Microsoft Virtual Server vs Virtuozzo for Windows

[albatroz]

Maybe this is a stupid question but what makes MS Virtual Server
better than Virtuozzo for Windows?

[nadzri]

It's not a stupid question at all. I don't know if these links are still relevant compared to the latest version of Virtuozzo for Windows, but they contain some info about the differences.

http://forums.deftechgroup.com/showthread.php?t=2360&highlight=virtuozzo
http://forums.deftechgroup.com/showthread.php?t=2356&highlight=virtuozzo

[Milovan]

Just as nadzri said, it's all but a stupid question. ;)

Main difference between Microsoft Virtual Server and Virtuozzo for Windows is the virtualization technology they use. Microsoft Virtual Server is all about hardware based virtualization, where Virtuozzo for Windows uses software based virtualization.

I guess I can say both have pros as far as those two things are concerned. With Virtuozzo capability to use 'templates', overheads and deployment time is brought down by a lot. Being software virtualization, it also means you can upgrade your VPS 'on the fly'. No need for downtime if you want to push your RAM limit or increase the disk space.

Microsoft Virtual Server, being hardware virtualization, emulates the components and it overall acts like a standalone dedicated server. This means that if you were to put another RAM stick on your PC for instance, you need to shut it down first. Same applies for the Microsoft Virtual Server based VPS. Same goes for the hard drive, network card, or anything else of that kind.

In this Internet age, where uptime is crucial, this might be a turn off for some. However, Microsoft Virtual Server does in fact offer some things that do not exist with the software based virtualization techniques.

Each and every Virtual Machine has its own 32mb of dedicated address space and by all means - it's dedicated. No other VM can use, share or even touch anything else than its own 32mb of dedicated address space. The memory allocation within each VM is different than with the current version of Virtuozzo for Windows as well - memory is seen as actual physical RAM with the ability of using page.

That being said, plus if you add the hardware virtualization on top of it, isolation between the Microsoft Virtual Server based VPS' is greater and more reliable.

I hope that answers your question at least a bit, if you would have any more of those, don't hesitate to ask.

[dexus]

Is it possible to change time on MVS?

[Milovan]

It sure is possible to do that!

[dexus]

Well I know it wasn't possible on Virtuozzo, so just to make shure that you understood me correctly... I will be able to change time for my MVS only independantly from the node time zone.

Thanks.

[nadzri]

Yes, I confirm that you can. Well, actually I didn't change the time but I changed the time zone since I'm +8 GMT. (There is no need to change the time unless you want an incorrect time ;) )

[dexus]

Ok, thanks.

[dexus]

I just have a few more questions now...

1. Are a daily backups performed to remote backup server like on Linux VPS?

2. Can I manage a virtual memory on my MVS? Can my VPS use a virtual memory or how is that memory alocation actualy work on MVS?

Thanks.

[mylo]

1. You can script a procedure to backup your virtual machine using VBScript or using Volume Shadow copy... there is no facility like VZBackup in MSVS tho
2. You can allocate an amount of memory to each guest and it can be adjusted (although not dynamically) with a reboot of the virtual machine. So I could for example, run simultaneously

an NT4 guest with 64MB RAM
an Win2k guest with 128MB RAM
a Win2k3 guest with 256MB RAM

As the previous posters said.. it's horses for courses... it depends what you want. The CLI for Virtuzzo kicks MSVS but then there are things like being able to run multi-homed VM's (software routers/firewalls) in MSVS which I like (not to mention multiple OS'es) that you just can't simply do in Virtuozzo.

Regards,
Mylo

[dexus]

Thanks.

I don't need memory for guests, I was just wondering how is MVS managing memory, does it have some virtual memory (swap) that it can use, because I know it doesn't have u burst memory, so what will happend when MVS use all it's memory, for example PowerMVS Advanced (512MB), do you have some virtual (swap) that it can use or MVS will just start to kill processes.

[Milovan]

I don't need memory for guests, I was just wondering how is MVS managing memory, does it have some virtual memory (swap) that it can use, because I know it doesn't have u burst memory, so what will happend when MVS use all it's memory, for example PowerMVS Advanced (512MB), do you have some virtual (swap) that it can use or MVS will just start to kill processes.

Indeed, memory management is pretty much the same as if you would get a dedicated server. You would be able page to the disk, but eventually, if you run out of memory, no processes would be terminated and things would just become pretty pretty slow (if you are using Windows on your PC, simply try to use up all of your RAM and see how the PC acts to get a general idea).

[Milovan]

As the previous posters said.. it's horses for courses... it depends what you want. The CLI for Virtuzzo kicks MSVS but then there are things like being able to run multi-homed VM's (software routers/firewalls) in MSVS which I like (not to mention multiple OS'es) that you just can't simply do in Virtuozzo.


Virtuozzo does have a pretty good CLI which allows you to administer the hardware node and VPS' with ease. It is possible to do this with Microsoft Virtual Server based VPS', but only as much as for a fully blown dedicated server. Scripts running via network remoting using RSH, PowerShell or some of the Windows Server Resource tool kit tools would allow you to take control of the processes, memory management, and much more.

So it's definitely possible to make a user control panel such as Virtuozzo Power Panel, but there are couple of things at stake when you do that - I guess the very first one (from my point of view) would be the possible overall security breach.

[dexus]

Ok, thanks, I like this MVS already :)

One more thing, how migration or plan uprade works on MVS, or migration to PowerMVS-XMS (or how do you call that) is that the same as on the Linux VPS?

Thanks.

[Milovan]

Ok, thanks, I like this MVS already :)

One more thing, how migration or plan uprade works on MVS, or migration to PowerMVS-XMS (or how do you call that) is that the same as on the Linux VPS?

Thanks.

Migrations from one node to the other are very straight forward and the downtime is generally around 10 - 15 minutes. As for the upgrades, they work a bit differently than Virtuozzo for Windows, because of the hardware virtualization.

In order to increase RAM, VPS has to be stopped. Then again, you do have to shutdown a dedicated server to put in additional RAM sticks as well. The disk space is a bit more trickier as MSVS doesn't have ability to expand the drive image that was already created. That being said, there are couple of options to consider. I've seen some webhosting companies who offer MSVS build a new VPS and migrate everything over for the customer if they use Plesk (using Plesk migration utility). From my perspective, even though downtime is lower, it isn't the most convenient way for the customer because the new system needs to be configured all over again to match the old one.

What we do won't give you such a headache, as we clone your current drive onto a newly larger drive (matching the disk space of the plan you are upgrading to).

The whole upgrade procedure takes about 30 minutes, which is mainly due to the fact that the disk can't be upgraded on the fly. Again, you can't really do that with a dedicated server too.

Last thing I've heard is that Microsoft is working on making this possible, which means total downtime to upgrade would indeed be minimal.