There’s an interesting online presentation about Xen on the XenSource website. Whereas I don’t think Xen is ready for prime time yet, this is an interesting view of how Xensource views Xen.

http://www.xensource.com/media/xen/player.html

A while ago, VMware decided to open up their VMDK file format and make it usable by anyone who wished to. VMware reports that so far over 2000 Vendors and Developers have requested specifications on this format. This is a great step in the world of virtualization. I think this is going to do 3 things:

1. Make VM’s more portable. In the future, you should be able to migrate Virtual Machines from 1 product to the next with very little work.

2. It’s going allow ISV’s to optimize their products for virtualization by providing a better understanding of what VMware is doing with them.

3. This is going to greatly help the development of the Virtual Disk format. As more and more people work with VMDK’s, they will provide input and changes that will make VMDK’s even faster and more stable then they are today.

I am a long time supporter of open formats. I think that open formats are the key to allowing companies to leverage the power of the open source community while maintaining their proprietary applications.

I honestly think that there is a place for both open and closed source software. The industry just hast to find that right mix.

Speaking of closed source and the VMware opening the VMDK format… Microsoft is partially opening their VHD format. VHD is Microsoft’s Virtual Disk format. Problem is, Microsoft doesn’t really get it yet. They are limiting the use of VHD formated disks to use on Virtual Server ONLY. This means you couldn’t use it in VMware without breaking the license. Personally, I’m not sure how this is open, nor how it benefits anyone but Microsoft.

My dog was hit by a car today. We’ve had some wind storms lately and I didn’t realize that the damage to my fence had left an opening he could get out of.

Rudy was a very loveable and excitable West Highland White Terrier. As I was working in my office today I had let Rudy run around the yard to play. I had no idea he could, or did get out of the yard. A couple of high school kids were running on the other side of the road. Rudy must have gotten excited and ran out to chase them. The lady that hit him didn’t see him coming.

I didn’t know anything had happened until the phone rang. By the time I ran out of the house and to the road he was already dead.

Rudy was a big part of my family’s life. When you were felling blue he was always there. He was also always ready to play, whether it was a game with my boys or our hiking with me.

Rest in peace buddy.

Rudolph Valentino ~ Rudy
12/10/2001 - 10/15/2006

“The Wyse S10 Thin Client is the most optimized solution for Citrix ICA (MetaFrame Presentation Server), Microsoft RDP (Terminal Services), VMware VDI, and Wyse EDV environments. It combines great performance, stateless operation, low power consumption, USB ports, remote management, and simple device setup and imaging. This small, lightweight, solid-state (all electronic, with no disk or fan) unit can be mounted out of the way, even on the back of a display, making the S10 ideal for any space-constrained environment.”

The S10 looks like an interesting product to help enable VDI based solutions. Especially since this product has wireless networking capabilities.

I’m not sure what the cost is going to be yet, but you can download the datasheet here:

http://www.wyse.com/products/software/os/Wyse_ThinOS.pdf

http://www.wyse.com/products/winterm/S10/index.asp

Vizioncore is going to be conducting a webcast covering their 1 - 2 Punch strategy on October 25th. This will feature their esxRanger product, and how it compares and compliments VMware’s Consolidated Backup product.

You can register for this event here:

http://www.vizioncore.com/agenda_page_esxR_10-25.html

Also:

http://www.vi411.org/2006/08/30/esx-ranger-and-vmware-consolidated-backup.html

Copied from an official Microsoft release:

——-
Today, at the SoftSummit conference in Santa Clara, Calif., Microsoft announced it will offer a set of software tools designed to take the sting out today’s biggest pain points that enterprises deal with when deploying and managing applications and desktops. The Microsoft Desktop Optimization Pack for Software Assurance marries four different tools:

• Microsoft SoftGrid “virtualizes” applications, meaning they can run on multiple PCs and other licensed desktops running Microsoft Windows without being locally installed. Instead, they run as individual networked services, enabling central deployment and management, minimizing compatibility problems and providing employees more ways to access applications.

• Microsoft Asset Inventory Services is designed to analyze all programs on employee PCs, and provide the most current, accurate inventory.

• Microsoft Advanced Group Policy Management increases control over Group Policy Objects (GPOs) – the component rules within Windows’ administrative management system – and is intended to allow IT administrators to delegate or assign administrative control of specific tasks based on employees’ titles or roles.

• Microsoft Diagnostic and Recovery Toolset makes it possible for the IT department to quickly pinpoint the causes of PC troubles, recover lost data and prevent future downtime with post-crash analysis.
—–

Hmmm….

Microsoft’s “SoftGrid” and it’s “benefits” can be found on this whitepaper.

My question is, will this be the best technology or will this just be what gets pushed off on us while eliminating our choices? Microsoft has a way of winning with sloppy software. Case in point? Windows NT. Need another? Internet Explorer. Both were applications riddled with bugs and plagued by instability and yet they were adopted.

Read the full release here.

I just took the VMware VI 3 Certification test and passed!

I can’t provide specifics about the test, but there is some practicle advise I can give:

Read all the questions carefully. There are a lot of questions that use a very “interesting” form of the english language, and are not entirely clear on the first read…. or second, third, or forth read.

Mark questions for review if you are not entirely sure of your answer.

Make notes of hard questions, mark for review, and go back later.

Read through the ENTIRE VI 3 documentation set at least once.

Relax. It’s just a test.

Good luck!

The 49ers lost to day 48 to 19 to the San Diego Chargers. I know the score doesn’t say much, but it wasn’t that bad of a game.

The 49ers played tough against San Diego’s tough defense. Problem was the 49ers couldn’t stop Phil Rivers from leading the Chargers down the field tiime and time again.

Next week is a bye week for the 49ers, so that gives them 2 weeks to prepare for the Bears. The Bears have the touoghest defense in the NFL today. I’m excited to see how the 49ers deal with them.

I’ve spoken to a few people who’ve recently taken the VMware VI 3 certification test, and all three said it was tough. Not only is it 75 questions in 105 minutes but 1 person said:

“…in all my years of certifying that was the most brutal use of the english language I’ve seen in crafting test questions.”

I took the VI 2.5 certification and thought that was tough. I can only imagine what this one will be like.

If you’ve taken the VI 3 test I’d love to hear your comments. Was is difficult, easy, confusing, too many questions, etc…

Intel and VMware have recently announced a united program to help companies develop better virtualization technologies.

Read the release here on Intel’s website:

http://www.intel.com/pressroom/archive/releases/20061002corp.htm