excited about taking this beta to the limits
and bringing the public the best Xserve product on the market!
Best,
Arman Zakaryan
(mt) Media Temple, Inc.
www.mediatemple.net
arman@mediatemple.net
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Alex said 11:17PM on 6-17-2008
Great. Now everyone can use the buggiest server software of all time. Seriously guys, save yourselves the trouble. And don't flame me for being anti-Apple about this, I run an Xserve with Leopard server and have first-hand experience of Apple's incompetence. All the open-source software that it comes with is hopelessly out-of-date and full of security holes.
Unless you absolutely need to host Open Directory, you shouldn't touch Leopard Server with a fifty foot pole. And who would run Open Directory on an internet facing server?
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DArren Cornwell said 4:19AM on 6-18-2008
This is really great news. Have already dropped the Application in - just have to wait and see.
Would like to know the pricing, but second the comments above - Virtual Leopard anything sounds like a great plan. We already run in 'locally' across several servers and aside from a few little bugs here it there it has been performing grand.
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nickganga said 2:36PM on 6-18-2008
I am a bit wary about this. I used Media Temple (mt) for linux hosting for about 1.5 years and starting at the end of the first year their service continued to degrade. You can read about my experience here, http://nickganga.com/?p=295 . I would be verrry careful with Media Temple, especially when the service leaves the beta stage.
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ctabo said 9:07PM on 6-18-2008
http://applenode.com/
Seems like media temple isnt alone in this, I applied for this one, media temple hasn't responded. (as usual).
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endekks said 12:53AM on 6-21-2008
Nickganga: You start off your article about (MT) by saying "I was referred to them by a friend who had raved about their exceptional service, customer service and automated tools." and then tell people to be wary of them. You may not have had an experience you like, but given the overall satisfaction that lots of major sites who perhaps have even more complex sites than yours, and even greater traffic and more than 1.5 years using the service - yet no inclination leave, wouldn't they be able to say one needn't be wary?
Additionally, you're right that people should be cautious when using a beta. After all, it is *BETA*. And that is why (MT) is making the beta closed now - accessible only via approval form the application form. It isn't open for everyone. And no one is paying for the beta. It's there for testing - like almost every other single beta that is a *TRUE* beta.
Ctabo: What do you mean "as usual"? That seems to be nothing more than a flame after a plug for another service - from someone that is completely off 99.9% of anyone's radar. I am not saying they are bad or not looking into at all. But if you are going to infer that reputation and history are important with your "as usual" remark, then why should I go to a company with zero reputation and history over a company that has a long track record?
Sorry you haven't received approval for your application yet for the XVs at (MT). It seems odd that haven't responded to you personally yet, given the fact that only three people in the entire world applied to beta test.
Wait. Maybe thousands of people have applied for a totally optional and free service. Maybe they are busy helping the people who have their systems set up get them deployed properly. Maybe they are already investing a lot of man hours that cost them money to help people who are not paying them a dime. Maybe these things are happening. But we don't know. So why not just speculate that (MT) are as usual screwing everything up again - because it's fun! And it has a great deal of evidence to counter, so you can feel like the underdog.
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If (MT) is so bad, then why is it that the majority of negative remarks about (MT) are limited to comments in threads? Sure, you may have a blog entry here or there pointing to unfortunate circumstances, but is that the general consensus on the internet? Let's face it... When people are upset, then want to bitch about it, and even better, to someone who will understand and care. Blogs, forums and comment threads are a great place to find said audience. And if you are one of those people who have not been happy, then you will be on the lookout for other people who are also upset. "Wow, look! Other people have the same problem. This must be rampant! Everyone else must feel the same way!"
But look at the major sites who have stayed with (MT) for years. Look at the independent developers and designers who have been paying for (MT)'s service and still are displaying their (MT) badge for years. Look at all the communities and technologies (MT) supports. Have you had any problems with Skitch? Did you have any problems visiting ElfYourself? 3% of *all* internet traffic around X-mas time didn't seem to have an issue.
Praise is much much harder to find than complaint. A lot of that stems from the fact that people *EXPECT* that something they pay for should work. Completely logical, there. And if it does work, then it doesn't bear conversation until someone asks about it. So if you have a server and it works are you going to make blog articles often sating how much you love your server? Most likely not.
I am not saying that people who have had bad experiences didn't have bad experiences. I genuinely feel bad for anyone who has had server woes. But don't mistake your experience as the norm for everyone or the majority and report it as such.
I've been using (MT) since late 1999. Have I had a few down times? Yep. Have I had other issues crop up from time to time? Yep. Have some of those instances been my fault? Yep. Has this stopped me from recommending them to other people and clients? Nope. Have those people stayed with (MT)? Yep. Have I received complaints from them about (MT)? Nope.
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About the XV, I think it awesome that (MT) is offering this service. I've been asking for it for a long time. So have others. Am I planning on hosting everything on it? Not at all. But do I plan on using a lot of the workgroup features that my team and I have been wanting so badly? Oh, hell yes.
Sorry for the long tyrade, but I am getting sick of all the (MT) hate.
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