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verslon 3.6


A feaLure comparlson of Lhe hypervlsors from ClLrlx, MlcrosofL, 8edPaL and vMware. updaLed Lo Lhe laLesL
verslon, ClLrlx xenServer 6.2, MlcrosofL Pyper-v 2012, 8edPaL 8PLv 3.2 and vMware vSphere 3.3.


2013, vMCuru.nl
Lrlk ScholLen
14 CcLober 2013

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AL manufacLurer's webslLes and ln Lhe blogosphere Lhere are many hypervlsor comparlsons
whlch only compare hypervlsors based on a slngle drlver (performance, feaLures or cosL). ln
my oplnlon lL's a blL more compllcaLed Lhan LhaL. AfLer Lhe everlasLlng dlscusslon on make-
belleve cheaper MlcrosofL Pyper-v and ClLrlx xenServer lmplemenLaLlons, l spend a falr deal
of my Llme explalnlng Lo colleagues and cllenLs LhaL Lhls ls a hoax and LhaL cosL ls noL Lhe
only reason Lo base Lhelr declslon on. Lspeclally ln Lhe case of xenServer Lhe cholce and Lhe
long Lerm effecLs make lL a llLLle blL more compllcaLed.
now you probably Lhlnk '!"#$# &'()*)+,- .)/$ 0*# &'10*# 20,$ $3 "#*# 1# .3 0.04,' buL
Lhe opposlLe ls Lrue. Llke Chrls l Lhlnk every slLuaLlon has lLs own ldeal soluLlon and you
should selecL Lhe hypervlsor based on well-consldered selecLlon crlLerla and because my
employer, lmLech lC1, focuses on cllenLs wlLh 300+ worksLaLlons/employees Lhese crlLerla
are LnLerprlse-class hypervlsor selecLlon crlLerla.
8ecause of Lhls we publlshed mulLlple '5,6#*7*4$# 8/7#*94$3* :3;70*4$3,$< durlng Lhe lasL
four years and we goL very poslLlve commenLs and feedback on lL. Slnce my lasL comparlson
l recelved a loL of requesLs Lo add 8edPaL Lo Lhe charL. AlLhough l've never encounLered lL ln
enLerprlse envlronmenLs, l declded Lo add lL Lo Lhe hypervlsor comparlson as a servlce Lo
our readers.
keep ln mlnd:
1he verslons used are Lhe plaLlnum/ulLlmaLe/fully-feaLured verslons of Lhe
hypervlsors. roducL feaLures can be llmlLed by lower llcense verslons,
no free verslons have been used ln Lhls comparlson.
l hope you flnd Lhe new LnLerprlse Pypervlsor comparlson useful and feel free Lo conLacL us
when you have feedback for us Lo lmprove Lhe llsL.
Cood luck flndlng Lhe ldeal hypervlsor for your slLuaLlon.


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M#46" '0/#* 23* $)77-/4,. ;# 146" 6"# 4,23*;0643, 3, '4:*3$326 =#*9#* BCDB NFBO
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1.0 Apr 2009 lnlLlal documenL wlLh vMware vl3.3 and vSphere 4, MlcrosofL Pyper-v 1.0 and 2.0, ClLrlx xenServer 4.3 and 3.0
1.1 Apr 2009 Mlnor bug flxes on verslon 1.0
1.2 May 2009 Mlnor bug flxes on verslon 1.1
1.3 !une 2009 8emoved Lhe free verslons of MlcrosofL Pyper-v and vMware vl3.3
2.0 Aug 2010 CompleLe new layouL. Changed Lo 'roducLlon/enLerprlse-class' hypervlsors
8emoved ClLrlx xenServer 4.3 and MlcrosofL Pyper-v 1.0. Added ClLrlx xenServer 3.6 and MlcrosofL Pyper-v 82
2.1 Aug 2010 Mlnor bug flxes on verslon 2.0
3.0 nov 2011 8emoved ClLrlx xenServer 3.0 and vMware vl3.3. Added ClLrlx xenServer 6 and vMware vSphere 3.0
3.1 nov 2011 Mlnor bug flxes on verslon 3.0
3.2 uec 2011 Mlnor bug flxes on verslon 3.1
4.0 SepL 2012 8emoved vMware vSphere 4.1. Added vMware vSphere 3.1
4.1 SepL 2012 Mlnor bug flxes on verslon 4.0
4.2 uec 2012 Added addlLlonal hypervlsor feaLures.
4.3 uec 2012 Added 8edPaL 8PLv 3.1. 8emoved Lhe old verslons ClLrlx xenServer 3.6, MlcrosofL Pyper-v 2008 82 S1 and
vMware vSphere 3.0. lrom now on only Lhe currenL verslons are used and malnLalned.
3.0 uec 2012 Added MlcrosofL Server 2012 Pyper-v.
3.1 leb 2013 Changed Lhe MlcrosofL Server 2012 Pyper-v feaLures afLer release of SCCM 2012 S1
3.2 Apr 2013 Mlnor bug flxes on verslon 3.1
3.3 Apr 2013 Added ClLrlx xenServer 6.2, removed ClLrlx xenServer 6.1
3.4 !un 2013 Added 8edPaL 8PLv 3.2, removed 8edPaL 8PLv 3.1 (beLa)
3.3 Aug 2013 Added vMware vSphere 3.3, removed vMware vSphere 3.1
345 CcL 2013 Mlnor bug flxes on 8PLv 3.2
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VMware vSphere M|crosoft nyper-V Server C|tr|x kenServer kednat knLV
Vers|on 3.3 2012 6.2 3.2
Network|ng
VLAN support (802.1q)

L|nk aggregat|on (803.2ad)

Iumbo frame support

D|str|buted sw|tch

1h|rd party d|str|buted sw|tch

Network I]C contro|

1raff|c f||ter|ng

Guest operat|ng system support
W|ndows N1 4 Server

W|ndows 2000 Server

*9 (no x64)

W|ndows Server 2003

*6

W|ndows Server 2003 k2
*6 (no x64)
W|ndows Server 2008

W|ndows Server 2008 k2

W|ndows Server 2012

W|ndows k

(> S3, no x64)

(> S3, no x64)
W|ndows 7

W|ndows 8

Iree8SD 7

Iree8SD 8

Mandrake L|nux

Ubuntu L|nux 12

(only v12.04-12.10)

Ubuntu L|nux 13


SUSL L|nux Lnterpr|se 10

SUSL L|nux Lnterpr|se 11

Crac|e Lnterpr|se L|nux S

ked nat Lnterpr|se L|nux 4

(no x64)

ked nat Lnterpr|se L|nux S

*9 (only v3.7-3.8)

ked nat Lnterpr|se L|nux 6

*9

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1. Cnly for Wlndows Server 2008 82, Wlndows Server 2008 (S2), Wlndows Server 2003 82, Wlndows Server 2003 (S2), Wlndows 7 (LnLerprlse and ulLlmaLe only), Wlndows vlsLa (LnLerprlse and ulLlmaLe only).
2. 1he hosL proflle can however noL be used Lo check and updaLe compllance of hosLs afLer Lhe lnlLlal deploymenL
3. WlLh add-on.
4. Cnly on supporLed sLorage arrays, lf noL supporLed only on local sLorage.
3. CoS seLLlng are applled Lo vlrLual dlsks accesslng Lhe Lun from Lhe same hosL. CoS ls noL applled across hosLs ln Lhe pool.
6. Mln S2, max 2 vCu's.
7. 300 concurrenL proLecLed vMs per hosL wlLh PA enabled.
8. Cnly 'user deflned' sLorage proflles, no auLomaLed dlscovery of sLorage capablllLles.
9. uslng Llnux/Wlndows lnLegraLlon servlces.
10. 8emoLelx does noL allow Lhe Cu Lo be passed dlrecLly Lo a vM, 8emoLelx does Cu vlrLuallzaLlon whlch enables lL Lo be shared across mulLlple vMs. noL real Cu-pass-Lhrough buL worLh a green checkmark
wlLh a commenL