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Apple Will Allow Leopard Server Virtualization

Apple Will Allow Leopard Server Virtualization

by , 1:05 PM EDT, October 31st, 2007

In what seems to be a notable about-face, Apple has changed its Mac OS X Leopard Server license agreement to allow multiple, virtualized copies of Mac OS X to run on Apple hardware, according to Adam Engst at Tidbits on Wednesday.

Heretofore, only one copy of Mac OS X Server could run in a single Apple labeled computer. Many IT managers in the industry have moved to multiple instances of OSes running on a single server for various cost and technical reasons. Some felt that Apple's prior stance was hurting the company, and now, Apple has changed its license agreement to be more flexible, according to a systems engineer at the University of Wisconsin-Madison, Dave Shroeder, who read the new license carefully.

The change, which applies only to Leopard Server, allows multiple instances of the OS to run on Apple hardware (typically an Xserve) so long as they are each properly licensed and paid for.

"Enabling Leopard Server to run in a virtual machine may take some time, but we're working closely with Apple on it and will make it public as quickly as possible," Ben Rudolph, Director of Corporate Communications for Parallels told Mr. Engst. [Mr. Rudolph also wrote about this license change and Parallels' efforts in his Blog Wednesday: "When will you see it? In the next several months," he wrote.]

Whether this will allow IT managers to obtain real gains is an interesting question. In the case of Windows, separating services with virtualization is a great security measure, according to John Welch, a noted Macintosh author and IT administrator. With UNIX systems, it's not so critical to isolate those services. Even so, Mr. Rudolph added "We're hearing from our customers ... that the 'holy grail' of Xserves is to run multiple, isolated, near-native instances of Mac OS X Server on the same box, at the same time. If you couple that with the ability to run Windows and Linux next to those instances of Mac OS X, you've just made Xserves even more compelling for enterprises large and small, even non-traditional Apple shops."

That's the key -- giving IT managers the flexibility they've longed for. In the end, it will likely sell more Xserves, and Apple has nothing to lose from this minor but welcome adjustment to the Leopard Server license.

Observer Comments

Show: Subjects Only | Full Comments
Close Name:iVoid Posts: 65 Joined: 10 Jan 2007
Subject:

Of course, Leopard Server is a super set of regular Leopard. As far as I know, everything that's in the client is in the server version with all the extra server bits added on.

So, it'll be expensive, but you could run two or more copies of Leopard server on your Mac and swap back and forth as needed.
Or maybe have regular Leopard on the Mac and open a second mac up in Parallels running Leopard server.

Seems a shame you can't have Parallels running Leopard client and Tiger client (for compatibility with older software).

Close Name:Guest
Subject: A great product to check out

Check out http://www.AquaConnect.net

They have created a terminal server for the OS X platform. They allow multiple users on all different hardware to connect to the OS X platform and have isolated, simultaneous sessions.

Close Name:geoduck Posts: 1922 Joined: 30 Dec 2003
Subject:

Quote
Guest wrote:
Check out http://www.AquaConnect.net
They have created a terminal server for the OS X platform. They allow multiple users on all different hardware to connect to the OS X platform and have isolated, simultaneous sessions.


I believe that's something a bit different. That would be multiple simultanious users on a single instence of Mac OS-X Server running on a single box. The change that Apple has made is to allow multiple copies of Mac OS-X server to run on a single box. The latter could allow multiple simultanious users, that would be a different question. The significant issue is that by running seperate copies of OS-X Server what happens in one is isolated from the others. For example a kernal panic or really really bad crash of something that left everything else in a spinning beachball, or a runaway application that used all resources allocated to that particular instance of Server would only affect what was running on that copy of Server. The other copies of Server should not even see the incident.with the example above, the multiple terminal services login users would not see what each other was doing but any sigle system failure in Server could hit all users.

Close Name:Steve Ballmer Guest
Subject: hmmm... interesting!

I'm thinking .... don't bother me!

http://fakesteveballmer.blogspot.com

Close Name:brett_x Posts: 322 Joined: 24 Jan 2006
Subject: Don't bother is right

Quote
Steve Ballmer wrote:
I'm thinking .... don't bother me!

http://fakesteveballmer.blogspot.com

I'm thinking.. don't bother us with a link to your blog without at least proving that you're worth clicking on.. which I haven't seen yet. You're not whitty, insightful or original.
At least post something with content before posting your link. Otherwise you're no better than the Ink Jet Cartridges coupon in my inbox.

Close Name:Intruder -   TMO Mac Specialist Posts: 3149 Joined: 07 Jul 2004
Subject:

How much is the coupon for?

Close Name:Guest
Subject: Lucky

I never get the coupons for the useless inkjet cartridges.
Only male enhancement ads and "Outrageous Performing Stocks"

Fake Steve [shaking head] you need to get out more. Maybe take a long walk in the park or catalog the number of potholes in a 20 mile radius of your residence. If having a "fake blog" that lacks wit and humor is your holy grail I think you have taken a turn for the worst in the quest we call life.

Maybe catalog Inkjet coupons and give us monthly results......

Close Name:Steve Ballmer Guest
Subject: Brettx!

Hey son! Do you know who you are talking to?
I can buy you boy! My website is the leading edge of tech news , coolness, information, personal observation, suave, avante guard posticulational inquiry of magnitude!
If I say I'm thinking, I'm thinking!
You are obviously to dense to assertain the subilities of the post. Let me explain:
I'm CEO of Microsoft-
The article is on virtualization of Leopard -
I read it and say I'm thinking!
Do you get it now?
I doubt it!
http://fakesteveballmer.blogspot.com

Close Name:Intruder -   TMO Mac Specialist Posts: 3149 Joined: 07 Jul 2004
Subject: Re: Brettx!

Quote
Steve Ballmer wrote:
Hey son! Do you know who you are talking to?
I can buy you boy! My website is the leading edge of tech news , coolness, information, personal observation, suave, avante guard posticulational inquiry of magnitude!
If I say I'm thinking, I'm thinking!
You are obviously to dense to assertain the subilities of the post. Let me explain:
I'm CEO of Microsoft-
The article is on virtualization of Leopard -
I read it and say I'm thinking!
Do you get it now?
I doubt it!
http://fakesteveballmer.blogspot.com


I guess that time at Harvard and Stanford didn't do much to help your ability to spell. The real SB wouldn't make those mistakes (probably because he would have his secretary do the posts).

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