Microsoft gives glimpse at future of software distribution with virtualization test program. Microsoft Monday unveiled the future of software distribution with the introduction of a virtual product evaluation program that lets users easily test server applications within a virtualized environment. The VHD Test Drive Program, named for Microsoft’s Virtual Hard Disk (VHD) format, will provide users with free preconfigured . VHD files that can be dropped onto any virtual machine that supports the . VHD format such as Microsoft’s Virtual Server 2. Users won’t need dedicated servers or to manually configuration the server software to get up and going, according to Microsoft officials. The company also is allowing ISVs to distribute their evaluation software in the same virtualized manner. The . VHD files provide users with evaluation copies of server software running on Windows Server 2. R2 Enterprise Edition. The first . VHD files, which are available now, provide evaluation copies of SQL Server 2. Live Communications Server 2. Internet Security and Acceleration Server 2. Exchange 2. 00. 7 (the 3. Microsoft also will provide Vista evaluation within a virtual machine in the first quarter of 2. While the program is designed to provide convenience for corporate software evaluation, it also hints at future commercial software distribution methods as virtual machine technology becomes more pervasive in corporate networks.“The vision and roadmap is to drive down the path of being able to provide software that can migrate from the evaluation environment into the production environment for use in a commercial sense,” says Mike Neil, senior director of Microsoft’s virtualization strategy. For Tech. Net subscribers, the . VHD files will be active for 5. Once you have these files copied into your virtual machine, instead of having to go and find hardware and install an OS and then install the product, you are up and running in a matter of minutes,” says Peter Pawlak, an analyst with independent research firm Directions on Microsoft. But this also is the first step into a new way of delivering software.”The program also allows ISVs to develop their own . VHD files configured with their software and make those files available for evaluation. Creating virtual hard disks. The parent virtual hard disk has a Microsoft Windows 2000 Server operating system installed on it. Today, Microsoft announced the VHD Test Drive Program designed to encourage the company's 7,000 ISV partners to. Great new resource from Microsoft: The Virtual Hard Disk Test Drive Program. The VHD Test Drive Program is designed to help customers to install and configure complex environments for the purpose of evaluating Microsoft and. Virtualized testing. Microsoft last week introduced its VHD Test Drive Program, which will give users a virtualized environment in which to test applications from Microsoft as well as independent software vendors. Software. Available. Comments. Windows Server 2. Release 2 Enterprise Edition. Microsoft has made the VHD Image Format. This method enables developers to test software on different operating. The Windows Disk Management MMC plugin can directly attach a.vhd as a drive. Time for an update on the VHD Test Drive program. The current program was launched in November 2007. It comes in 2 flavors. The first part allows customers to download and test preinstalled and preconfigured virtual. Test Driving Microsoft Products with Free Virtual Machines. Store photos and docs online. Access them from any PC, Mac or phone. Create and work together on Word, Excel or PowerPoint documents. Microsoft is providing excellent test drive program for major Server Operating Systems and Enterprise Applications by providing free VHD files download. These pre installed and configured working OS and Applications are.Now. Test copy of server and base platform to support virtual applications. SQL Server 2. 00. Now. Full use of the database. Live Communications Server 2. Now. Works in combination with Exchange. Internet Security and Acceleration Server 2. Now. Microsoft security software for the network edge. Exchange 2. 00. 7Now. Vista. Early 2. 00. Microsoft hopes to boost tire- kicking in new operating system. Microsoft has signed up 2. ISVs to participate in the program including, Altiris, BEA, Check Point, Citrix, Comm. Vault, Dell, Full. Armor, HP, Network Appliance, Plate. Spin, Portlock, Quest Software, Source. Code Technology Holdings, Symantec and UGS.“Customers have been asking us to do a virtual machine version that would eliminate the deployment issues,” says Dmitry Sotnikov, project research manager for Quest Software, which develops management tools. Since the virtual test environment amounts to a redistribution of Microsoft software, ISV’s had been legally blocked from offering . VHD files without consent from Microsoft. ISVs now can sign a license for the VHD Test Drive Program, which includes the requirement that the ISV’s virtual image display an end- user license agreement from Microsoft that users must agree to before they can deploy the virtual image. Microsoft’s VHD format has been available as a royalty- free license since May 2. Microsoft’s Open Specification Promise. The company has been beefing up its virtualization story as it competes with VMWare and others. Microsoft has added licensing flexibility to its Windows Server line to ease the deployment of virtualization technology, and the company plans to expand on that with Longhorn Server and its . Earlier this year, Microsoft and Xen. Source signed a collaboration agreement to provide interoperability between Xen- enabled Linux and the Windows hypervisor technology. Last week, Microsoft partnered with Novell in a wide- ranging agreement that included collaboration on virtualization technology designed to make it easier for corporate users to run mixed Linux and Windows environments. Microsoft also plans to release next year System Center Virtual Machine Manager for managing a virtualized data center. And the company recently bought Softricity, whose Soft. Grid product is used for application virtualization and the support of on- demand delivery of software including patches and upgrades. Learn more about this topic. Microsoft- Novell pact: who wins. Microsoft VHD Test Drive Program. Microsoft has launched a new program that makes available for download a set of pre- configured VHD’s for evaluation purposes. Once a user downloads a VHD, it can easily be configured within Virtual Server 2. R2 as a new guest virtual machine (VM).
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