Oracle targets virtualisation

Oracle has released the latest Sun Ray Software 5 update as part of the company's efforts to assimilate its acquisition of Sun Microsystems, and drive a greater share of the desktop virtualisation market with the Sun Ray portfolio, states V3.co.uk.

New features include support for Oracle Enterprise Linux, an enhanced virtual desktop client, and a Sun Ray connector for VMware View 4, the virtualisation vendor's virtual desktop infrastructure (VDI) product.

Oracle claims the new features will increase the efficiency of VDI deployments, and broaden support for heterogeneous environments running Microsoft Windows Server and Active Directory, Red Hat Enterprise Linux and SUSE Linux Enterprise Server, including the entire software and hardware stack from applications to disc.

Client virtualisation has long dragged behind its counterpart in the server world, but this is down to irrational fear, according to Dell, reports Tech Central.

Jerome Semichon, senior solutions architect at the company, showcased the technology at a Dell Tech Camp, reeling off the benefits of turning a desktop computer into a "tool to access data".

However, he conceded many were afraid of taking up the new model. "It scares people but probably for the wrong reasons," he said.

Standard Performance Evaluation Corp (Spec) has released its first vendor-neutral benchmark which aims to measure performance of data centre servers being used for virtualised servers, states Tech Eye.

The benchmark, called SPECvirt_sc2010, measures and compares system performance across hardware, applications, virtualisation platforms, power consumption and power performance, theoretically making it easy for users to see how their servers are doing.

It has been developed by members of the Spec subcommittee, whose members and contributors include big players like AMD, Dell, Fujitsu, HP, IBM, Intel, Red Hat, Unisys, VMware and Oracle.