The power of virtualization technology can be harnessed by any business. Virtualization is commonplace for the enterprise itself and through the applications and services that the enterprise relies on. But not all virtualization solutions are created equal. A solution that works well for one business may not fit another.
Virtualization uses software to replicate what was previously only available in hardware. A dedicated server can run many applications and host many websites. When one of these applications or websites experiences a spike in traffic or requires additional storage, those needs come at the expense of the other applications.
Virtualization uses a hypervisor to create separate virtual servers on top of existing physical hardware. Resources can be partitioned so that high-traffic sites and applications that require more storage do not impact other tenants. As a result, virtualization is a great way to protect your network, maximize your return on investment, and make the most of your server resources without constantly purchasing additional hardware.
Two of the most popular virtualization software providers are VMware and Hyper-V. Both hypervisors provide the tools you need to virtualize and manage your infrastructure. While the core virtualization products are very similar, important add-ons such as Hyper-V System Center and VMware ESXi are quite different. This article helps you understand which virtualization solution best fits your needs by clarifying the differences between VMware and Hyper-V.
What is Hyper-V
Hyper-V is a virtualization system provided by Microsoft. Originally called Windows Server Virtualization, Hyper-V was released in 2008 and used to create virtual machines (VMs) that run Windows. Hyper-V is a bare-metal hypervisor because it runs directly on the hardware, underneath the operating system, or other virtualized components.
Hyper-V is fast and scalable due to its microkernelized architecture that allows its services to run independently of the hardware layer. This makes Hyper-V flexible and efficient, providing Windows users with superior performance and manageability.
Microsoft created Hyper-V, so it’s customized to work with Microsoft products and services. Additionally, Hyper-V can migrate or port virtual servers without downtime, even between different environments.
However, Hyper-V has limitations and drawbacks. For example, Hyper-V didn’t support Linux in its early days, but it does now. As a result, you can set up and deploy Linux VMs in Hyper-V. However, Hyper-V relies to some extent on Microsoft itself for deeper features such as advanced management features found in System Center Virtual Machine Manager (SCVMM).
What is VMware ESXi?
Launched in 1998, VMware was the first virtualization software to hit the market. His VMware equivalent to Hyper-V is called ESXi. Like Microsoft’s products, VMware ESXi enables the virtualization of desktop machines (Linux and Windows) and servers, providing businesses of all sizes with maximum IT infrastructure flexibility. In addition, VMware’s robust offering also includes a suite of tools that help maximize the virtualization experience for businesses large and small. Originally built for the midmarket, VMware also serves enterprises and is one of the most popular virtualization application suites.
VMware is flexible and supports different operating systems and applications even on the same machine. VMware is built to help reduce data center costs, improve the efficiency of existing hardware, and extend the life of older technologies through virtualization.
5 Top Reasons to Choose VMware ESXi over Hyper-V
VMware works in place of Hyper-V for most business use cases. Hyper-V brings many benefits to the user, but certain limitations make it unfavorable compared to his VMware. If your organization is considering one of these virtualization technologies, here are five reasons to consider VMware over Hyper-V.
1. Templates included
Templates are a great way to accomplish everyday tasks and activities without starting from scratch. VMware templates help automate the process of creating VMs. It contains several built-in templates that can be used to create virtual machines. Once created in VMware, it can be used again as needed.
Templates include various operating system, application, and hardware configuration options. These options make it easy to create virtual machines specifically tailored to your needs. Other templates must be created first, but can be used repeatedly.
VMware includes pre-built templates, Hyper-V does not. Normally you would have to create every VM from scratch, which can be time consuming and difficult for novice users. However, there is a manual way to create automation within Hyper-V. SCVMM provides an advanced templating solution that requires the entire Windows deployment system to trigger an action, unlike VMware’s ability to run custom scripts or deploy templates from files.
2. Good application management tools
Comparing VMware and Hyper-V application management is difficult. Both virtualization platforms offer similar functionality. In addition, both offer centralized administration for easy application management, allowing you to manage all your applications from one place regardless of where they are running.
However, one of VMware’s advantages is that it offers a wider range of management tools such as vRealize Operations Manager and vCenter. Additional tools give VMware an edge as they relate to management versatility.
3. Built-in resilience
VMware Fault Tolerance (FT) is a VMware feature that creates cloned VMs that run on different host servers. This built-in resilience is the number one reason to choose VMware ESXi over Hyper-V as your virtualization technology. If the primary VM fails, the FT VM takes over and continues running for uninterrupted business operations.
Fault Tolerance allows systems with up to 4 cores to hot replicate or migrate VMs to a second node without downtime in the event of a hardware failure. Unfortunately Hyper-V does not allow this functionality. This can be critical for businesses that cannot afford even a moment’s downtime.
4. Additional Supported Operating Systems
VMware and Hyper-V support Linux, Windows, and various other operating systems. One big difference is that VMware ESXi supports macOS and Hyper-V does not. For organizations using macOS, this is an important factor in deciding on virtualization software.
5. Hardware Efficiency and Great Scalability
VMware supports memory cloning to improve memory utilization. This feature allows you to run more applications and services simultaneously without running out of memory.
Hyper-V supports more memory on the host server, while VMware supports more maximum memory allocation per VM. Additionally, VMware offers great flexibility in CPU utilization so you can allocate resources most efficiently for your unique use case.
When it comes to scalability and provisioning, it’s important to have as much compute power as possible because modern applications require more than ever before to work properly. Hyper-V also excels in how physical memory is addressed and accommodated during provisioning, while VMware has an edge in terms of the number of CPUs deployed per host. .
Hyper-V is limited to 512 logical cores on the host, while ESXi is limited to 768 cores, a 50% increase. Scalability requires an environment that provides the performance capabilities necessary to meet all demands.
Prioritize what matters to your business
As with most technologies, tools can be key decisions, and features and lack of features can break the deal. Decisions made today could have business implications for virtualization within the enterprise for years to come. Both ESXi and Hyper-V have advantages and disadvantages. Ultimately, the decision will be made by the infrastructure you use to support your virtualized servers, the applications and operating systems you use, and the processing power you need.
Hyper-V works well for many companies in many cases. However, VMware also has some advantages that make it a good choice. VMware’s advantages in provisioning, scalability, and better file systems are clear justifications for VMware ESXi.
Liquid Web works with small businesses, managed service providers, and IT companies to provide the right virtualization solutions to move your business forward. Our deep expertise in setting up, deploying, and managing VMware private clouds and managed Microsoft Hyper-V makes Liquid Web an outstanding partner you can trust.
