Microsoft launches Hyper-V beta 1

This first beta, originally was supposed to be released end of this year, then release date was moved to February, to coinside with the global launch of Windows Server 2008. But Microsoft apparently decided to release ahead of time. Hyper-V beta as a part of x64 edition of Windows Server 2008 Enterprise includes the following new capabilities:

• Quick migration. Enables movement of running virtual machines from one host to other host servers with minimal downtime.
• High Availability. Hyper-V beta now includes support for host-to-host connectivity and enables you to cluster all virtual machines running on a host.
• Server Core role. Hyper-V is now available as a role in a Server Core installation of Windows Server 2008.
• Integrated into Server Manager. Hyper-V is now integrated into Server Manager by default and customers can now enable the role within Server Manager.
• Live Backups with VSS. Hyper-V beta includes support for Volume Shadow Copy Services (VSS) to enable you to take Live Backups of running virtual machines in terms of snapshots.
• and many more

In addition to Hyper-V, Microsoft is also releasing Microsoft Hyper-V Server. Microsoft Hyper-V Server provides a simplified, reliable, cost-effective and optimized virtualization solution enabling customers to reduce costs, to improve server utilization and to provision new servers rapidly. Microsoft Hyper-V Server easily plugs into customers' IT infrastructures as they can leverage their existing management tools and IT professional skill set with broad support from Microsoft and its partners.

For more on this story please see: www.microsoft.com.