Virtual I/O's Time Has Come
Server and PC virtualization aren't exactly old hat, but they are established
markets -- and established technologies that are proven to work.
A lesser-known area that's ripe for take-off, I believe, is I/O virtualization,
where connections to networks and storage lose their physical constraints and
gain the flexibility of virtual connectivity. Setting up a new server, for instance,
doesn't have to involve the manual installation and configuration of NICs, HBAs
and all the rest.
One company I came across in this space is Xsigo
Systems. Unlike earlier forms of I/O virtualization where a regular I/O
device is shared by multiple apps, systems or VMs, Xsigo does away with the
adapters all together. In their place is a new device that acts like the physical
devices, but can be dynamically assigned and allocated. Pretty slick.
Tom Valovic, executive editor of Virtualization Review (that's our new
magazine/Web site which can be found at VirtualizationReview.com),
found
another player, 3 Leaf Systems, that also virtualizes I/O. From what I can
tell, the 3 Leaf V-8000 Virtual I/O Server is very similar in concept.
How much have you virtualized? Servers, desktops, apps, storage? Tell me your
story by writing [email protected].
Posted by Doug Barney on May 05, 2008