Virtual
computing solutions specialist Citrix Systems announced the availability of
XenServer 6, the most recent edition of its server virtualization product
line. As a key component of the Citrix cloud computing and virtualization
strategy, XenServer 6 brings new optimizations and improved scalability and
performance for cloud infrastructure, desktop virtualization and networking.
XenServer
6 includes full integration of Open vSwitch, a technology used to build cloud
networks based on the OpenFlow standard. Integration with Citrix NetScaler
enables hardware-assisted network performance optimizations (SR-IOV) for
NetScaler VPX and SDX service delivery products. The platform also includes HDX
enhancements for improved TCO and optimized user experience for virtual
desktops using graphical applications. With this release, physical GPUs
can be centrally pooled and assigned to a virtual desktop.
XenServer
6 also provides businesses with the option of managing XenServer hosts and VMs
directly from their System Center Management environment—integrating with both
Virtual Machine Manager for ongoing machine operations and provisioning and
Operations Manager for monitoring and troubleshooting. In addition, the
platform incorporates Xen 4.1 hypervisor, which includes advancements for
latency-sensitive workloads, improved support for very large systems and new
security features.
“With
every release of XenServer, more customers are realizing that the vast majority
of their workloads do not require the expense and complexity of VMware
vSphere,” said Peder Ulander, vice president of product marketing for Citrix’s
cloud platforms group. According to industry analyst estimates, today’s average
enterprise only has 40 to 50 percent of its servers virtualized, while
ultimately they need 70 to 80 percent virtualized to meet the demands of the cloud
era. When customers extrapolate the cost of getting to that point, they
recognize the need to adopt simpler, highly functional, cost-effective
virtualization solutions."
Other
features include integrated site recovery with remote data replication between
storage arrays with fast recovery and failback capabilities. Integrated site
recovery replaces StorageLink Gateway Site Recovery used in previous versions,
removes the Windows VM requirement, and works with any iSCSI or hardware HBA
storage repository. Supported limits have been increased to 1TB memory for
XenServer hosts, and up to 16 virtual processors and 128GB virtual memory for
VMs.