The resources on this page offer in-depth information about how virtualization technologies work, the impact they can have on enterprises, and the Microsoft products you can use to virtualize your infrastructure.
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Virtualization Price War: VMware’s Little Bighorn
This Yankee Group Report: Elucidates the pricing differences among the top virtualization offerings including Citrix, Microsoft, Novell, Oracle, Parallels, Red Hat, Virtual Iron and VMware, with apples-to-apples comparisons; highlights the performance and feature differences of the virtualization products; and provides existing and prospective corporate virtualization customers with practical, tactical recommendations to assist with their purchasing decisions. -
Six Reasons Why Microsoft’s Hyper-V Will Overtake VMware
Analyst Joe Clabby defines the server virtualization technology and presents a six-point argument for why Microsoft can overtake VMware in this space within the next five years. Specifically, Joe asserts that Microsoft has an advantage with price, packaging, depth, reach, control/integration and install base. - Microsoft Announces System Center Virtual Machine Manager 2008
This report by Enterprise Management Associates provides a favorable overview of the details of Microsoft’s announcements relative to cross platform management of System Center Virtual Machine Manager 2008, as well as heterogeneous support in System Center Operations Manager. - Microsoft Management & Virtualisation Strategy Continues to Mature
This report by IDC reviews Microsoft’s cross-platform server virtualization management announcements made at Microsoft Management Summit and focuses on their impact on the Australian and New Zealand marketplaces. - Microsoft Plans to Manage Next Generation Data
ESG analysts Mark Bowker and Mary Turner predict that Microsoft’s move toward heterogeneous management, combined with its long-term vision for the next-generation data center, will create “fireworks” in the management vendor market over the next few years. - Deployment Cookbook: Microsoft Data Protection Manager and Virtual Machine Manager
Deployment guide for Microsoft Virtual Server and System Center Virtual Machine Manager. - Deployment Cookbook: Onsite Backup
Guide covering onsite back-up for Virtual Server and System Center Data Protection Manager 2007. - Deployment Cookbook: Offsite Backup
Guide covering offsite back-up for Virtual Server and System Center Data Protection Manager 2007. - Virtualization: Don’t Forget Technical Support - Another Kusnetzky Group Paper
As organizations are planning the implementation of a virtualization strategy, they often forget something that’s very important - technical support. Technical support is an often under-discussed aspect of technology acquisition, though is part of nearly every technology-based solution. This is one in a series of Kusnetzky Group position papers intended to review the forces changing the market for information technology in general and virtualization technology in specific. - Microsoft Pushes Virtualization Frontier
This impact brief covers recent announcements by Microsoft Corporation around its virtualization strategy. In particular, this paper discusses the acquisition of Calista Technology and a recently-announced expanded partnership with Citrix. - PUND-IT Weekly Review: Getting Virtualized - Microsoft Charts the Way to Dynamic IT
This newsletter article from Charles King at PUND-IT, Inc., discusses Microsoft’s companywide strategy to help accelerate the broad adoption of virtualization and how this will affect customers and Partners. - Microsoft Will Turn Up the Server Virtualization Volume in 2008
This Enterprise Strategy Group Brief discusses Microsoft’s role in the server virtualization market in 2008. - Deploying Virtual Infrastructure on Standard Operating Systems
This whitepaper offers information and recommendations for customers who are choosing between the use of standard operating systems such as Windows Server 2008 or SLES 10 to virtualize workloads, with stand-alone hypervisors such as VMware’s ESX that have been developed from the ground up. - Microsoft Virtualization Strategy Announcement from Bob Muglia
In this executive memo, Bob Muglia, Senior Vice President of Microsoft’s Server and Tools Business, shares his thoughts about how virtualization is helping IT departments reduce costs and improve business continuity and compliance, and how, over the long term, it will have a significant impact on the way businesses run IT. - Microsoft and Citrix Expand Alliance to Deliver Virtualization Solutions From Desktops to Datacenters
Microsoft Corp. and Citrix Systems Inc. announced an expanded alliance to deliver a comprehensive set of virtualization solutions to address the desktop and server virtualization needs of customers. The two companies will work together to deliver and market joint virtualization solutions with Windows Server 2008 to help customers achieve a flexible and dynamic client computing infrastructure. - Microsoft Announces Vision and Strategy to Accelerate Virtualization Adoption
In this press release, Microsoft articulates an expanded role for virtualization as a key enabler of its Dynamic IT vision and outlines a companywide strategy to help accelerate the broad adoption of virtualization. - Windows Server 2008 Security Guide
The Windows Server 2008 Security Guide helps organizations efficiently create, deploy, and maintain a secure environment for a variety of servers running Windows Server 2008, the next major release of Windows Server. - Microsoft Office through Microsoft Application Virtualization
This document describes how by deploying and managing Microsoft Office through Microsoft Application Virtualization, you can enable multiple versions of Office to run side-by-side on the same device, accelerate the deployment of Office, and enhance user mobility and business continuity. - Windows Vista Enterprise and Windows Server Flexible Desktop Computing
This document describes Microsoft’s new flexible desktop computing options centered on Windows Vista Enterprise and Windows Server code name “Longhorn” that give enterprises a range of options for simplifying desktop infrastructure management. - Windows Vista Enterprise Centralized Desktop
This document describes Microsoft’s offerings for deploying Windows, particularly for customers looking to centralize storage or execution of Windows. These offerings include Terminal Services, Diskless PCs, Windows Vista Enterprise Centralized Desktop and SoftGrid Application Virtualization. - Flexible Desktop Computing Whitepaper
Microsoft currently offers a range of desktop computing options—from traditional PCs to thin clients and from Terminal Services to hosted virtual machines—that give large organizations the flexibility needed to meet their diverse user and IT requirements. These computing options were designed to help simplify and lower the costs of desktop management and enable a much more agile, secure and satisfying computing experience. This white paper describes how Microsoft solutions address different end-user scenarios and examines the various traditional and emerging desktop computing options best suited for typical personas in enterprises. - Microsoft SoftGrid Application Virtualization
This document provides an overview of Microsoft SoftGrid Application Virtualization. SoftGrid transforms applications into virtualized, network-available services resulting in dynamic delivery of software that is never installed, never conflicts, and minimizes costly application compatibility testing. - Prescriptive guidance for sequencing 2007 Office programs in Microsoft SoftGrid
This article describes one method that you can use to successfully sequence a 2007 Microsoft Office program for use with Microsoft SoftGrid. The method that is described in this article is not the only method that is available. Additionally, you may have to modify the information in this article as appropriate for your particular environment. - Description of the support policy for versions of Office that are running in SoftGrid Application Virtualization
This article describes best practices for using Microsoft SoftGrid Application Virtualization. This article also describes the support policy for versions of Microsoft Office that are running in SoftGrid Application Virtualization. -
Infrastructure and Planning Design Guides: Guidance for Virtualization
"Guidance for Virtualization" is part of the Infrastructure Planning and Design (IPD) guides which are the next version of Windows Server System Reference Architecture. The guides in this series help clarify and streamline design processes for Microsoft infrastructure technologies, with each guide addressing a unique infrastructure technology or scenario. - Top Ten Virtualization Myths
This whitepaper by industry analyst Dan Kusnetzky, Principal Analyst at the Kusnetzky Group, outlines key virtualization myths and provides insights on how to plan, design and implement a vision for virtualization in your organization. -
Application Isolation and Operation in BO Using VS
This cookbook will provide procedural, step-by-step guidance to an IT Generalist audience for isolating and operating applications on separate virtual machines in branch offices using Microsoft Virtual Server 2005 R2 SP1, in an Intel-based hardware environment for regulatory compliance and improved legacy workload performance. - Application Virtualization: The Next Frontier
This paper describes how, by reducing such direct IT costs as application deployment, regression testing, service desk usage, other types of support, and IT management, SoftGrid enables IT departments to meet the seemingly contradictory goals of cutting costs while improving service levels. -
Backup and Recovery using Microsoft Virtual Server 2005 R2 Service Pack 1 and Acronis® True Image 9.1 Enterprise Edition
The goal of this cookbook is to guide you through installing Acronis server imaging solutions for workgroups and installing Microsoft Virtual Server 2005 R2 SP1. The cookbook covers creating a virtual machine (to serve as a standby for recovery) and restoring the contents of a server representing your production workload to the waiting virtual machine. -
High Availability with VS and WS03R2 Enterprise Server Clustering
This cookbook will provide procedural, step-by-step guidance to an IT Generalist audience for implementing high availability of server workloads using Windows Server 2003 Server Clustering and Virtual Server using Intel-based hardware. -
Hosted Backup and Recovery Solutions for Service Providers using DPM and VS
This cookbook will provide procedural, step-by-step guidance to an IT Generalist audience providing data backup and recovery to customers as a hosted solution using Virtual Server and System Center Data Protection Manager 2007. - Virtualization is More than Virtual Machine Software
This paper will examine a useful model of virtualization technology and present what each type of virtualization can do for an organization. - Protecting Virtualized Environments with System Center Data Protection Manager 2007
This document discusses how Data Protection Manager offers comprehensive data protection for organizations of all sizes, helping to maintain the business value of your Virtual Server infrastructure by making it better protected and more available. -
Microsoft System Center Data Protection Manager 2007, Microsoft Virtual Server 2005 R2 Service Pack 1, and Microsoft System Center Virtual Machine Manager
The scenario presented in this cookbook will take you through the steps necessary to install Virtual Server and SCVMM, and then convert a workload to a virtual machine. This cookbook also includes the steps necessary to install DPM and to back up a running virtual machine, as well as information about monitoring and reporting using DPM. - Microsoft System Center Virtual Machine Manager – General Overview White Paper
This document covers how System Center Virtual Machine Manager provides centralized administration of virtual machine infrastructure, helps increase physical server utilization, and enables rapid provisioning of new virtual machine. - Microsoft Virtual Server 2005 R2 Service Pack 1 and Microsoft System Center Virtual Machine Manager
The goal of this cookbook is to provide the steps and guidance necessary for you to successfully install and configure Virtual Server 2005 R2 SP1 and System Center Virtual Machine Manager. You may then create and manage virtual machines, and perform P2V migration. -
Mobile User Access of Applications. Terminal Server running on virtual machines using Microsoft Virtual Server 2005 R2 Service Pack 1
In this cookbook we will install Terminal Server on a virtual machine and access the terminal server remotely. We will also show how to install Remote Desktop Web Connection and how to configure Windows Firewall to allow remote clients to access the terminal server. - Quick Migration with Virtual Server Host Clustering Windows Server 2003 Enterprise Edition & Microsoft Virtual Server 2005 R2 Service Pack 1
This cookbook describes a simple configuration in which you use Virtual Server 2005 R2 to configure one guest operating system, and configure a server cluster that has two servers (nodes). With this configuration, you can migrate workloads easily from one node to the other. -
Simple Offsite Backup and Recovery of virtual machines using DPM and VS
This cookbook will provide procedural, step-by-step guidance to an IT Generalist audience for backing up and restoring virtual machines running in an offsite location using Virtual Server and System Center Data Protection Manager 2007. -
Simple Onsite Backup and Recovery of virtual machines using DPM and VS
This cookbook will provide procedural, step-by-step guidance to an IT Generalist audience for backing up and restoring running virtual machines using Virtual Server and System Center Data Protection Manager 2007. - Virtualization From the Datacenter to the Desktop
This paper looks at the role virtualization should take in an optimized IT infrastructure, and presents principles and best practices to help you build a comprehensive virtualization strategy for your organization. - Virtualization for Windows - A Technology Overview
This overview introduces the Microsoft virtualization technologies, focusing on three areas: hardware virtualization, presentation virtualization, and application virtualization, and then discusses virtualization management. - Virtualization: The Architectural Foundation for Dynamic IT
This paper offers a strategic picture of virtualized infrastructure as a whole. It goes on to outline how to get started with virtualization technologies as part of the Dynamic Systems Initiative. - Windows Vista Enterprise Centralized Desktop and Virtual Server 2005 R2
This white paper introduces Windows Vista Enterprise Centralized Desktop, a way of licensing Windows Vista for deployment in a centralized, virtualized setting. - Licensing Windows Server 2003 R2 to run with Virtualization Technologies
This document covers how the Microsoft Windows Server 2003 R2 operating system and other Microsoft server products are licensed when used with virtualization technologies VMware ESX Server, VMware VMotion, SWsoft Virtuozzo, and Microsoft System Center Virtual Machine Manager. - Reducing Technology Costs with Intel Virtualization Technology and Virtual Server 2005 R2 SP1
This whitepaper describes how Microsoft® Virtual Server 2005 R2 with Service Pack 1 (SP1) combines with Intel Virtualization Technology to provide a powerful platform that fuels virtualization initiatives (such as disaster recovery and branch office solutions), improving performance and adding to the business value of server virtualization. - Using Virtualization to Achieve Affordable Disaster Recovery - Physical-to-virtual Disaster Recovery from Microsoft, PlateSpin, and Dell
This whitepaper details PlateSpin's Physical-to-Virtual (P2V) Recovery solution, implemented using Microsoft Virtual Server 2005 R2 SP1 in conjunction with Dell PowerEdge® Servers. - Virtual Server 2005 R2 SP1 and Next-Generation AMD Opteron Processors Increase the Business Value of Virtualization
This whitepaper covers how the combination of Microsoft Virtual Server 2005 R2 SP1 and powerful AMD processors with Direct Connect Architecture and AMD-V technology allows users to deploy computing resources in more agile, efficient, and cost-effective ways.
- Microsoft Virtualization Experts Podcast Series
Tune in to this DABCC Radio Podcast Series and hear Douglas Brown’s interview with Eric Traut, Microsoft Distinguished Engineer. - Microsoft Virtualization Experts Podcast Series
Tune in to this DABCC Radio Podcast Series and hear Douglas Brown’s interview with Mike Neil, General Manager of Virtualization Strategy, Microsoft Windows Server Division. - Microsoft Virtualization Experts Podcast Series
Tune in to this DABCC Radio Podcast Series and hear Douglas Brown’s interview with Dr. Mark Russinovich, Microsoft Technical Fellow. - Microsoft Virtualization Experts Podcast Series
Tune in to this DABCC Radio Podcast Series and hear Douglas Brown’s interview with Stuart Schaefer, Partner Architect. - Microsoft Virtualization Experts Podcast Series
Tune in to this DABCC Radio Podcast Series and hear Douglas Brown’s interview with David Greschler, Director, Integrated Virtualization Strategy. - InfoWorld World of Virtualization Podcast Series: Jumpstart Your Virtualization IT Projects with Microsoft Virtualization Solution Accelerators
Tune into this InfoWorld series of podcasts, sponsored by Microsoft, to get information and advice on a range of virtualization topics from industry experts. This episode covers how you can jumpstart your virtualization IT projects with Microsoft Virtualization Solution Accelerators. - InfoWorld World of Virtualization Podcast Series: IT Managers Speak Out on the Top Ten Things You can do to Improve your Virtualization Strategy
Tune into this InfoWorld series of podcasts, sponsored by Microsoft, to get information and advice on a range of virtualization topics from industry experts. This episode covers the top ten things you can do to improve your Virtualization strategy according to a panel of IT Managers. - InfoWorld World of Virtualization Podcast Series: Desktop and Application Virtualization
Tune into this InfoWorld series of podcasts, sponsored by Microsoft, to get information and advice on a range of virtualization topics from industry experts. This episode covers Desktop and Application Virtualization. - InfoWorld World of Virtualization Podcast Series: Using Virtualization and Security Issues
Tune into this InfoWorld series of podcasts, sponsored by Microsoft, to get information and advice on a range of virtualization topics from industry experts. This episode covers Virtualization and security issues. - InfoWorld World of Virtualization Podcast Series: Virtualization Licensing Myth Busters
Tune into this InfoWorld series of podcasts, sponsored by Microsoft, to get information and advice on a range of virtualization topics from industry experts. This episode covers Virtualization licensing myth busters. - InfoWorld World of Virtualization Podcast Series: Top Virtualization Myths
Tune into this InfoWorld series of podcasts, sponsored by Microsoft, to get information and advice on a range of virtualization topics from industry experts. This episode covers Top virtualization Myths. - Microsoft Virtualization Experts Podcast Series
Tune in to this DABCC Radio Podcast Series and hear Douglas Brown’s interviews with key Microsoft decision and strategy makers responsible for driving the company’s virtualization solutions. You’ll hear from: Eric Traut, Microsoft Distinguished Engineer; Mike Neil, General Manager of Virtualization Strategy, Microsoft Windows Server Division; Dr. Mark Russinovich, Microsoft Technical Fellow; Stuart Schaefer, Partner Architect; David Greschler, Director, Integrated Virtualization Strategy. - TechNet Radio: Managing a Virtualized Environment today and in the future
The challenges in managing virtualized environments span beyond administration of applications in both the physical and virtual layers. In this session we will review how the future datacenter can be managed with these complex scenarios. We will also cover the features and benefits of using Windows Server Virtualization and System Center working together and look at competitive differentiators for the current virtualization offerings. - TechNet Radio: Get Ready for Microsoft Virtualization Tech with MS Assessment and Planning Solution Accelerator
Are you ready to evaluate and deploy Microsoft Virtualization Technologies such as Windows Server Virtualization (Viridian), Windows Server Terminal Services and SoftGrid? Start your planning cycle right with Microsoft's Assessment and Planning Solution.
- Microsoft System Center Virtual Machine Manager 2008 Beta
- Microsoft Assessment and Planning Toolkit 3.1
- Hyper-V RTM
- Offline Virtual Machine Servicing Tool
- Microsoft Deployment (next version Business Desktop Deployment)
- Windows Server 2008 Evaluation
- Microsoft Application Virtualization Version 4.5 Beta
- Microsoft Assessment and Planning Solution Accelerator
- Microsoft Virtual Server 2005 R2 SP1
- System Center Configuration Manager 2007 Trial
- System Center Data Protection Manager 2007 Trial
- System Center Virtual Machine Manager 2007
- Virtual PC 2007
- Microsoft Virtualization Launch Event (Bellevue, WA - Sept 8)
- VMworld 2008 (Las Vegas, NV - Sept 15-18)
- Virtualization Congress (London, England Oct 14-16)
- 4th International Virtualization Conference and Expo West (San Jose, CA – Nov 19-21)
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Webcasts are categorized by Level of content per the definitions listed below:
Level 100 (Introductory): Product/technology features, functions, benefits overview
Level 200 (Intermediate): Specific Product/technology technical drill-down
Level 300 (Experienced): Product Migration, deployment, architecture, development
Level 400 (Advanced/Expert): Custom Code, scripts, application solution development, architect infrastructure designs & solutions
Live Webcasts -
Momentum Webcast: HP Virtualization with Microsoft Hyper-V
(Level 200)
Thursday, Sept. 18 2008 1:00 - 2:00 PM Pacific Time - On-Demand Webcasts
- Windows Server Virtualization - Hyper V Webcast
- Microsoft Webcast: Microsoft Presents What’s New in 90’ Virtual 90 Minute Briefing
- Momentum Webcast: Client Virtualization Solutions from Microsoft and HP (Level 100)
- Citrix and Microsoft: The Future of Virtualization (Level 100)
- Momentum Webcast: Are You Ready for Virtualization? (Level 200)
- IT Manager Webcast: Windows Server 2008 Editions and Licensing (Level 100)
- Momentum Webcast: Virtualization Capabilities of Windows Server 2008 (Level 100)
- IT Manager Webcast: Jump-Start Your Virtualization Projects with Microsoft Solution Accelerators (Level 200)
- Momentum Webcast: Virtualization Capabilities of Windows Server 2008 (Level 100)
- 꼬알라의 하얀집
- Microsoft Assessment and Planning Team Blog
- Peering Through Windows
- Rakeshm VM Management Blog
- Robert Larson Virtualization and other information
- SoftGrid Team Blog
- STB News Bytes
- System Center Team Blog
- Terminal Services Team Blog
- Virtual PC Guy
- Virtual World Blog
- Virtually Vista
- Vista Team Blog
- VolkerW's mostly Windows Fundamentals Weblog
- Windows Server Division Weblog
- Windows Virtualization Team Blog
- TechNet Virtualization TechCenter
- Optimized Desktop for Windows
- Flexible Desktop Computing Benefits and Features
- Dynamic Systems Initiative Site
- Infrastructure Optimization
- On-Demand Virtualization Webinars
- Virtual Hard Disk (VHD) Test Program
- Virtualization Solution Accelerators
- Offline Virtual Machine Servicing Tool Demo
- Microsoft Assessment and Planning 3.0 Video
- Virtual Desktop Infrastructure from Microsoft demo
- Data Protection Manager Virtualization Scenario
- Data Protection Manager
- Watch the mobile workers demo
- Watch the office workers demo
- Watch the task workers demo
- Watch the Access from Anywhere demo
- Windows Server 2008 Virtualization: Reducing TCO
Watch a short clip on how you can reduce your company’s total cost of ownership with Windows Server 2008.
