HYPER-V TO GET MEMORY OVERCOMMIT

Microsoft, after repeatedly downplaying the VMware's ability to overcommit memory has...you guessed it, quietly reversed it's stance on this feature and now states "we definitely need to put that in our product". Virtualization.info is now reporting Microsoft will put this feature in an upcoming release.

 

However, after reading some of the comments it appears some are questioning if this feature will really perform the same "transparent page sharing" and "ballooning" advanced techniques used by VMware or is it just using swap with a GUI setting for dynamic RAM allocation. This would be similar to what you can do with VMware by assigning a large amount of RAM to a VM and then setting a limit that you can adjust dynamically (the OS will see the Full amount of RAM but vSphere only allocates to the OS the limit amount--thus causing the vm to use swap inside the VM and have Dynamic RAM adjustment.

VMWARE 2010 PREDICTIONS- MIKE LAVERICK

Wow, with great interest I am pouring over Mike Laverick's VMware 2010 predictions post on TechTarget. I think this is a good read for sure and I can testify I have heard from some internal VMware sources about the ESXi part. Amazingly, one of his predictions was one I was just thinking about as I work more and realize immediate ROI from Thin Provision. How about Thin provisioning of RAM (without using the Limits tricks). vSphere/ESX already handles this is the background but how about a GUI front-end to adjust what user/OS sees and admins actually permit. Mike calls this "memory compression". Anyway, I digress. 

XRAVIRT's new RDP vCenter Plug-In

Now this is a very nice plug-in just release from the Xtravirt folks which I am sure every vCenter admin will want to load. I have always wondered why we didn't have this already built into vCenter. But a very nice implementation for sure.

Just install the MSI file (nice PDF instructions are included), start up vCenter and go to the HOME screen. Now down under "Solutions and Applications" you will find the new plug-in. Go into this for a one time configuration: Domain/Acct credentials to use, default screen resolution, alternate port option, and select advanced options you like (disable wallpaper, themes, etc.).

Now on you have a right-click menu option on a virtual machine for "Connect VIA RDP"!

Get the RDP plug-in now!