Pete Manca's Blog

Is "Virtualization 2.0" just a catchphrase? Is it a new term that analysts can cling to? Is it a re-hash of technology from 20 years ago? Is it new? Is this really new technology that will have a material impact on how data centers are managed? If not, then it's just another marketing term that will fall by the wayside in due time.

Dan Kusnetzky asks an interesting question on his blog, “What is virtualization 2.0?”

Is it a catchphrase? Is it a new term that analysts can cling to? Is it a re-hash of technology from 20 years ago? Is it new?

I think the answer to all of these questions is yes!

Yes, it’s a new category that analysts (most notably IDC) have been pushing and yes, like all virtualization technologies, it’s an extension of what was delivered on the mainframe many years ago, just on commodity processors.

The interesting question, to me anyways, is “is it new?” Taken literally, even that is not that interesting. I think what Dan is asking is – is this really new technology that will have a material impact on how data centers are managed? If not, then it’s just another marketing term that will fall by the wayside in due time.

I think it is “new.” It’s really an evolutionary step in the virtualization of the data center. And yes, the technology will sound familiar to the mainframe crowd, but the data center is so much more than mainframes today. Virtualizing the data center means virtualizing servers and infrastructure across the data center, including commodity servers.

If Virtualization 1.0 is defined as virtualizing the server – think hypervisors like VMware and Xen, then Virtualization 2.0 is the natural extension to the infrastructure surrounding the server. Why does this matter?

It matters because the entire story can’t be told until all the components in the path of – pick your favorite name; utility computing, ubiquitous computing, agile IT, etc. – must be virtualized. This is critical. In order to create a truly dynamic data center, applications must be able to run on any server, at any time, with guaranteed service levels. To do this, the infrastructure must be as flexible as the servers. This is Virtualization 2.0. Creating a flexible, dynamic, fluid infrastructure to match the servers ability for the same.

Again, this is evolutionary, and it doesn’t stop at 2.0. Once the infrastructure is virtualized, we need to deal with other parts of the stack that that are inflexible. Dan writes a follow up blog examining the barriers to V2.0. He’s spot on, though I see these as Virtualization 2.0+ and the next step in the natural evolution to make the data center more dynamic.

Jeremy Geelan (far left) moderates a previous SYS-CON.TV Power Panel, focused on Service-Oriented Architecture with IONA's CTO Eric Newcomer, Paul Lipton from CA, David Kershaw from Altova, & Aaron White, Mindreach

The SYS-CON.TV "Power Panels with Jeremy Geelan" series has been consistently achieving some of the largest viewing audiences for i-Technology videos anywhere on the Web, with 85,000 views of the first-ever one back in 2005 when no-one else was even close to deploying broadcast-quality Flash video content Web-wide devoted to cutting edge technology issues, and over 150,000 views for the first-ever Power Panel devoted to Web 2.0, AJAX, and the implications of Rich Web technologies.

Other SYS-CON.TV Times Square Power Panels include:

Rich Internet Applications Power Panel
Live from Times Square with Charles Fiesel (Roundarch), Roger Strukhoff, and Rob Gonda (iChameleon)
52,439 views so far



Enterprise Open Source Power Panel
Live From Times Square with Eric Newcomer (IONA), Andy Astor (EnterpriseDB), Shaun Connolly (JBoss), and Yakov Fain (Farata)
56,679 views so far



Java Development Power Panel
Live from Times Square with Judith Hurwitz (Hurwitz & Associates), Barry Mullan (Agitar), Nigel Cheshire (EnerJ), Mike Taylor (Instantiations), and Mark Lambert (Parasoft)
31,797 views so far
 

The industry-leading Conferences & Expos produced by SYS-CON Events also feature SYS-CON.TV Power Panels.

Recent SYS-CON.TV Power Panels from conferences include:

Virtualization Power Panel
Live from 2nd International Virtualization Conference & Expo in Santa Clara, CA
With Gordon Jackson (DataSynapse), David Christian (Mindridge Software), Ken Jisser (Ring Cube) and Ben Rudolph (SWSoft/Parallels)

AJAX & RIA Power Panel
Live from 1st International AJAXWorld Conference & Expo in New York, NY
With Christophe Coenraets (Adobe), David Heinemeier Hanssen (Ruby on Rails), Bill Scott (Yahoo!), Dion Hinchcliffe (Web 2.0 Journal), and Jesse James Garrett (Adaptive Path)
32,539 views so far


AJAXWorld Power Panel
Live from 2nd International AJAXWorld Conference & Expo in San Jose, CA
With Adam Bosworth (Google), Sahil Malik (Microsoft), Jesse James Garrett (Adaptive Path),David Temkin (Laszlo), Dion Hinchcliffe (Web 2.0 Journal), and Paul Rademacher (Google)
61,593 views so far 

Virtualization Technology Providers and Contributors in 2008
The following companies are among the providers and contributors of Virtualization technology: 3Leaf Systems, 3PAR, 3Tera, Acronis, Actional, Active Endpoints, ActiveGrid, activePDF, ActiveServers, ActiveState, Actuate, Agile Software, Agilent, AGiLiENCE, Agilysys, Akamai, Akorri, AlachiSoft, Altova, AMD, AMDAHL, Amentra, Amyuni, anacubis, Apani, APC, Appcelerator, Appistry, AppStream, Ascential, Astaro, Attune Systems, Autodesk, AutoVirt, Availl, Azul Systems, BEA Systems, B-Hive, Black Duck Software, Black Hat, Blackbaud, Blue Lane Technologies, BlueArc, BlueNote, BluePhoenix Solutions, BMC Software, Borland, Bristol Technology, Brix Networks, BroadVision, Brocade, Burton Group, Business Objects, CA, CalAmp, Cassatt, Cast Iron, Catbird, Cayenne Technologies, Ceedo Technologies, Cenzic, Certeon, CiRBA, Cisco Systems, Citrix Systems, ClearApp, ClearCube Technology, Compass America, Composite Software, Compuware, Configuresoft, Continuity Software, Coraid, Courion, Coyote Point Systems, DataDirect, DataSynapse, Dell, Double-Take Software, Ecora Software, EDS, Egenera, Elastra Corporation, Embarcadero, EMC Corporation, Enomaly Open Source, Enterprise Management Associates, Entuity, EqualLogic, ESRI, F5 Networks, Fortisphere, Forum Systems, Fujitsu, GemStone, Getronics, GigaSpaces, Green Hills Software, Grid Dynamics, GridGain Systems, GT Software, Hitachi Data Systems, HP, Hyperic, IBM, ICEsoft, Illumita, ILOG, IMEX Research, Information Builders, InstallFree, Intel, International Computerware, iTKO LISA, JBoss, Juniper, Kidaro, LynuxWorks, ManageIQ, Managed Methods, Marathon Technologies, Mellanox, Microsoft, Mindreef, MKS, Moka5 (MokaFive), Motorola, MQSoftware, NASTEL, Ncomputing, NEC, NetApp, Netegrity, Neverfail, Nexaweb, NextAxiom, Nimbus, Novell, OpenSpan, OPNET Technologies, OpTier, Oracle, Panacea Software, Parallels, Pillar Data Systems, PlateSpin, PLX Technologies, Progress Software, Prolifics, Prosync Technology, Provision Networks, QLogic, Quest Software, Racemi, Raxco Software, Red Hat, Reflex Security, Resolutions Enterprises, Riverbed Technology, Rogue Wave, rPath, RSA Security, SanDisk, SAP, Saugatuck Technology, ScaleMP, Secure Command, ShavLik, ServInt Internet Services, Silpion IT Solutions, Skytap, Software AG, Splunk, StackSafe, Stoneware, StoreVault, StrikeIron, STT, WebOS, Sun Microsystems, Surgient, Sybase, Symantec, Tenfold, TheInfoPro, Thinstall, Third Brigade, TIBCO Software, Tideway Systems, TRANGO Virtual Processors, Transitive, Trend Micro, Trigence, Unisys, Verio, VeriSign, Virtual Iron, VirtualLogix, Vizioncore, VKernel, VMLogix, vmSight, VMware, Web Age Solutions, WSO2, XDS, Xiotech, xkoto, and Xsigo Systems.