Virtualization Daily

ZDNet is running a really interesting article on the linux virtualization system KVM and its relationship to Xen. In particular, it’s interesting to see how quickly KVM has been integrated directly into the Linux kernel. That should give it a substantial boost in long term adoption and will also give more Linux systems out of the box virtualization capabilities which is definitely a good thing. However, the articles conclusion is maybe a little troubling.

Red Hat is warmer on KVM, but Stevens also is concerned about devoting resources to both Xen and the competitor. For example, the company is contemplating splitting the upcoming Fedora 7 Linux for enthusiasts into two versions, one with Xen and the other with KVM, Stevens said. That’s because the company likes Fedora to track the mainstream Linux kernel, which now includes KVM. However, Xen uses an earlier kernel that doesn’t have KVM built in.

Ironically, these complications could mean that the major beneficiary of KVM’s open-source success, for now, could be its proprietary rival VMware, Haff said. “VMware will have to be loving it.”

It’s pretty much inevitable that there will be more than one solution in the Linux world. That’s part of what makes Linux appealing, but it also leads to duplication of effort and that definitely can help people like VMWare. Of course, now, along with Xen and KVM, there’s also VirtualBox. So it just makes you wonder who’s next?