The essential guide to open source virtualization platforms
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Reduce the cost of virtualization with open source Proxmox
Thanks to its open source availability and full-featured graphical interface, Proxmox makes for an excellent alternative to more expensive virtualization platforms. Read Now
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Xen open source project: Reports of my death are greatly exaggerated
Under guidance of the Linux Foundation, the Xen project lives on as the hypervisor supporting major cloud providers and enterprises. Read Now
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How does KVM technology differ from the competition?
KVM is an open source Linux module that is widely considered to be a type 1 hypervisor because it runs directly on hardware and can use processor extensions. Read Now
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Use open source Vagrant to deploy containers and VMs
With a few scripts, you can create virtual instances using the open source tool Vagrant, which is a cross between a container orchestrator and a VM orchestrator. Read Now
Editor's note
VMware and Microsoft dominate the virtualization market, but there are numerous open source virtualization platforms that deserve examination, such as Xen, KVM and Proxmox.
Open source virtualization platforms offer adopters the chance to reduce licensing costs and avoid vendor lock-in, while still providing robust virtualization features.
IT administrators who adopt open source might have less support than they would from a major vendor, so they must be adept at troubleshooting or garnering help from open source communities. Open source virtualization adopters might also consider vendors such as Red Hat that can provide support and integration services.
1Xen lives on
Xen, once a leader among open source virtualization platforms, still plays an important role in cloud technologies such as AWS and OpenStack. Xen's relevance has been turbulent since Citrix acquired it, but with the Linux Foundation behind it and a variety of free and paid editions available, it still warrants exploration.
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Article
Xen open source project: Reports of my death are greatly exaggerated
Under guidance of the Linux Foundation, the Xen project lives on as the hypervisor supporting major cloud providers and enterprises. Read Now
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Is the XenServer hypervisor worth the cost?
There is a free, easy-to-obtain version of Citrix XenServer, but additional features and commercial support from Citrix -- which some shops might need -- require a license. Read Now
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Choose the best Linux distribution for your enterprise Xen environment
Ubuntu, Red Hat, SUSE and Oracle provide some level of enterprise support, but you should review these options carefully to determine the best fit. Read Now
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XCP-ng offers new hypervisor option for cost-conscious shops
A new open source fork of Citrix XenServer includes many features proprietary hypervisors offer, but it's not likely to displace market leaders any time soon. Read Now
2Support mixed workloads with KVM
KVM is an open source Linux module that offers virtualization architecture for Linux distributions. Red Hat and Canonical support KVM, which differentiates it from other open source virtualization platforms. KVM provides useful, flexible features for admins proficient with coding and compiling Linux builds.
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How does KVM technology differ from the competition?
KVM is an open source Linux module that is widely considered to be a type 1 hypervisor because it runs directly on hardware and can use processor extensions. Read Now
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What types of environments benefit from the KVM module?
Although KVM is a good fit for production environments, busy enterprises, mixed workload environments and private clouds, keep these considerations in mind when using it. Read Now
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Add virt-manager to your set of KVM management tools
KVM virt-manager provides a useful and simple VM management GUI. The console enables VM creation, deletion and troubleshooting. Learn the basics of its management and installation. Read Now
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Manage KVM at scale with these best practices
KVM management is easy when VM density is low, but managing hundreds or thousands of VMs can present a challenge. Plan ahead, configure the right drivers and optimize for scale. Read Now
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KVM troubleshooting in six simple steps
To troubleshoot common KVM issues, start by checking the logs. Then, isolate the issue and check the VM status using virsh commands. Finally, check the disk space, memory and networking. Read Now
3Save money without sacrifice using Proxmox
Proxmox is one of numerous free open source virtualization platforms, but its robust GUI and ease of use make it stand out. Out of the box, users can take advantage of powerful high availability and live migration features.
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Article
Reduce the cost of virtualization with open source Proxmox
Thanks to its open source availability and full-featured graphical interface, Proxmox makes for an excellent alternative to more expensive virtualization platforms. Read Now
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Proxmox resource pools simplify virtual resource management
Open source Proxmox organizes virtual resources into pools, making it easier to assign user roles, effectively manage VMs and eliminate resource waste. Read Now
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Setting up and controlling resources on a Proxmox cluster
You're learned how to create Proxmox hosts and group them into a cluster. Now it's time to add resources to your cluster and assign access rights to them. Read Now
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Creating a cluster with shared storage in Proxmox
In this tip, expert Stuart Burns shows us how to manage hosts without incurring downtime by expanding a single Proxmox node into a cluster with shared storage. Read Now
4Select open source virtualization software and tools
Admins can take advantage of a variety of tools to enhance the features and usability of different open source virtualization platforms. Vagrant can orchestrate containers and VMs, Puppet can improve VM management, and Chef can provide configuration management.
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Article
Use open source Vagrant to deploy containers and VMs
With a few scripts, you can create virtual instances using the open source tool Vagrant, which is a cross between a container orchestrator and a VM orchestrator. Read Now
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Article
Practice with Puppet examples to improve VM management
Learn the basics of VM management with Puppet by following these examples. Puppet is a powerful tool, and with practice, it can become an important asset. Read Now
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Use this Chef tutorial to learn the basics and install Nginx
Opscode Chef is a complex tool for configuration management and software distribution. Learn about its structure and the basics of how it works by installing Nginx with this Chef tutorial. Read Now
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Apache Mesos better utilizes resources, improves scalability
Apache Mesos has become popular with major enterprises for its ability to scale linearly, reduce wasteful resource consumption and abstract storage, CPU and memory. Read Now
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Use libvirt and the libvirtd daemon to manage your hypervisor
Libvirt provides essential functionality that eases hypervisor and VM management in Linux environments. Learn more about the configuration and use of this open source API. Read Now