INSUBCONTINENT EXCLUSIVE:
Best virtual machine softwareVirtuality was once a capability of mainframe computers, and now even smartphones can do it.Being able to
segment the computer into different virtual versions has many advantages, specifically in respect of isolating experimental code from other
critical processes.Using this combination of hardware and software a system can allocate its resources more efficiently, and divide those
functions that are internet-facing from those that have internal access to a network.For IT professionals and software developers,
virtuality is an important aspect of their computing activity, and picking the right tools to create and manage virtual installations is
paramount.Here is our selection of software best suited to those trying to keep things real, virtually.1
Parallels Desktop 13The best Apple Mac virtuality Integration with macOSAffordableMuch better than Boot CampMac host onlyBoot Camp is
to seamlessly run Windows alongside their native OS, for those awkward moments when they need software that only works on that platform.A
few of the elegant things that Parallels can do is make Windows alerts appear in the Mac notification centre, and operate a unified
clipboard.Most Mac users think of Parallels as a tool exclusively for using Windows, but it can be used to host a wide range of Linux
Above that is a Pro edition that can address more memory and supports development environments like Microsoft Visual Studio
And, a Business Edition that includes centralised license management tools for IT professionals to use.2
Oracle VM VirtualboxNot all good things cost moneyFreeWindows, Mac and Linux100,000 registered usersNot sure what operating systems you are
likely to use Then Oracle VM VirtualBox is a good choice because it supports an amazingly wide selection of host and client
combinations.Windows from XP onwards, any Linux level 2.4 or better, Windows NT, Server 2003, Solaris, OpenSolaris and even OpenBSD Unix
There are even people that nostalgically run Windows 3.x or even IBM OS/2 on their modern systems,It also runs on Apple Mac, and for Apple
users, it can host a client Mac VM session.Oracle has been kind enough to support VirtualBox, and provide a wide selection of pre-built
developer VMs to download and use at no cost.And, all this is free; even the Enterprise release.VMware Fusion and Workstation3
VMware Fusion and Workstation20 years of development shines throughFree for personal useSupports GPU virtualisationWindows, Mac and
LinuxVMware offers a very comprehensive selection of virtualisation products, with Fusion 10 for the Apple Mac and Workstation 14 for the
PC.Despite the name difference, these two products offer effectively the same solution, though tailored to each host OS.For the Mac that
host OS.Workstation, as the version numbering suggests, is a more mature product and delivers one of the most sophisticated VM
implementations seen so far.Being one of the few hosts that supports DirectX 10 and OpenGL 3.3, it allows CAD and other GPU accelerated
applications to work under virtualisation.Workstation Player for Windows or Linux is free for personal use, though Pro is required for
business users, and those wanting to run restricted VMs created using Pro or Fusion Pro
this product slightly differs from other VM solutions is that it is both a VM host and also a machine emulator
manages to do this without administrator privileges, and the performance of VMs running on it is close to that of native installations.What
QEMU lacks is any sophisticated interface tools, instead relying on CLI inputs to install and configure VM clients.At this time it is also
only able to host on Linux, even if it can run a wide range of operating systems under that.5
Red Hat KVMVirtualisation for enterprise usersPowerful bare-metal optionsAlready in Enterprise ServerSupport model is costlyBefore anyone
writes in with stern words, KVM is inherently in all major Linux distributions and not exclusively code that comes with a Red Hat
distro.However, Red Hat has enhanced KVM with some very useful features that those already running Red Hat Enterprise Linux need to be
aware.Red Hat has two versions; a basic model included in Enterprise Linux that can have four distinct VMs on a single host and a more
and spawn as many isolated VMs as is needed.With the potential for hundreds of virtual machines, it also has sophisticated management tools
the cost of Virtualisation is entirely dependent on the support plan you need.6
Viridian, and then Windows Server Virtualization, it was rebranded to Hyper-V Server when it was first released in late 2008.These days it
comes as part of Windows 10 Pro and Windows Server (2012 and 2016), at no additional cost to the user.However, what you get for nothing is a
later, Linux with a 3.4 or better Kernel and FreeBSD
Citrix XenServerA highly scalable solution from CitrixFree (if you like basic)Bare-metal installsMemory management is weakLimited
third-party OS supportOddly, Citrix XenServer started life as an open source project, and to this day it remains free to download and
Or rather the basic version is free, but advanced features are restricted to paid tier releases.Paying customers get sophisticated
management tools, the ability to automate and distribute live environments at will
It also has the GPU pass-through and virtualised GPU capabilities, allowing it to offer virtualised CAD for example.The other thrust of
XenServer is to create virtual data centres that can handle planned and unplanned outages equally smoothly, and maintain the high levels of
