New Forum Proposal: Virtualization Technology (VM, Xen, Intel VT etc.)

switch_abx · 06-12-2006, 02:53 AM

Considering the fact that Intel now integrates its VT technology in its chipsets/processors and AMD also is jumping on this bandwaggon, I thought it would be interesting to include a new Forum on this subject at abxzone.com.

My guess is that Virtualization Technology is going to play a big, a very big, role for all of us. I am particularly interested in Intel's VT technology and Xen. Imagine, running FreeBSD, several Linux distributions, XP, Vista, Windows Test system, a Linux Test system, one for Games, one for Chatting, one for Business, whatever you want to throw at it, on one box. Yes, on one PC, Notebook or Server. And if one server crashesm it won't crash the other virtual servers.

Yesterday I discussed with a friend of mine to start a project, using Xen 3. The plan is to retire my four (hardware) Servers, replace them and add antother two to arrive at 6 Virtual Servers residing on one hardware serversystem. What an opportunity to save costs and consolidate several systems on one hardware platform.

For those who are not yet familiar with Virtualization Technology, here are some links, which cover this subject:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Virtualization_Technology
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Virtualization
http://www.intel.com/technology/computing/vptech/
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Xen
http://www.xensource.com/

abxzone peers, what do you think of my proposal? Finally something new and a breakthrough (for us) to the current, boring and stalemate information technology.

***Ozzie*** · 06-12-2006, 10:09 AM

How about a

for the daytime visitors...

I'd like to hear what you guys think about this too. This sounds like it might be a good addition our forums...

***Ozzie*** · 06-12-2006, 04:22 PM

Hmmm...no comments in the suggestion box, so let's try over here.

h20-ski · 06-12-2006, 05:00 PM

While I support the idea, right now I do not find myself using the forum. But in all honesty I barely use the AMD forum.

sorrow · 06-12-2006, 05:04 PM

While i do use vmware, i don't know if i would need/use a seperate forum for it. I think switch is on track with this, but maybe just a little premature. I think in a couple years we will all use vm's to surf due to the high volume of atrocious attacks via onlin surfing.

my .2

**k0NG0** · 06-12-2006, 05:36 PM

It should be a vendor-agnostic forum if anything. AMD has its Pacifica which is similar to Vanderpool Technology.

The problem may then be that vendor-specific topics are discussed in this forum, but I guess that would be better than splitting up the whole virtualization topic over two separate forums. A lesser of two evils, if you will.

I think it would be a nice addition, albeit, as sorrow pointed out, quite early in the use of hardware-assisted virtualization. VMWare and such have been in heavy use in corporate environments for quite some time.

I'm for it, I guess was the gist of the above.

KGB · 06-12-2006, 09:12 PM

How about just keeping this in a OS section?

Tinker · 06-13-2006, 04:57 AM

switch has a very good idea. I just spent about an hour looking over some information on this topic and I have questions. I have many times answered my questions by reading the forms here and never had to post anything. This looks like a growing area and we should provide as much information via a form as we can.

switch_abx · 06-14-2006, 12:37 PM

Well, I proposed "Virtualization Technology (VM, Xen, Intel VT etc.)", but to be fair it should be completed to show the current status. So it could read this way:

"Virtualization Technology (VM, VMware, Xen, Intel VT, AMD Pacifica, etc)".

polonyc2 · 06-14-2006, 12:40 PM

don't think it needs its own separate subforum yet...topics of this nature should go in the Chipsets subforum for now...

Kage · 06-14-2006, 02:24 PM

It's a good idea, but also a little premature.

For the time being, we could create generalized threads in the chipset subforums and move them to their own subforum later - when Virtualization technologies become more mainstream.

Tinker · 06-14-2006, 07:48 PM

Well if it is made into forum (which it should be) just do not go to it if you do not want to participate in it. There are forums that serve no purpose here IMHO. However they may for others.

If a forum is started and it does not work out then just merge the posts into a chipset forum or where ever it is deemed appropriate.

***Ozzie*** · 06-14-2006, 10:36 PM

I think I can see where the thinking is here...ABX has the choice of either leading or following. While we may be ahead of the curve, this could also provide something other sites don't and it may help stimulate the forums.

Since this is available across platforms, it would seem to me one single forum possibly called "Virtualization Technology (VM, VMware, Xen, Intel VT, AMD Pacifica, etc)", (or some variation) as switch suggested would be the way to go.
Also a consideration is the fact that this is mostly software based at this point (as noted by kONGO), so it would seem to fit better as a sub forum in software along with the OS's. As things change (you know they will), we will have to adapt.

So...it sounds like I'm onboard too, ABX needs to be forward thinking...and I appreciate the suggestion to provide more opportunity for discussion.

**k0NG0** · 06-15-2006, 04:23 AM

The thing is, Virtualization is a software solution. VT and Pacifica are just core-level functionalities to assist the software stack to make it easier to virtualize the hardware (e.g. instead of managing different memory spaces entirely in software, the hardware has functionality to ease that). So I think that regardless, the forum should be a Software category forum.

Anyway, virtualization won't be entirely cool until the whole hardware system can be virtualized. PCIe has virtualization features in the next spec, for example.

switch_abx · 06-15-2006, 08:02 AM

Ozzie, I cannot more agree on what you stated.

Quote:

Originally Posted by Ozzie

......ABX has the choice of either leading or following. While we may be ahead of the curve, this could also provide something other sites don't and it may help stimulate the forums.....

......So it sounds like I'm onboard too, ABX needs to be forward thinking and I appreciate the suggestion to provide more opportunity for discussion.

06-12-2006, 02:53 AM	#1
switch_abx Registered User Join Date: Feb 2001 Posts: 2,670	New Forum Proposal: Virtualization Technology (VM, Xen, Intel VT etc.) Considering the fact that Intel now integrates its VT technology in its chipsets/processors and AMD also is jumping on this bandwaggon, I thought it would be interesting to include a new Forum on this subject at abxzone.com. My guess is that Virtualization Technology is going to play a big, a very big, role for all of us. I am particularly interested in Intel's VT technology and Xen. Imagine, running FreeBSD, several Linux distributions, XP, Vista, Windows Test system, a Linux Test system, one for Games, one for Chatting, one for Business, whatever you want to throw at it, on one box. Yes, on one PC, Notebook or Server. And if one server crashesm it won't crash the other virtual servers. Yesterday I discussed with a friend of mine to start a project, using Xen 3. The plan is to retire my four (hardware) Servers, replace them and add antother two to arrive at 6 Virtual Servers residing on one hardware serversystem. What an opportunity to save costs and consolidate several systems on one hardware platform. For those who are not yet familiar with Virtualization Technology, here are some links, which cover this subject: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Virtualization_Technology http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Virtualization http://www.intel.com/technology/computing/vptech/ http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Xen http://www.xensource.com/ abxzone peers, what do you think of my proposal? Finally something new and a breakthrough (for us) to the current, boring and stalemate information technology.
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06-12-2006, 10:09 AM	#2
*Ozzie* CRS Designee Join Date: Feb 2001 Location: Apple Valley, MN Posts: 10,510	How about a for the daytime visitors... I'd like to hear what you guys think about this too. This sounds like it might be a good addition our forums... __________________ Have you supported your forum today? Change is the only constant in life
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06-12-2006, 04:22 PM	#3
*Ozzie* CRS Designee Join Date: Feb 2001 Location: Apple Valley, MN Posts: 10,510	Hmmm...no comments in the suggestion box, so let's try over here. __________________ Have you supported your forum today? Change is the only constant in life
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06-12-2006, 05:00 PM	#4
h20-ski Registered User Join Date: May 2004 Location: Texas Posts: 2,460	While I support the idea, right now I do not find myself using the forum. But in all honesty I barely use the AMD forum.
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06-12-2006, 05:04 PM	#5
sorrow 010011100100100101001110 Join Date: Nov 2003 Location: Virginia Posts: 1,246	While i do use vmware, i don't know if i would need/use a seperate forum for it. I think switch is on track with this, but maybe just a little premature. I think in a couple years we will all use vm's to surf due to the high volume of atrocious attacks via onlin surfing. my .2 __________________ A64 X2 4800+ (Toledo) A8N32-SLI-Deluxe PQI 2x1gb (2.5/4/4/8/1T) WD 150gb 10,000rpm Raptor eVGA 8800GTX Asus Xonar DX Thermaltake PurePower 560w Gigabyte Aurora Case Dell UltraSharp 2405FPW 24" LCD My site in progress: http://www.average-geek.com
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06-12-2006, 05:36 PM	#6
k0NG0 Remembering TQ Join Date: Mar 2001 Location: Sweden Posts: 13,750	It should be a vendor-agnostic forum if anything. AMD has its Pacifica which is similar to Vanderpool Technology. The problem may then be that vendor-specific topics are discussed in this forum, but I guess that would be better than splitting up the whole virtualization topic over two separate forums. A lesser of two evils, if you will. I think it would be a nice addition, albeit, as sorrow pointed out, quite early in the use of hardware-assisted virtualization. VMWare and such have been in heavy use in corporate environments for quite some time. I'm for it, I guess was the gist of the above. __________________ Use Firefox - "the one that blocks all the schmutz" Feeling multicore elation? Remember this correlation: Amdahl's Law.
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06-12-2006, 09:12 PM	#7
KGB Registered User Join Date: Mar 2003 Posts: 309	How about just keeping this in a OS section?
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06-13-2006, 04:57 AM	#8
Tinker How did they do that??? Join Date: Feb 2003 Location: Indiana USA Posts: 543	switch has a very good idea. I just spent about an hour looking over some information on this topic and I have questions. I have many times answered my questions by reading the forms here and never had to post anything. This looks like a growing area and we should provide as much information via a form as we can. __________________
(Offline)

06-14-2006, 12:37 PM	#9
switch_abx Registered User Join Date: Feb 2001 Posts: 2,670	Well, I proposed "Virtualization Technology (VM, Xen, Intel VT etc.)", but to be fair it should be completed to show the current status. So it could read this way: "Virtualization Technology (VM, VMware, Xen, Intel VT, AMD Pacifica, etc)".
(Offline)

06-14-2006, 12:40 PM	#10
polonyc2 Banned Join Date: Jan 2004 Location: New York City Posts: 8,200	don't think it needs its own separate subforum yet...topics of this nature should go in the Chipsets subforum for now... __________________ ASUS Maximus Formula (X38) *** XFX GTX 260 Black Edition Core 216 896MB Intel E8400 * Noctua NH-U12P G.Skill 4 GB (2 X 2 GB) DDR2 800 4-4-4-12 * Western Digital Caviar Black 640GB WD6401AALS Lian Li PC-A70B (black) * Corsair HX850W AuzenTech Auzen X-Fi Prelude 7.1 * Creative Inspire P5800 5.1 speakers Sony Optiarc AD-7240S-0B * Sony GDM-F520 21' CRT monitor (19.8' viewable) Vista Business 64-bit w/SP2 * standard 3.5" floppy drive Microsoft Laser Mouse 6000 *** Microsoft Wired Keyboard 500 (Black)
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06-14-2006, 02:24 PM	#11
Kage Ich will mehr! Join Date: Nov 2004 Location: Fiery depths of Hell Posts: 3,620	It's a good idea, but also a little premature. For the time being, we could create generalized threads in the chipset subforums and move them to their own subforum later - when Virtualization technologies become more mainstream.
(Offline)

06-14-2006, 07:48 PM	#12
Tinker How did they do that??? Join Date: Feb 2003 Location: Indiana USA Posts: 543	Well if it is made into forum (which it should be) just do not go to it if you do not want to participate in it. There are forums that serve no purpose here IMHO. However they may for others. If a forum is started and it does not work out then just merge the posts into a chipset forum or where ever it is deemed appropriate. __________________
(Offline)

06-14-2006, 10:36 PM	#13
*Ozzie* CRS Designee Join Date: Feb 2001 Location: Apple Valley, MN Posts: 10,510	I think I can see where the thinking is here...ABX has the choice of either leading or following. While we may be ahead of the curve, this could also provide something other sites don't and it may help stimulate the forums. Since this is available across platforms, it would seem to me one single forum possibly called "Virtualization Technology (VM, VMware, Xen, Intel VT, AMD Pacifica, etc)", (or some variation) as switch suggested would be the way to go. Also a consideration is the fact that this is mostly software based at this point (as noted by kONGO), so it would seem to fit better as a sub forum in software along with the OS's. As things change (you know they will), we will have to adapt. So...it sounds like I'm onboard too, ABX needs to be forward thinking...and I appreciate the suggestion to provide more opportunity for discussion. __________________ Have you supported your forum today? Change is the only constant in life
(Offline)

06-15-2006, 04:23 AM	#14
k0NG0 Remembering TQ Join Date: Mar 2001 Location: Sweden Posts: 13,750	The thing is, Virtualization is a software solution. VT and Pacifica are just core-level functionalities to assist the software stack to make it easier to virtualize the hardware (e.g. instead of managing different memory spaces entirely in software, the hardware has functionality to ease that). So I think that regardless, the forum should be a Software category forum. Anyway, virtualization won't be entirely cool until the whole hardware system can be virtualized. PCIe has virtualization features in the next spec, for example. __________________ Use Firefox - "the one that blocks all the schmutz" Feeling multicore elation? Remember this correlation: Amdahl's Law.
(Offline)

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