Software Giant Microsoft allowed the public a peek at its yet-to-arrive Windows Server 8 operating system at the Worldwide Partner Conference on Wednesday.
A Zdnet post conjectures that both Windows 8 client and Windows Server 8, which are on the same development track and path should be out possibly in the first half of 2012.
Demonstrating only one of more than 100 new features coming up in the next version of Windows Server – Hyper-V hypervisor, Microsoft claimed that Windows Server 8 is a key private-cloud building block, which means that virtualization will be critical to its release.
Jeff Woolsey, Principal Program Manager Lead for Windows Server Virtualization, noted that Microsoft has heard from its customers that it needed to provide more virtual processor support. The new Hyper-V will support more than 16 virtual processors per machine, he said.
The coming Hyper-V Replica feature provides asynchronous virtual machine replication. Needing only a Hyper-V and a network connection, users will be able to schedule the replications of asynchronous virtual machine instantly or whenever required.
Claiming that the new feature which will allow users to replicate their mission-critical database to an offsite vendor, Woolsey said that Microsoft will support multiple storage, data center and software/service providers.
The good news is that Microsoft will allow Windows Server 8 users to replicate unlimitedly without charging additional fees per virtual machine.
Though Microsoft is yet to announce officially, buzz is that the company will be providing the next version of its Hyper-V Hypervisor in the Windows 8 Client as well.
It is expected that Microsoft will share more information about Windows Server 8 at its Build Conference in mid-September.
Not to be outdone by Microsoft, arch-rival VMWare announced Vsphere 5 on the same day. One of the new features of Vsphere 5 is its ability to support virtual machines that are up to four times more powerful than the previous versions. Virtual machines with memory up to 1 terabyte and 32 virtual CPUs will be supported by Vsphere 5 and is expected to be out in the third quarter of 2011.
Commenting on its ‘cloud in a box’ Azure appliance which it declared last summer, Microsoft officials said at the Partner Conference that Hewlett Packard is still on-board to deliver Windows Azure Appliances before the end of this year. However, Microsoft did not let out any word on Dell, another of its announced Azure Appliance partners for offering servers.