BIOS: Technology Means Business

VMware has added significant new features in this version of Workstation, including support for running both 64-bit and 32-bit operating systems and running virtual machines across multicore chips - a first for the desktop environment. You can also import a variety of other virtual machine images into VMware.

VMware Workstation 5.5, the newest release of the desktop virtualisation software, allows users to create a library of virtual machines for 32-bit and 64-bit x86 operating systems, including Linux, NetWare, Solaris x86 and Windows, that replicate production environments. These virtual machines can then be provisioned and used, making it possible for developers and testers to spend more time developing and testing software and less time configuring and managing their required environments.

'VMware Workstation 5.5 reaffirms VMware's commitment to providing our customers with the industry's broadest virtualisation platform,' said Brian Byun, vice president of products and alliances at VMware. 'Our customers have indicated that features like support for 64-bit guest operating systems and multi-CPU virtual machines are very important to them as they plan their infrastructure for the future. VMware Workstation 5.5 gives developers a powerful platform to accelerate the development, testing and support of their next-generation applications.'

Among the major new and enhanced features in VMware Workstation 5.5 are 64-bit guest support for AMD Athlon 64 processor-based systems and 64-bit guest support for systems using Intel Extended Memory 64 Technology (EM64T) with Intel Virtualisation Technology (experimental). Building on the 64-bit host operating system support introduced in previous releases, VMware Workstation 5.5 delivers support for 64-bit Linux and Windows guest operating systems and experimental support for 64-bit Solaris x86 and FreeBSD. This gives developers and testers the flexibility to run 32-bit and 64-bit operating systems simultaneously on the same hardware.

Software support for two-way virtual SMP (experimental) brings server-class virtual SMP to the desktop. Virtual SMP makes it possible for a single virtual machine to span two processors, enabling developers and testers to configure real-world production environments on developer-class desktops. VMware Workstation 5.5 provides developers and testers with the additional flexibility to convert Symantec Live State Recovery images into virtual machines or to open those images in their native format without any modification.

VMware Workstation 5.5 offers an enhanced vmrun interface to allow organisations to automate repetitive manual tasks. New vmrun features include the ability to take snapshots, list all snapshots for a virtual machine and revert to a selected snapshot.

Virtual machines created with VMware Workstation can be deployed to VMware Player, enterprise-class VMware GSX Server and data centre-class VMware ESX Server platforms. Once deployed on GSX Server or ESX Server, VMware VirtualCenter can manage these virtual machines. This lets development teams more easily manage the software life-cycle process and move computing environments from development to testing, and from staging to production.

VMware Workstation 5.5 for both Linux and Windows host operating systems is available today. The electronic download for Workstation 5.5 is $189 via the VMware Store at www.vmware.com/vmwarestore/, and the boxed version available for $199. The product is also available from the VMware VIP Reseller Network and distribution partners at www.vmware.com/partners/resellers/. A full-featured 30-day trial version of VMware Workstation 5.5 can be downloaded directly from the VMware Web site at www.vmware.com/download/ws/. VMware Workstation is also available with VMTN Subscription, which provides developers with the range of VMware products, support and upgrades for an annual subscription of $299 per user.