VMware Server 2.0 Release Candidate 2

Embrace your ability to get more—for free. VMware Server equips you with a stable, easy to use, free virtualization platform ideal for organizations wanting to consolidate multiple servers down to few and reduce the headaches and expense of server provisioning.

This newest version offers the capabilities from before, plus an array of new features, increased performance and stability—including a broader range of guest operating system support, direct access to virtual machine consoles, an intuitive Web-based management interface, and increased memory for greater scalability. With over 3 million downloads worldwide, VMware Server continues to innovate to provide users with a superior introductory experience to virtualization—for free.

If you’re looking for more advanced functionality, including the ability to move your running virtual machines from one physical server to another without downtime, explore the new VMware Infrastructure features and acceleration kits.

VMware Server 2.0 Release Candidate 2 (for Windows & Linux Systems)

Latest Version: Release Candidate 2 | 8/19/2008 | Build 110949 | Release Notes

What's New

Volume Shadow Copy Service (VSS): Properly backup the state of the Windows virtual machines when using the snapshot feature to maintain data integrity of the applications running inside the virtual machine.
Virtual Machine Communication Interface (VMCI): Support for fast and efficient communication between a virtual machine and the host operating system and between two or more virtual machines on the same host.
Support for SCSI pass-through (generic) devices: Allows for SCSI devices such as tape backup devices to be connected to virtual machines.
Expand disk capacity on the fly: Allows for adding new SCSI hard disks and controllers to a running virtual machine.
Firefox 3 as a supported browser for the management interface.
Remote Client Devices: Access devices such as CD-ROMs that are not physically connected to the host via VMware Remote Console

Existing VMware Server 2.0 Beta features

Updated VMware Infrastructure (VI) Web Access management interface: With the faster performance, improved stability and broader range of configuration options, the VI Web Access management interface provides a simple, flexible, intuitive and productive management experience. In addition, embedded help files are context sensitive based on the task being performed.
Independent virtual machine console: With the new VMware Remote Console, you can access your virtual machine consoles independent of the VI Web Access management interface plus resize the virtual machine console windows as needed.
Support for USB 2.0 devices: Transfer data at faster data rates from USB 2.0 devices.
Multi-tiered permissions: Configure different levels of permissions to access virtual machines in different ways, including browsing, interacting, configuring and administering virtual machines.
New hardware editors: Edit and add devices such as USB 2.0 devices and legacy devices such as floppy drives, serial and parallel ports.
Automatically start your virtual machines: Select which virtual machines that you want to automatically start when VMware Server starts. In addition, there is also an option to boot the virtual machine directly into the BIOS Setup Screen.
Link to Virtual Appliance Marketplace: Access thousands of pre-built, pre-configured, ready-to-run enterprise applications packaged with an operating system inside a virtual machine. This speeds up time to value and simplifies software development, distribution, and management.
New operating system support: The broadest operating system support of any host-based virtualization platform currently available, including support for Windows Vista Business Edition and Ultimate Edition (guest only), Windows Server 2008, Red Hat Enterprise Linux 5 and Ubuntu 7.10 in 32-bit and 64-bit versions.
More scalable virtual machines:Support for up to 8 GB of RAM (up from 3.6 GB in Server 1.0) per virtual machine, 10 virtual network interface cards and up to two virtual SMP (vSMP) processors per virtual machine.
64-bit guest operating system support:Use 64-bit guest operating systems on 64-bit hardware to enable more scalable and higher performing computing solutions.
Support for Virtual Machine Interface (VMI): This feature enables transparent paravirtualization, in which a single binary version of the operating system can run either on native hardware or in paravirtualized mode to improve performance in specific Linux environments.
Support for VIX API 1.5: This feature provides a programming interface for automating virtual machine and guest operations.

Getting Started

Read the documentation
The VMware Server 2.0 Release Candidate 2 Release Notes and User Guide will contain the necessary information regarding this release, including a summary of features, known issues, system requirements plus how to install, setup and configure this release.
Download the VMware Server 2.0 Release Candidate 2 Installer
As usual, you have a choice of a Windows or Linux version of VMware Server. You'll be asked for your VMware account before you download. If you don't already have an account, you'll need to register for one.
Start using the product
With information from VMware Server 2.0 Release Candidate 2 Release Notes and User Guide reviewed use the product as you normally do.
Send us feedback
There are several options for support during the beta program.

VMware Server 2.0 Release Candidate 2 Feedback and Support Options

Go to the VMware Server 2.0 Release Candidate 2 discussion forum and post your questions, problems, experience and suggestions to the above discussion at your convenience.

Technical Support

Technical support is available through the Support Request (SR) system. Go to Support and click on Create Support Request.

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