Useful Blogs and Articles

• VMware and Microsoft Race to Make Each Other Irrelevant , by Bernd Harzog.
  One of the time honored strategies in the computer industry is to package your competitor out of business. Now both Microsoft and VMware are trying to do this to each other, but in more sophisticated and insidious ways than has ever been attempted before. The reason for all of the sophistication is that this is quite literally a war of extinction where the loser may end up going away. The clear winners here are enterprise customers who would really like to have some negotiating leverage with both Microsoft and VMware.
  
  http://www.virtualizationpractice.com/blog/?p=329
• VMware ESXi vs Microsoft Hyper-V which one is better for SMBs, by Allessandro Perilli.
  Article points that to perform a basic and critical feature like VM backup, Microsoft today obliges the customers to buy Data Protection Manager.
  
  http://www.virtualization.info/2008/07/vmware-esxi-vs-microsoft-hyper-v-which.html
• Server Virtualization for x86: A Benefits Impact Assessment, by Cameron Haight, Stewart Buchanan and Thomas J. Bittman
  Report stresses that there is a basic assumption that investments in server virtualization will always result in overall cost savings. Although they can, cost savings depend on factors that must be carefully planned and implemented to achieve real savings.
  
  http://www.gartner.com/DisplayDocument?id=992219
• Apples, Oranges, and Hypervisor Price Comparisons, by Chris Wolf.
  In assumption of High Availability requirement for SMB - article concludes Microsoft Hyper-V Solution is significantly cheaper than Vmware’s.
  
  http://dcsblog.burtongroup.com/data_center_strategies/2008/08/apples-oranges.html
• Virtualization with VMware costs up to six times what Microsoft Virtualization costs, by Microsoft
  Microsoft points that the comparable VMware solution costs several times what the Microsoft solution costs, and that Microsoft offers physical and in-guest management that VMware doesn’t. White paper also states that organizations can use the free, Microsoft Hyper-V Server 2008 R2 hypervisor, which includes High Availability and Live Migration at no extra charge.
  
  http://www.microsoft.com/virtualization/compare/vmware-cost-comparisons.mspx
• Hyper-V, not in my datacenter ( Parts 1 - 3 ), by Gabrie Van Zanten.
  Gabrie notes that Vmotion is not supported by Hyper-V and therefore it is not suited for the datacenter and if used, will increase the amount of storage needed compared to a ESX environment, and stresses importance of memory over-commitment with VMware. Also believes that VMware has less restrictions on hardware, while this opinion is heavily argued by other sources.
  
  http://www.gabesvirtualworld.com/?p=103
  http://www.gabesvirtualworld.com/?p=104
  http://www.gabesvirtualworld.com/?p=107
• Hyper-V vs. VMware: Which is cheaper? By Bridget Botelho.
  Promotes that VMware's management features suits it for large data centers, while Microsoft's Hyper-V is ideal for small and medium sized businesses (SMBs) that don't need as many management tools. SMB Windows users also benefit from Hyper-V's tight integration with Microsoft systems management toolset i.e., Systems Center.
  
  http://searchservervirtualization.techtarget.com/news/article/0,289142,sid94_gci1346926,00.html#
• Don’t Believe Any Numbers You Don’t Make up Yourself , by Steve Kaplan.
  Article favors VMware vSphere over Microsoft Hyper-V; main argument is that ROI is not the most important metrics to be used to evaluate VT, and that consolidation ratios affect administrative and provisioning costs for the Virtual Environment long-term.
  
  http://roidude.typepad.com/my_weblog/2009/06/dont-believe-any-numbers-you-dont-make-up-yourself.html
• Response to Steve Kaplan blog on Virtualization, by Tom Pisello.
  Article argues few points from Steve Kaplan’s blog (mentioned above),and encourages to look at various factors that affect Virtualization TCO and ROI.
  
  http://tompiselloroiguy.blogspot.com/2009/06/response-to-steve-kaplan-blog-on.html
• Gartner Toolkit: How to Calculate TCO for Server Virtualization , by Stewart Buchanan and Philip Dawson
  Articles states that most virtualization total cost of ownership figures are not based on a like-for-like comparison, and states that selected approach helps clients calculate, measure, and realize like-for-like cost savings from implementing virtual server configurations.
  
  http://www.gartner.com/DisplayDocument?id=984312
• Is VMWare cheaper than Microsoft? Blog by Dave Sobel.
  Blog compares Microsoft and Vmware solutions costs for small business. Points out that in SMB level of IT personnel training on Vmware products may be less than of Microsoft products.
  
  http://www.evolvetech.com/mambo/index.php?option=com_myblog&show=Is-VMWare-cheaper-than-Microsoft-.html&Itemid=87
• ESX 3.5i for free and the impact on Hyper-V and the SMB, by Massimo Re Ferrè.
  In assumption of High Availability/clustering article concludes that Microsoft Hyper-V Solution has better ROI than Vmware‘.
  
  http://it20.info/blogs/main/archive/2008/08/05/135.aspx
• Taneja Group White Paper comparing Vmware and Hyper-V technologies.
  The main point is that average consolidation ratios for Vmware deployments are higher (especially due to possibility of memory over-commitment and performance of VMS), which affects long term administrative costs, and thus ROI.
  
  http://www.tanejagroup.com/
• Other resources.
  http://vmblog.com/default.aspx
  
  http://blogs.technet.com/virtplanet/
  
  http://communities.vmware.com/home.jspa
  
  http://www.virtualization.info/
  
  http://www.ideationcloud.com/2009/07/hyper-v-or-vmware-the-choice-has-finally-arrived/
  
  http://itknowledgeexchange.techtarget.com/server-virtualization/
  
  http://www.virtualization.info/2009/06/5nine-leaves-stealth-mode-and-enters.html
  
  http://www.computerworld.com/s/article/9117182/Virtualization_leads_Gartner_s_top_10_strategic_technologies_for_2009?source=rss_news
  
  http://blogs.gartner.com/david_cappuccio/2009/06/30/just-a-thought-will-vmware-become-the-next-novell/