VMware 101: Which VMware Products Are Right For You

When we think of VMware products, most of us automatically think about their line of server products. Perhaps, most notably, vSphere. But the VMware portfolio is chock full of other products in the server, desktop, and cloud spaces.

In this article we’ll take a look at the top VMware products so that you may better determine how they might benefit your organization.

We’ll cover VMware products for servers, desktops, Macs and the cloud.

VMware for Servers

VMware vSphere 4

First up is the flagship server virtualization product. vSphere is VMware’s first cloud based operating system. VMware vSphere is also the company’s most mature offering. The latest version features improved security with vShield Zones, Storage VMotion integration, vStorage thin provisioning to cut down on storage consumption, and improved fault tolerance capabilities.

VMware Server

Unlike vSphere, VMware Server is hosted and runs on top of an operating system like Windows or Linux. Because this is a free product that installs like any other application on a server, this is a perfect way to test how virtualization will work in your environment.

VMware ESXi with Vmware Go

Also free, VMware ESXi provides for an easy way to assess how virtualization can benefit your enterprise. VMware Go is a web based service that simplifies and automates the process. Hypervisor virtualization architecture allows this product to be operating system independent. It features advanced memory and storage management, and a tiny footprint.

VMware on the Desktop

VMware View 4

VMware’s View 4 solution is to the desktop, what VMware Server was for the server. With this product, the desktop becomes virtual and can follow the user to any number of locations as a managed service. The data center delivers the virtual desktop to end users on demand.

VMware ThinApp

This product differs from View 4 in that it provides virtualized applications. As the applications are isolated from each other, conflicts are eliminated. Also of great benefit to system administrators, apps can be easily deployed to different Windows platforms without the need for testing and retrofitting.

VMware Workstation

With VMware Workstation you can run multiple operating systems simultaneously on one computer. Now you can run Windows, Linux and in fact, multiple versions of each, on the same box. No longer will your hardware purchasing decisions depend upon applications that are specific to a single OS.

VMware ACE

Wondering how to manage all these virtual workstations? That’s where VMware ACE come in o play. This is a product that handles provisioning and through configuration tools, increased security. Simple create a virtual machine that matches internal IT policies.

VMware Player

Looking for a free alternative to VMware Workstation? VMware Player provides much of the same functionality, without the price. Some of the missing features include: multiple snapshots, clones and virtual rights management features.

VMware for the Mac

VMware Fusion

Fusion is simply the Mac incarnation of VMware Workstation. Now, if you’d like to run a copy of Windows on a Mac computer, you can install it in a virtual machine, without the need to reboot. The latest version includes improved graphics and overall performance enhancements.

VMware and the Cloud

VMware vCloud

With this product, applications can now be run, secure and managed in a private or public cloud. With vCloud, VMware offers a way to manage the virtual resources in the cloud. Of note is the vCloud advanced programming interface (API) which allows for providing and using virtual resources in the cloud.

VMware vCloud Express

vCloud Express is an Infrastructure as a Service (IaaS) solution provided by VMware service provider partners. Organizations with fluctuating needs will benefit from this pay-as-you-go type infrastructure. Think of this an an on-demand, cloud service provider.

VMforce

This is the first product that allows for developing Java applications in the cloud. VMware and salesforce.com partnered to deliver this service. The need for dedicated hardware and development software may just become a thing of the past. Developers can use the standard Spring Eclipse-based IDE and deploy their application with just 1 click.

Give VMware a Try!

With such a vast repository of products, it seems that VMware is not a vendor that will be content to rest on its laurels. And for a complete list of products,free trails, and demos visit VMware’s website.