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Microsoft Virtual Server 2005 R2 SP1 Beta 2 Ready, Adds AMD Support

Microsoft has released the second beta of Virtual Server 2005 R2 Service Pack1, adding promised support for Advanced Micro Devices' virtualization technology.

The support for the technology, recently introduced by AMD in its Opteron processor, matches support for similar technology from Intel that was included in Beta 1 of Virtual Server 2005 R2 SP1. Virtual Server 2005 R2 SP1 is scheduled to ship before the end of March 2007.

Support for the AMD and Intel technology is designed to help improve performance for non-Windows guest operating systems and improve isolation so a corrupt virtual machine won't damage others on the same system, according to Microsoft.
In addition to the AMD support, Microsoft added Active Directory integration and management features, Volume Shadow Service for improved backup and discovery, and added offline virtual hard disk so users can edit files on a Virtual Hard Disk without having to load the virtual machine.

New Features, Services

New features included in Beta 2 of the software are support for Advanced Micro Devices's virtualization technology, as well as new integration with Microsoft Active Directory, Microsoft said.

The software also includes what is called a Volume Shadow Service, which improves the server backup process, according to Microsoft. Instead of scheduling downtime to back up each virtual machine individually, the software will take snapshots of physical machines. Those physical machines will in turn take snapshots of all the virtual machines on the physical host. This enables server administrators to keep virtual machines up and running even while backing them up.

Beta 2 of Virtual Server R2 SP1 also includes new offline virtual hard disk mounting, which enables customers to view and manipulate files in a VHD without having to start a virtual machine. This enables administrators to easily deploy scripts and perform virus scans across VHDs without having to start each virtual machine, Microsoft said.


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