VMware Delivers Support for 64-bit Computing
VMware GSX Server and VMware Workstation First to Have 64-bit Host Support
PALO ALTO, Calif., June 21, 2004 — VMware, Inc., the global leader in virtual infrastructure software for x86-based systems, today announced that VMware GSX Server and VMware Workstation have experimental support for 64-bit host operating systems designed for AMD64 and Intel Extended Memory 64 Technology (Intel EM64T).
Initial 64-bit support is available on an experimental basis in VMware GSX Server 3.1 and VMware Workstation 4.5.2 which will be released this week, with support for Windows Server 2003 (Beta) for 64-bit extended systems, Red Hat Enterprise Linux 3 and SuSE Linux Enterprise Server 8 64-bit host operating systems. These product updates make it possible for customers to migrate to 64-bit host operating systems and keep their 32-bit guest operating systems running in virtual machines.
VMware GSX Server 3.1 is a free update for VMware GSX Server customers with current support contracts. VMware Workstation 4.5.2 is a free update for VMware Workstation 4.x customers.
The introduction of support for 64-bit computing marks the first milestone in VMware's 64-bit roadmap which was announced in April, 2004. Future milestones will include the ability to concurrently run 32-bit and 64-bit virtual machines on AMD64 and Intel EM64T architectures.
With the introduction of virtualization for AMD64 and Intel EM64T, VMware once again extends virtualization capabilities for industry-standard platforms. Previous innovations by VMware include VMware Virtual SMP, the only industry-standard multi-processor virtual machine; VMware VMotion, groundbreaking, live virtual machine migration technology; VMware ESX Server, the only microkernel-based platform for industry-standard servers specifically optimized for virtualization; and VMware Workstation and VMware GSX Server, the original breakthrough VMware products.
Virtual Infrastructure
Virtual infrastructure provides a layer of abstraction between the computing, storage and networking hardware and the software that runs on it. By implementing a virtual infrastructure, IT organizations can provision new services and change the amount of resources dedicated to a software service simply by interacting with a management console as opposed to physically reconfiguring or repurposing hardware. The hardware management is now completely separated from the software management, and hardware equipment can be treated as a single pool of processing, storage and networking power to be allocated and reallocated on the fly across the enterprise.
By creating a uniform virtual hardware platform across the entire data center, virtual infrastructure allows software to be installed on or moved from any physical system to another without requiring reconfiguration of the software —operating system or applications. Virtual infrastructure makes existing resources more efficient and flexible, driving cost out of IT.
About VMware
VMware, an EMC company (NYSE: EMC), is the global leader in virtual infrastructure software for x86-based systems. The world's largest companies use VMware solutions to simplify their IT, fully leverage their existing computing investments and respond faster to changing business demands. VMware is based in Palo Alto, California. For more information, visit www.vmware.com or call 650-475-5000.
# # #
(C) 2004 VMware, Inc. all rights reserved. VMware, ESX Server and GSX Server are trademarks of VMware, Inc. All other trademarks and names mentioned herein may be trademarks of their respective companies.