Microsoft Hyper-V Server 2008 released

Microsoft Corp.’s CEO Steve Ballmer has announced the final release and availability of Microsoft Hyper-V Server 2008 in front of a crowd of 700 IT professionals during a TechNet Server and Tools event keynote address in London.

Microsoft Hyper-V Server 2008 is a bare metal hypervisor-based server virtualization product, and is now available as a no-cost Web download. Microsoft Hyper-V Server 2008 provides a simplified, reliable and optimized virtualization solution for customers to consolidate Windows or Linux workloads onto a single physical server or to run client operating systems and applications in server-based virtual machines in the data center. It allows customers to leverage their existing provisioning, updating, management and support tools, processes and skills.

The company also announced a new offering of specialized assessment and implementation services available from the Microsoft Services organization that help customers use server virtualization, and separate new training and certifications from Microsoft Learning for IT Professionals.

“Customers have been telling us that virtualization is a top priority, but they continue to face multiple barriers to adoption, such as costs, complex tools and limited certified virtualization professionals,” said Zane Adam, senior director of virtualization strategy at Microsoft. “In response, Microsoft is breaking down these barriers through new training programs and services, interoperability, centralized management tools, and a broad partner ecosystem built around the Windows hypervisor to help make virtualization ubiquitous. Microsoft’s new virtualization products will help customers get virtual and manage their virtual and physical assets across datacenters and desktops.”

The provisioning and management tools are based on Microsoft System Center suite, which provides centralized, enterprise-class management of physical and virtual resources across desktops and data centers. One of these products is Microsoft System Center Virtual Machine Manager 2008, which is available as beta software; a final version will be released by the end of the month. System Center Virtual Machine Manager 2008 enables customers to configure and deploy new virtual machines and centrally manage their virtualized infrastructure.