Virtualization using XenEnterprise with Dell PowerEdge Servers and ...

XenEnterprise provides a single fully compatible platform virtualization architecture that
scales to the needs of IT from the desk-side to the lab to the production environment,
offering simple license-based upgrades; there is no need to reinstall server software or to
convert virtual machines to take advantage of the features of higher-end product versions.
Consolidated deployment and management of servers in all roles is attained easily and costeffectively,
including:
• Mainstream, highly consolidation-targeted workloads such as file, print, web,
directory, and infrastructure services
• Development, test, and support of multiple environments and multi-tier applications
• Branch office and departmental consolidation
By mid-2007, an increased range of data center class features are expected to be added to
XenEnterprise. Upcoming features will include:
• A 64-bit hypervisor, offering support for 64-bit and 32-bit guests, as well as
increased physical and guest memory
• Support for shared storage, as well as enhanced Fibre Channel and iSCSI
integration
• Live and static migration of guest virtual machines between servers
• An XML-RPC API offering control of virtual machine lifecycle, server and storage
configuration, offering enhanced scripting and management software integration
3.3 XenEnterprise differentiation from open source Xen
In addition to the efficient, high-performance virtualization platform provided by the Xen
hypervisor, XenEnterprise delivers the components of a full platform virtualization
solution, making it the easiest way for IT organizations to implement the full value and
capabilities of Xen virtualization.
The added value attributes include:
• A simplified bare-metal installer that allows IT staff to prepare a Dell server for
Xen virtualization in minutes, either by booting it from CD (or virtual CD provided
by the Dell Remote Access Controller (DRAC) management interface) and
answering a small number of simple questions or by preparing an answer-file and
installing the software via PXE boot
• Optimized disk and network drivers for Windows guests, making it possible to
achieve high I/O performance for business-critical services.
• A graphical Administrator interface through which system administrators can
create, manage and monitor virtual machines and interact with their consoles (or,
alternatively, launch other desktop interfaces such as Remote Desktop). The
Administrator Console supports the management of multiple XenEnterprise servers
and their associated virtual machines from a single easy-to-operate application from
any Windows or Linux desktop.
• A powerful command line interface for managing the lifecycle of virtual machines
from creation through start/stop/suspend/resume iterations, managing the
configuration and allocations of virtual machines and their associated storage. The
command line interface can be run on the server or on any other Windows or Linux
Dell Inc. 6 www.dell.com/virtualization