Citrix Extends Alliance With Microsoft For Server Virtualisation

Taking a page from a successful 20-year partnership in application and desktop virtualisation, Citrix Systems has announced ‘Project Encore’, extending its collaboration with Microsoft into the adjacent server virtualisation market. As part of this strategic alliance, Citrix unveiled the availability of a new solution called Citrix Essentials for Microsoft Hyper-V, offering advanced virtualisation management capabilities for Microsoft Windows Server 2008 Hyper-V to help customers create scalable and agile virtual infrastructures. The new solution will extend the enterprise management capabilities of Windows Server 2008 Hyper-V and System Centre in the areas of storage management, provisioning services, and lab automation. Citrix will make Essentials for Microsoft Hyper-V available to both Citrix and Microsoft resellers worldwide and collaborate with Microsoft on marketing and training activities.

Citrix Essentials for Hyper-V includes:

- Advanced Storage Integration using Citrix StorageLink technology makes it easy for Hyper-V and Microsoft System Centre customers to fully leverage the native power of their existing array-based storage systems.

- Dynamic Provisioning Services lets customers centrally manage a common set of master images, which can be streamed on-demand into Hyper-V virtual machines or physical servers.

- Hypervisor Interoperability makes it easy for customers to manage virtual machines across heterogeneous Hyper-V and XenServer environments.

- Automated Lab Management enables Hyper-V customers to develop, test, and deliver applications faster by automating and simplifying the entire virtual machine lifecycle, including movement across virtualisation platforms.