Choose an MSP that includes VMware as a standard offering
By Adir Cohen, CEO of CaaB (Cloud as a Business)
To maximize expensive hardware resources by enhancing resource utilization without affecting performance or reliability, servers must be virtualized. Unlike dedicated servers, a virtual server uses software to divide one physical server into multiple virtual environments. It thus has the ability to run multiple applications and operating systems simultaneously to increase efficiency and cost effectiveness. Result – a virtually perfect cloud performance.
But which server virtualization software, also known as a hypervisor, to use? For a while now, VMware has been the market leader in virtualization, enabling MSPs offering VMware-based cloud services to deliver high-level security and an infrastructure compatible with customers’ own IT infrastructure technology. This gives customers the freedom and control to run, manage, connect, and protect applications across clouds and devices.
But don’t just take our word for it. Here’s how VMware stacks up against other hypervisors:
| Hypervisor | VMware vSphere | Microsoft Hyper-V | Red Hat KVM | Citrix (formerly XenServer) | Amazon Firecracker |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Description | Virtualization platform that includes management and interface capabilities – plus infrastructure and application services – in addition to virtualization | Base component that allows multiple operating systems to run as virtual machines on Windows, provides hardware virtualization
|
Complete virtualization infrastructure solution built on the Red Hat Enterprise Linux® platform | Open-source virtualization platform that helps enterprises easily handle workloads, with combined OS, and networking configurations | Open-source virtualization tech built to create and manage secure, multi-tenant container and function-based services |
| Advantage | Works with operating systems that can be different versions such as Windows XP, Linux, and Windows 2007; lets Mac platform hardware run PC platform software and vice versa; provides the widest suite of solutions for small businesses | Enables each virtual machine to run on virtual hardware so users can create virtual hard drives, virtual switches, and other virtual devices that can be added to virtual machines | Offers all the OS components that hypervisors need to run because it’s part of the Linux kernel | Reduces virtual infrastructure costs and complexity via enhanced virtualized graphics –with NVIDIA and Intel — and workload security via Direct Inspect APIs | Utilizes micro VMs instead of traditional VMs for enhanced security, workload isolation, container speed, and resource efficiency |
| Benefits | * Preferred choice of 100% of Fortune 500 companies
* Delivers the lowest TCO and best business value * Gives customers across all industries the broadest software support with its 75,000 partners worldwide * Recognized as the market leader by Gartner, Forrester, and IDC |
* Competitive price
* Ecosystem easily integrates with other Microsoft products * Has strong cloud presence |
* Combines SELinux and sVirt for enhanced VM security and isolation
* Uses any Linux-supported storage *Uses the latest hardware features often rapidly adopted in the Linux kernel |
* Secures virtual infrastructure against advanced/zero-day attacks
* Reduces operational load and downtime * Supports all three major GPU vendors’ virtualization offerings |
* Ability for different customers to run workloads safely on the same machine
* Fast startup times * Optimum network and storage resource sharing
|
| * More scheduling options for its vCenter Server Appliance backup tool
* Suspends and resumes a vGPU-enabled VM * Exposes APIs to create instant clones with virtual desktops * Speeds up operations when an ESXi system has to be rebooted *Supports next-gen storage devices that use DRAM memory |
Reap the Virtualization – and Business-Building – Rewards of VMware
Customers who want to run the best virtualization platform without paying high premiums will gravitate to MSPs who offer VMware as a regular part of their cloud offerings. When it comes to stability, maturity, speed, flexibility and performance in large environments, VMware clearly offers best-of-breed tech. Ask competitor Amazon Web Services, which still sees the value of VMware cloud environment on its own infrastructure. Ask the Fortune 500 companies, 100 percent of whom use VMware as their hypervisor.
Adir Cohen is CEO of CaaB, a cloud-solution provider allowing any MSP, VAR, or hosting company to deliver white-labeled cloud offerings to their customers within a day.
