Today Microsoft announced that Virtual Server 2005 R2 is now available as a free download. This also will apply to the forthcoming service pack 1 of Virtual Server 2005 R2. In addition, Microsoft announced the availability of virtual machine add-ins for Linux and a technical product support model for Linux guest operating systems running on Virtual Server 2005 R2.
To foster interoperability of virtualization technologies, Microsoft continues to license royalty-free the Virtual Hard Disk (VHD) format of Microsoft Virtual Server. There are now more than 45 vendors signed up in this royalty-free license program, including Akimbi, Brocade, Diskeeper, Fujitsu-Siemens, Network Appliance, Platespin, Softricity, Virtual Iron, and XenSource. As a common virtualization file format, the VHD format enables Microsoft partners to innovate new virtual machine solutions, and provides customers with a smooth transition path to future Microsoft virtualization software, such as the Windows hypervisor.
|