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SWsoft turns in Virtuozzo 64-bit performance

Stephen Shankland CNET News.com

Published: 27 Sep 2005 09:30 BST

SWsoft has updated Virtuozzo to support 64-bit x86 processors.

Virtuozzo makes a single operating system, either Linux or Windows, appear to be several independent instances of the OS, instances the company calls virtual private servers. That makes it easier for different software applications to run in separate compartments.

The 64-bit support provided by 64-bit x86 processors such as Intel's Xeon and AMD's Opteron increases the amount of memory a computer can easily use to well over 4GB. Having large amounts of memory, in turn, makes it easier to run many jobs on the same server.

SWsoft launched Virtuozzo for Linux in 2001; the Windows version came in 2005. The software competes with EMC's VMware, Microsoft's Virtual Server, and the open source Xen.

Virtuozzo is most popular among Web site hosting companies, which use the software to share the same server with multiple customers. Customers include GoDaddy and RackSpace.

Virtuozzo costs $999 per processor for its 32-bit software and $1,500 for the 64-bit version. The company charges double for use on dual-core chips; that policy stands in contrast to the one used by VMware, Microsoft and BEA Systems, which charge per processor and not per processor core.

Virtuozzo is not certified to run with Windows or Linux, but the company "has open discussions with a number of companies, including Red Hat, Novell and Microsoft", the company said.