Tech Line
Hardware Virtualization Hesitation
Here’s where to look for hardware that includes embedded virtualization technology.
Chris, we are looking at purchasing a few hundred workstations and at least
10 new servers next year. I would like to purchase hardware that will support
embedded virtualization to give us some flexibility going forward. While I can
find plenty of information online on AMD and Intel virtualization, getting specific
information on which platforms support virtualization has been a bit of a challenge.
Can you help?
--
Shawn
With hundreds of available processor and platform choices out there, you are
one of many who have found requisitioning virtualization-enabled hardware to
be a challenge. Both AMD and Intel offer Virtualization Technology (VT) with
select processors. AMD's virtualization technology had been code-named "Pacifica."
Intel provides two identifiers for its virtualization technology: VT-i and
VT-x. VT-i is included in its Itanium
2 processors and VT-x is available in the Intel
Xeon family of processors. For example, the entry-level 64-bit Xeon Dual
Core 3000 Sequence family of processors may be a viable choice. Or you could
look at the more popular 5000 Sequence family.
With AMD, currently its workstation-class Athlon
64 X2 processors and server-class Opteron
processors include virtualization technology. Naturally, virtualization technology
is only useful when an application is taking advantage of it. To see the virtualization
applications that are compatible with AMD 64 embedded virtualization, take a
look at AMD's Virtualization
Solutions Guide.
For Intel VT-enabled systems, you can read about compatibility with specific
virtualization products by following these links:
Some hardware vendors are also aiding in making VT-enabled purchases. For example,
a search at NewEgg.com on virtualization (filtered by processor) can allow you
to see which processors sold by NewEgg.com include virtualization technology.
To see an example, click here.
Hopefully, this information will help you to purchase hardware that will more
efficiently run today’s current virtualization applications as well as
new virtualization solutions that will emerge over the next few years.
Since Thanksgiving is just a couple of days away, I would like to take this
time to thank all of you for your excellent questions that you have provided
over the past year. Also, thank you for the great feedback that many of you
leave in the comments portion for the Tech Line column. Your additional comments
have certainly added much more value to my input and I truly appreciate it.
Happy Turkey Day everyone!