Open source virtualization software comparison

Workstation, as the version numbering suggests, is a more mature product and delivers one of the most sophisticated VM implementations seen so far. Workstation Player for Windows or Linux is free for personal use, though Pro is required for business users, and those wanting to run restricted VMs created using Pro or Fusion Pro.

Not sure what operating systems you are likely to use? Then VirtualBox is a good choice because it supports an amazingly wide selection of host and client combinations. Windows from XP onwards, any Linux level 2. There are even people that nostalgically run Windows 3. Oracle has been kind enough to support VirtualBox, and provide a wide selection of pre-built developer VMs to download and use at no cost. It enables users to seamlessly run Windows alongside macOS, for those awkward moments when they need software that only works on that platform.

A few of the elegant things that Parallels can do is make Windows alerts appear in the Mac notification center, and operate a unified clipboard. Most Mac users think of Parallels as a tool exclusively for using Windows, but it can be used to host a wide range of Linux distros, Chrome OS which the best Chromebooks run and even other and older versions of Mac OS. The lowest rung is the basic edition. Above that is a Pro edition that can address more memory and supports development environments like Microsoft Visual Studio.

And, a Business Edition that includes centralized license management tools for IT professionals to use. Where this product slightly differs from other VM solutions is that it is both a VM host and also a machine emulator.

It manages to do this without administrator privileges, and the performance of VMs running on it is close to that of native installations. At this time it is also only able to host on Linux, even if it can run a wide range of operating systems under that. Oddly, Citrix Hypervisor started life as an open source project, and to this day it remains free to download and install.

Or rather the basic version is free, but advanced features are restricted to paid tier releases. Paying customers get sophisticated management tools, the ability to automate and distribute live environments at will. Detail Explanation. How can database entities and attributes be different? Know More! What does DPM Stand for? DPM Technology is Explained in detail. What is a Network port? Network Ports are Explained in Detail. Learn about Customer Behavior Analytics and its best practices for your Business.

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Know more about Value Stream Mapping and the Steps required. This website uses cookies to ensure you get the best experience on our website. Continuing to use the site implies you are happy for us to use cookies. Accept Read More. Close Privacy Overview This website uses cookies to improve your experience while you navigate through the website. Hosted hypervisors Type 2 run on an existing operating system and are generally easier to operate as they function like any other program you can use on your computer.

When it comes to Linux virtualization software, some of the above tools can also be used on Linux operating systems, even though they were designed for Windows or Mac.

However, RedHat Virtualization is made specifically for Linux operating systems. It can support guest operating systems of other Linux distributions, Windows 7, 8, 8.

It promotes high levels of scalability and can create large virtual machines to support huge enterprises. You can get free trial of RedHat Virtualization or purchase it on a subscription basis. VMware Workstation and other VMware products are generally considered the industry standard and are known as some of the best virtualization software options for both Windows and Mac host operating systems. However, ultimately you need to choose the best virtualization option for your network and infrastructure setup.

All these need monitoring tools to keep an eye on performance, as virtual machines and their accompanying virtual environments come with unique challenges. When you use virtualization software and run virtual machines, you need to ensure you track behavior, capacity, and performance. For this purpose, most enterprises will use virtual machine management tools operating independently of the hypervisor or virtualization software.

Monitoring is important because virtual environments have different challenges from physical environments. Essentially, physical machines working with physical hardware can only use what the physical hardware has available. The virtual environment should be treated, not one machine at a time, since you need to keep an eye on your entire virtual infrastructure to reduce VM sprawl and scale effectively. All the above tasks are easier with the right software.

It can also provide information on your entire virtual infrastructure, such as host machines, VMs, cluster organization, virtual storage such as vSANs, and performance metrics. I also like its free day trial , so you can test it out for yourself. The virtualization software you choose depends to a large extent on what operating systems your current devices already run and what infrastructure you have set up. It also depends on what level of security you need, whether you want bare metal or hosted hypervisors, and what kinds of operating systems you want to virtualize.

As I mentioned above, there are a few big players on the market, but ultimately you need to choose what fits with what your company is trying to do.

In all cases, you need to ensure your virtual machines and accompanying software are functioning correctly and performing well, and for this I recommend using a comprehensive monitoring software. My top choice is SolarWinds Virtualization Manager , because of its ease of use, numerous features, and cost-effective pricing.

Desktop virtualization. Most people are already familiar with desktop virtualization. This is where instead of an operating system being installed on the physical hardware of a computer, a software layer exists between the hardware and the virtual desktop. This software is called a hypervisor , and can be installed directly on the hardware.

You can also install an operating system first such as Windows , then install the hypervisor on top of the OS. The hypervisor could then, for instance, set up a virtual machine running Linux. This way, you could use Windows on your computer and a Linux virtual machine. This is particularly useful for testing applications on different operating systems or software in development. Application virtualization. The next kind of virtualization most people have used is called application virtualization.

You might use this to run a Mac-only application on a Windows device, for instance.