Oh no, you're thinking, yet another cookie pop-up. Well, sorry, it's the law. We measure how many people read us, and ensure you see relevant ads, by storing cookies on your device. If you're cool with that, hit “Accept all Cookies”. For more info and to customize your settings, hit “Customize Settings”.

Review and manage your consent

Here's an overview of our use of cookies, similar technologies and how to manage them. You can also change your choices at any time, by hitting the “Your Consent Options” link on the site's footer.

Manage Cookie Preferences
  • These cookies are strictly necessary so that you can navigate the site as normal and use all features. Without these cookies we cannot provide you with the service that you expect.

  • These cookies are used to make advertising messages more relevant to you. They perform functions like preventing the same ad from continuously reappearing, ensuring that ads are properly displayed for advertisers, and in some cases selecting advertisements that are based on your interests.

  • These cookies collect information in aggregate form to help us understand how our websites are being used. They allow us to count visits and traffic sources so that we can measure and improve the performance of our sites. If people say no to these cookies, we do not know how many people have visited and we cannot monitor performance.

See also our Cookie policy and Privacy policy.

This article is more than 1 year old

VMware flings vCenter Server away from Windows, if you want

vSphere update adds vCenter Server for Windows to vCenter Server Appliance migration tool

VMware has released vSphere 6.0 Update 2m, with the main feature being a vCenter Server for Windows to vCenter Server Appliance migration tool.

vCenter is VMware's key management application and comes in two flavours. vCenter Server for Windows runs on Microsoft's famous operating systems and lets you manage VMs. VMware has spent the last couple of years bringing the other version, the vCenter Server Appliance, to feature parity with the Windows version. The appliance is a Linux-based beast that ships as a VM and by many accounts just starts running.

Because the Appliance is an appliance, you don't need an operating system licence to run it. Nor do you need a database: the Appliance includes a vPostgres database. The Windows version needs either SQL Server or Oracle. And as we know, Oracle has form being hostile to those who virtualise its products on VMware.

VMware also likes to point out that Oracle, SQL Server and Windows all cost money, so using the Appliance means you could save some dough and precious licences for VMs that do stuff other than manage VMs.

Perhaps the most interesting thing about this situation is that users asked for it. VMware allows the development of “Flings”, useful tools that it releases without initial support. This new converter started life as a Fling, became popular and is now a product.

What does it do? Simple: it takes your vCenter Server for Windows setup and teleports it into a vCenter Server Appliance, apparently in very few clicks and with all data uplifted into the vPostgres.

The migration tool is the only new inclusion in this update to vSphere. ®

Similar topics

Similar topics

Similar topics

TIP US OFF

Send us news


Other stories you might like