Due to several questions on my previous post on this subject, herewith I would like to share several things that might be an additional information on virtualization solution that you might want to consider in order to have comprehensive virtualization solution.

This information is not meant as an apple to apple comparison.

 

In terms of specification:
(note that the VMWare has just launched new version, spec may have change):

 

In terms of costing:
TCO for Microsoft includes the licensing scheme for the Windows Server solution, and also the Management solution that supports the Virtual environment benefits from the Virtualization

Initial investment for Microsoft is by far lower than the ESX offering:
– P2V tools
– ESX licensing vs WinServer Ent Edition
– VMotion vs Host clustering included with Win Server
– Management solution for monitoring and managing virtual environment: the VirtualCenter vs SCOM MP+SCVMM

 

Other considerations:
VHD format is made to be open standard. There has been some 30’s vendors that supports the format.

Microsoft believes that Virtualization is not the only technology to be utilized for consolidation. It’s just one of the approach from many different alternatives.

 

 

ESX does not provide High Availability. Microsoft provides the Clustering service for the host operating system VMotion works only with SAN (cost additional $$$). Microsoft Virtualization works with iSCSI SAN, FC-SAN and DAS.

 

Device drivers are in the Host OS for the VMWare (3rd party): Any glitch with them can take down the whole system. Microsoft is putting the driver inside the VM guest; affects limited to the particular guest OS.

 

Management tools that’s used in the Virtual environment is also used in the physical machines. Whereas VMWare is providing tools that only used for the Virtual environment.

 

Hardware support: everything that runs the Windows Server will be recognized by the Hyper-V. For the VMWare, only those that are already known (example: the types of IO that can be used, depends on the device drivers available for the VMware).

 

Host OS patching: VMWare uses Linux command line; MS Hyper-V uses the standard MS patching tools such as the WSUS and SCCM.

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Thanks to Dicky Satrio (Solution Architect of Microsoft Indonesia) for his kind words and these interesting data.