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Xen of Linux and Microsoft Working Together

There were times when Linux and a Windows Server were incompatible, but today it`s not like that anymore. Microsoft and XenSource, an open source virtualization vendor, will develop a cooperative technology, which will provide interoperability between Microsoft`s Windows Server virtualization and the open source Xen hypervisor.

Xen is a popular open source virtualization technology that, is currently included in Novell Enterprise Linux 10 and set for inclusion in Red Hat Enterprise Linux 5 and a future release of Sun Solaris. The joint Microsoft/XenSource development attempt will add the Windows Server "Longhorn" release to the list. With the partnership, Xen-enabled guest Linux operating systems will get Microsoft technical support for interoperability issues.

Bill Hilf, General Manager at Microsoft, says: "Today, current Windows and Linux guests can run on the XenSource commercial product XenEnterprise, which may be hosted on a Windows based server or a Linux based server. The new agreement we announced today extends to native Xen-enabled guest portability and interoperability for the future Windows Server Longhorn. The reason we`re working together is customers continue to struggle with IT cost and complexity. This announcement shows that Microsoft and XenSource share a commitment to help customers with multi-OS environments more easily adopt and benefit from virtualization."