ITComparison VMware Virtual Infrastructure 3 VS Xen Enterprise

Virtualization
Xen Enterprise 4 VS VMware Virtual Infrastructure 3 (VMware Biased)

Please be warned this comparison is biased toward VMware. For our un-biased comparison please click Xen Enterprise 4 VS VMware Virtual Infrastructure 3 (Un-Biased).

VMware Xen

Component Failure

NIC teaming, HBA multipathing

Relies on Linux Support

OS/Application Outage

unplanned

VMware HA

x-host VM Cluster

planned

VMotion

DRS Maint.mode

Complex Linux host clustering
XenMotion

Resource Shortage

VMware DRS

Not available

Server Failure

VMware HA

Complex Linux host or Guest clustering

Files Deleted

VMware Consolidated Backup

No integrated backup tools

Storage Failure

VMware Consolidated Backup

No integrated backup tools

Interrupted Live Migration

VMFS distributed file locking

No distributed FS to prevent VM corruption as it seems to depend on NFS

Cost Per VM
Low

Support Older Servers
Medium
Only Support newer servers which has Intel-VT or AMD-V processors.

64-bit Support Production Support Limited Operating systems

OS Support

32- & 64-bit, Windows, Linux,NetWare, Solaris guests

Limited Windows, Linux guests

Mgmt OS a single point of failure?

False True (almost a linux host)

Hypervisor just an extension to a fat OS

False True (Full Linux Kernal)

Customer Support

Well established virtualization support Still Building their support and highly dependant on the open source community in supporting them.

Primary Customer usage
85% of VMware customers use server virtualization in production1

Primarily in test/dev environments

Requires Host OS No - Bare-Metal Installation No - Bare-Metal Installation, but it install a full Linux Kernal when its installing.

Performance High medium

Run unmodified OS yes No, Xen Hypervirsor has to be inclusion into the Linux OS and Hardware assistance required for windows Platform.

Security

High Host OS dependant
(exposed to most linux vulnerabilities)

Other Related Comparisons:

Microsoft Virtual Server 2005 R2 VS Citrix Xen Enterprise

Microsoft Virtual Server 2005 R2 VS VMware Virtual Infrastructure 3

Microsoft Windows Hyper-V (WSV) VS VMware Virtual Infrastructure 3.5

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ITComparison.com
(Virtualization)

	VMware	Xen
Component Failure	NIC teaming, HBA multipathing	Relies on Linux Support
OS/Application Outage	unplanned VMware HA x-host VM Cluster planned VMotion DRS Maint.mode	Complex Linux host clustering XenMotion
Resource Shortage	VMware DRS	Not available
Server Failure	VMware HA	Complex Linux host or Guest clustering
Files Deleted	VMware Consolidated Backup	No integrated backup tools
Storage Failure	VMware Consolidated Backup	No integrated backup tools
Interrupted Live Migration	VMFS distributed file locking	No distributed FS to prevent VM corruption as it seems to depend on NFS
Cost Per VM	Low Support Older Servers	Medium Only Support newer servers which has Intel-VT or AMD-V processors.
64-bit Support	Production Support	Limited Operating systems
OS Support	32- & 64-bit, Windows, Linux,NetWare, Solaris guests	Limited Windows, Linux guests
Mgmt OS a single point of failure?	False	True (almost a linux host)
Hypervisor just an extension to a fat OS	False	True (Full Linux Kernal)
Customer Support	Well established virtualization support	Still Building their support and highly dependant on the open source community in supporting them.
Primary Customer usage	85% of VMware customers use server virtualization in production1	Primarily in test/dev environments
Requires Host OS	No - Bare-Metal Installation	No - Bare-Metal Installation, but it install a full Linux Kernal when its installing.
Performance	High	medium
Run unmodified OS	yes	No, Xen Hypervirsor has to be inclusion into the Linux OS and Hardware assistance required for windows Platform.
Security	High	Host OS dependant (exposed to most linux vulnerabilities)