OpenVZ Delivers Live Migration Capability in Latest Open Source Virtualization Software.HERNDON, Va. -- The OpenVZ project (http://openvz.org) today announced availability of its operating system-level server virtualization (1) Running applications in separate, isolated partitions within a single server. The "virtual machine" method can run different operating systems simultaneously, whereas the "OS virtualization" method runs applications for only one operating system (see virtual machine and OS software in the form of a kernel based on Linux 2.6.9, including for the first-time in a stable branch, fully-tested and performance-tuned live migration and Virtual Ethernet device features. Previously, those features were only available in the development branch of OpenVZ software. Delivery of the checkpointing and live migration functionality as part of OpenVZ brings a capability that no other open source operating system-level virtualization See OS virtualization. software offers. It allows system administrators to move virtual servers between physical servers without end-user disruption or the need for costly storage capacity. With checkpointing and live migration, the state of a running virtual environment is frozen and the image stored on disk then restored on another server. The function executes between any two servers on a network, so the capability works for any server and any application. OpenVZ delivers this capability without additional requirements, such as a storage area network (SAN). Also, the Virtual Ethernet device function allows for network devices to be created inside virtual environments using designated names and hardware (MAC) addresses that are different from the actual physical device. "Now, the user community can enjoy rock-solid OpenVZ software with advanced features," said Kir Kolyshkin, manager of the OpenVZ project. "This represents months of work on performance tuning Performance tuning is the improvement of system performance. This is typically a computer application, but the same methods can be applied to economic markets, bureaucracies or other complex systems. and quality testing to ensure delivery of stable software code." OpenVZ is operating system-level server virtualization software technology, built on Linux, which creates multiple isolated, secure virtual environments on a single physical server - enabling greater server utilization and superior availability with fewer performance penalties. The virtual servers ensure that applications do not conflict and can be re-booted independently. The new OpenVZ kernel software can be downloaded here, http://openvz.org/download/kernel/stable. Also, users can access helpful installation instructions from the OpenVZ wiki A Web site that can be quickly edited by its visitors with simple formatting rules. Developed by Ward Cunningham in the mid-1990s to provide collaborative discussions, there are several "wiki" tools on the market for creating such sites, including www.editme.com, www.seedwiki.com, www. , http://wiki.openvz.org/Quick_installation. The site serves as a forum to gain and share knowledge about OpenVZ and includes documentation and a knowledge base with helpful advice. With the power of today's processors from Intel, AMD (Advanced Micro Devices, Inc., Sunnyvale, CA, www.amd.com) A major manufacturer of semiconductor devices including x86-compatible CPUs, embedded processors, flash memories, programmable logic devices and networking chips. and IBM (International Business Machines Corporation, Armonk, NY, www.ibm.com) The world's largest computer company. IBM's product lines include the S/390 mainframes (zSeries), AS/400 midrange business systems (iSeries), RS/6000 workstations and servers (pSeries), Intel-based servers (xSeries) , hardware is often under utilized. With virtualization technology See VT. See also virtualization. , the server can effectively be split into many small ones, each running its tasks so that the whole server is utilized more efficiently. About the OpenVZ Project The OpenVZ project freely distributes and offers support to its users, promoting operating system operating system (OS) Software that controls the operation of a computer, directs the input and output of data, keeps track of files, and controls the processing of computer programs. virtualization An umbrella term for enhancing a computer's ability to do work. Following are the ways virtualization is used. Hardware Virtualization Partitioning the computer's memory into separate and isolated "virtual machines" simulates multiple machines within one physical computer. through a collaborative, community effort. Since going into full production late last year, the OpenVZ project has been very active with the user community with more than 8,000 message posts on its support Forum. The OpenVZ website attracted nearly one million hits last month as more businesses and individuals explore and contribute to the leading open source operating system virtualization project. OpenVZ software comes with user tools that help automate management of virtual servers. With its unique architecture that uses a single operating system instance, the virtual servers perform and execute like independent servers with their own memory, configuration files, users and applications. Each can be re-booted independently. Using template-based application An application that is programmed by filling in predefined fields and/or answering questions. Template-based applications provide a fast way to develop an application, but are not as flexible as custom programming. deployment provides a simple way to get new virtual servers up and running in minutes and OpenVZ can run several times more virtual servers per CPU CPU in full central processing unit Principal component of a digital computer, composed of a control unit, an instruction-decoding unit, and an arithmetic-logic unit. than other virtualization technologies. Supported by SWsoft, the OpenVZ project serves the needs of the community developers, testers, documentation experts, and other technology enthusiasts who wish to participate in and accelerate the technology development process OpenVZ is open source software that is used as the basis for the SWsoft Virtuozzo virtualization software product. Also, the OpenVZ project maintains a blog site discussing virtualization technology, which can be accessed here, http://blog.openvz.org. |
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