Hyper-V is the new name for Windows Server Virtualization

Posted on By Mark Wilson
This content is 17 years old. I don't routinely update old blog posts as they are only intended to represent a view at a particular point in time. Please be warned that the information here may be out of date.

Last week I was in Redmond, at a Windows Server 2008 technical conference. Not a word was said about Windows Server 2008 product packaging (except that I think one speaker may have said that the details for the various SKUs were still being worked on). Well, it’s amazing how things can change in a few days, as one of the big announcements at this week’s TechEd IT Forum 2007 in Barcelona is the Windows Server 2008 product pricing, packaging and licensing. I don’t normally cover “news” here – there are others who do a much better job of that than I would – but I am interested in the new Hyper-V announcement.

Hyper-V is the new name for the product codenamed Viridian, also known as Windows Server Virtualization, and expected to ship within 180 days of Windows Server 2008. Interestingly, as well as the SKUs that were expected for web, standard, enterprise, datacenter and Itanium editions of Windows Server 2008, there will be versions of Windows Server 2008 standard, enterprise and datacenter editions without the Hyper-V technology (Hyper-V will only be available for x64 versions of Windows Server 2008) as well as a separate SKU for Hyper-V priced at just $28.

$28 sounds remarkably low – why not just make it free (and greatly simplify the product model)? In any case, this places Hyper-V in a great position to compete on price with Citrix Xen Server or VMware ESX Server 3i (it should be noted that I have yet to see pricing announced for VMware Server 3i) – I’ve already written that I think Hyper-V has the potential to compete on technical merit (something that its predecessor, Virtual Server 2005 R2, couldn’t).

At the same time, Microsoft announced a Windows Server Virtualisation validation programme – designed to validate Windows Server with virtualisation software and enable Microsoft to offer co-operative technical support to customers running Windows Server on validated, non-Windows server virtualisation software platforms (such as Xen) as well as virtualisation solution accelerators and general availability of System Center Virtual Machine Manager 2007.

Whilst VNU are reporting that VMware are “unfazed” by the Microsoft Hyper-V announcement, I have absolutely no doubt that Microsoft is serious about making a name for itself in the x86/x64 server virtualisation market.

3 thoughts on “Hyper-V is the new name for Windows Server Virtualization”

  1. I think that by charging $28, Microsoft can avoid being accused of bundling for free (a la media player and IE) and avoid any potential anti-competition law suits. I think.

  2. Good point Mike. That would fit with the information I received last night from a Microsoft representative:

    “Microsoft believes that most customers now expect virtualization capabilities in their server OS. They believe most Microsoft customers will see this value and buy Windows Server 2008. However, based on customer demand, they are also offering Microsoft Hyper-V Server, a stand-alone server virtualization product. The goal is to make virtualization cost effective for customers.”

    It all makes sense now. One version with Hyper-V bundled, and one without (and the option for vendors to ship Hyper-V on hardware without a full Windows Server license). I expect the versions of Windows Server 2008 without Hyper-V to sell about as well as Windows XP N Edition and Windows Vista N Edition have…

  3. Pingback: markwilson.it [formerly known as Mark's (we)Blog] » A clear virtualisation licensing and support statement from Microsoft

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