SoftLayer extends its solution set to include virtualization with the release of Microsoft Windows Server 2008 Hyper-V. Hyper-V is a next-generation virtualization hypervisor that allows a single physical server to be separated into multiple virtual machines that can run independent operating systems - Windows, Linux and others. As with all SoftLayer services, Hyper-V can be ordered through the customer portal and provisioned automatically along with a server’s operating system or systems.

“Deploying Hyper-V is the first step in an extensive virtualization strategy that we are rolling out over the coming months,” stated George Karidis, Chief Strategy Officer. “The opportunities and advantages of virtualization are radically impacting the way we envision SoftLayer’s future and our fundamental approach to server and data center architecture.”

A hypervisor such as Hyper-V creates a level of software in between the physical “bare-metal” hardware and any operating system. The hypervisor then assigns and manages the hardware’s resources to create and run distinct virtual machines. Each virtual machine can run a different operating system, or even its own instance of the same operating system. This presents incredible advantages, including:

• increased server utilization rates and decreased infrastructure costs by pooling server resources rather than managing individual servers
• reduced provisioning times by allowing individual machines to be removed for maintenance without interrupting application use
• decreased environmental impact, by delivering the productivity of multiple machines within only a single machine’s power, cooling and floor space requirements
• fewer application and OS incompatibilities, as each virtual machine runs independently from others on the same physical hardware