VMware Server is now FREE!

Webmaster

Long before there was Microsoft Virtual PC, there was VMware. I can still remember the first time I used it, and how impressed I was when seeing a virtual computer with it's own OS boot in a window. Eventually when Microsoft introduced Virtual PC already some years ago, and I started using the trial, I ended up using it instead of VMware. No particular reason as both work fine for a home lab. But now, VMware Server is free, currently in beta, but will remain free after the final version is released.

I've yet to experience the actual difference between the free VMware Server and commercial VMware Workstation version, but it seems to have all a student for Linux and Microsoft certs needs:

www.vmware.com/products/server/

Thank you VMware

Plantwiz

Great!

Sie

did you know Microsoft Virtual Server 2005 R2 is free aswell now?
Runs on XP, Windows Server 2003.....

http://www.microsoft.com/windowsserversystem/virtualserver/software/default.mspx

(Can also run various servers + Windows XP, havent checked with anything previous : )

12thlevelwarrior

On top of Virtual Server being free you get 4 free Enterprise Licenses for Virtual Machines when Virtual Server sits on top of a Enterprise 2003 OS. If you have Virtual Server sitting on top of DataCenter the number of free Virtual Machine licenses are unlimited. Also, to purchase more Virtual Machine licenses in a Enterprise setup you get four installs for every one license purchase.

I have been playing around with Virtual Server and support three ESX servers at work, and from the get go here are differences I notice:

-In Virtual Server you cannot overcommit for memory

-Virtual Server does have some nice disk configuration options though, and Virtual Server includes the ability to move Virtual Machines from one Virtual Server to the other, with ESX you have to buy Virtual Center add-on to do this