Category: Virtualization and Cloud Computing

Transforming physical systems to virtual systems may be easier now with VMware’s new tool! The “P2V” process can be tricky, and this tool claims to make it easier.

VMware Releases New Converter Tool

“VMware on Monday released a beta version of VMware Converter 3, a tool that takes a physical computer system and transforms it into a virtual machine image to be used with the company’s products. The new release combines two previously separate tools: VMware P2V Assistant and Virtual Machine Importer. In addition to the physical-to-virtual conversion, Converter 3 can also change third-party VM formats including Microsoft Virtual Server and Virtual PC and Symantec Backup Exec System Recovery into VMware compatible images. Converter 3 will be available free of charge, with a special Enterprise Edition for paying customers. A beta version is available for download now.”

VMware Beta Converter Link

So, now, on the heels of Apple’s “Boot Camp,” a (what seems to me to be much handier) program will allow Macs to run a VIRTUAL Windows or Linux session, so that you don’t have to reboot into a different operating system.

Virtual Windows Session on the Mac

“Coming on the heels of Apple’s announcement of Boot Camp Assistant Beta, virtualization vendor Parallels said it will begin testing on April 6 a Mac OS X version of its Parallels Workstation 2.1 software. The low-cost virtualization product will let Mac users run Windows XP or Linux together on the desktop of an Intel-based Mac.”

We just saw how some hackers got Windows XP to run on the new Intel based Macs. Now, there is a rumor that Apple may come out with emulation for the next edition of OSX that will allow Windows apps to run under OSX. Dewd! That will change things, if true!

Is Apple Getting Ready to Run Windows?

“Notable curmudgeon John Dvorak raised hackles last month when he suggested that an Intel-powered Apple would dump OS X and switch to Windows. Turns out he may have been right — sort of. Word is out now that Apple has joined BAPco, an industry group that does one thing and one thing only: create benchmarks for testing the performance of Windows-based PCs. The move comes on top of rumors that Apple will include VMWare-style virtualization capabilities in the next version of OS X, which could enable the Mac OS to run Windows apps without requiring a third-party emulator or a reboot. While those rumors have yet to be confirmed, it does seem possible that Apple is indeed working on a way for OS X users to run Windows apps, and wants to use BAPco’s tools to benchmark the Windows-on-OS X performance (though the tools are said not to work all that well in virtual environments). Either that or they just want to confirm the rumors that the MacBookPro is the fastest Windows laptop out there.”

VMware allows you to create “virtual machines” of Windows or Linux, and run them on top of Windows or Linux. Pretty neat! Great for developers that need to test in different environments. Now you can download and install a beta version of VMware’s latest server:

VMware Server Beta Download

Play and enjoy!