XenSource have published their hypervisor performance comparison with ESX 3.0.1 data included. As you might recall, VMware started this by publishing a whitepaper comparing ESX 3.0.1 with the open source version of Xen 3.0.3 (not a good idea if you ask me). A bit later, XenSource answered by publishing a paper with their own results but without ESX 3.0.1 data as that is forbidden by VMware's EULA. XenSource compared ESX 3.0.1 to XenEnterprise, their commercial implementation of the Xen hypervisor.
The results are interesting because performance is very similar. But is this enough to conclude that the XenSource product is a valid alternative to the VI3 offering? We think not and this for several reasons:
- It is important for our customers to use a product that has established itself in the market. The XenSource product is not there yet and will need some time to mature.
- The management tools have to be top-notch. Our experience shows that most customers virtualize Windows systems and are primarily running Windows in their environment. They do not want to mess with Linux configuration and management so it is important that the management products allow this. VI Client with VI3 comes very close to this need although some actions do require some command line knowledge.
- Hardware compatibility and support. ESX 3.0.1 supports a wide array of hardware and storage devices. Installation and configuration is very straightforward. XenSource's products are not at that level yet.
There are probably other reasons but I currently do not see any good reason to recommend XenSource XenEnterprise to customers instead of VMware's VI3. Maybe you have another opinion? Feel free to comment! ;-)
