Hyper-V hypervisor, Microsoft’s latest virtualisation product is finally available, previously code-named ‘Viridian’, it was originally due to be launched in February this year as an integral part of the launch of Windows Server 2008.

Vendors claim virtualisation offers customers the ability to separate software from the underlying hardware, and are pushing it as a potential way of cutting costs.

Bill Hilf Microsoft’s general manager of Windows Server marketing outlined the benefits of virtualisation, he said: “Customers who buy Windows Server 2008 are not only getting the scalability benefits, the high performance, reliability and all the great things that Windows Server is known for, but, as of today, they’re also able to get the benefits of integrated virtualisation.”

Analysts have questioned whether large enterprises will adopt the product as their sole virtualisation technology

Tony Lock of Freeform Dynamics said that he expected users to welcome the launch of Hyper-V, which, he said, was “probably ready for the market”. He also said he thought that Microsoft had dealt well with the key issue of performance, and that Hyper-V should be efficient.

Many small and medium-sized companies will welcome the increased flexibility that Hyper-V will bring, but Lock added he believed it unlikely that large companies will use the product for all their virtualisation requirements. “The different hypervisors have different qualities … I think most larger companies will want to have that choice.”
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