Microsoft Virtual Server 2005 will not be a part of MSDN

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Microsoft have decided to not make available Virtual Server 2005 for MSDN subscribers. Instead, the company has arranged a special promotion:

The VS and MSDN teams have collaborated to create a special offer for Virtual Server 2005 Standard and Enterprise Editions which are being made available only to MSDN Universal and MSDN Enterprise subscribers between October 1, 2004 and March 31, 2005. This is a special promotional offer.

MSDN Universal and Enterprise level subscribers are being granted special access to Virtual Server 2005 Standard and Enterprise Editions as downloads from MSDN Subscriber Downloads only. Virtual Server 2005 Standard and Enterprise Editions will not be made available by fulfillment or in the monthly subscription shipments.

This is the full retail, production version of the product and does not include the typical MSDN restrictions of running only in dev/test environments and can be run in production (except on XP Pro).

News source: Virtualization.info

Thanks to xxpor for the heads-up on this bit

(4 replies) #1 lnatan25 on 15 Sep 2004 - 23:54

What do you need that Virtual Server for anyway?

#1.1 OptiPlex on 16 Sep 2004 - 00:18

emulating a server environment to test stuff? that's my guess

#1.2 rogerroger on 16 Sep 2004 - 04:35

Virtualization solutions are a hot item in the I.T. world right now as companies want to consolidate servers and reduce the need to purchase test servers that are not used 100% of the time. I'm working with several clients right now using VMwware flavors to consolidate various servers and eliminate dedicated test servers.

#1.3 Litespeed on 16 Sep 2004 - 04:55

I used to work somewhere that virtualised most of their servers on VMWare GSX Server. It was great. And for us developers, we could have a complete copy of the domain setup to test against in the test suite. And when we were finished, the sysadmin, just reset the environment from copied machines.

Last edited by 57017 on 16 Sep 2004 - 21:14

#1.4 Jason on 16 Sep 2004 - 08:16

For example we have a few apps that only run on NT4 server, with this we can upgrade that server to 2003 and run NT4 server in a virtual session.

(3 replies) #2 frogworm on 16 Sep 2004 - 00:54

i'm not impressed with the application anyways.

#2.1 jcvortex on 16 Sep 2004 - 01:57

Thats nice! I'm sure you fully grasp the purpose of the program, correct? Look up VMware, Mr., Superd00per computer user.

#2.2 rogerroger on 16 Sep 2004 - 04:37

Comparing the two products, I find VMware seems to have better performance and provides a quicker response. The MS solution is right on their heels though. And both are really easy to use.

just my opinion from working with both of them.

#2.3 Litespeed on 16 Sep 2004 - 21:11

I'm going with Virtual Server myself because all of my virtual machines are Windows Server 2003 AND I'm an MSDN Ent. customer. VMWare GSX Server doesn't give me that much more for the thousands I would have to spend.

#3 johndotcom83 on 16 Sep 2004 - 01:03

i wonder how this impacts certified partner MSDN subscriptions???

#4 utomo on 16 Sep 2004 - 02:36

NOt a good decission from microsoft. MSDN subscriber will think that later maybe microsoft also will not include many other things in the future.

(1 reply) #5 Steffan on 16 Sep 2004 - 05:01

I hope its part of the MSDNAA so I can get it from my school.

#5.1 Citrusmoose on 16 Sep 2004 - 12:36

Ha. They barely give us anything to begin with through my school. Heck, they still haven't given us XP with SP2 yet.

#6 Puma on 16 Sep 2004 - 14:20

If you want to setup a test lab for your network configuration or your applicatiions then MS virtual server 2k5 is a good choice since it's easy to use and setup. But if you want to run a virtual network environment in your enterprise then VMware ESX is much bettter since it supports fail over SAN and more conplexity configuration that can be fit to your network environment.

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