A virtualisation supplier has developed a product it
claims will solve the software licensing issues that arise when
users run multiple instances of an operating system or application
in violation of their licensing agreements.
US supplier SWSoft has started to sell its Virtuozzo software in
the UK. Virtuozzo virtualises the operating system, so the user
only requires a single installation and activation licence.
Virtuozzo isolates an application or a group of related
applications in a virtual environment. In effect, it creates
multiple copies of the operating system's configuration settings,
one for each virtual environment.
This provides an illusion of a complete operating system
environment - with its own registry, file system, TCP/IP addresses,
and so on.
Multiple Virtuozzo virtual environments then share the same
operating system, for instance, as well as applications that are
configured to run virtually.
This differs from established virtualisation alternatives which
virtualise the hardware, including the processor. This allows users
to run multiple instances of their software, which can contravene
certain licensing agreements.
According to Rob Lovell, SWSoft's UK managing director, SWSoft's
approach has a lower processing overhead. While other approaches to
virtualisation emulate the processor, Virtuozzo links directly to
the hardware.
Neil Macehiter, partner at analyst firm Macehiter Ward-Dutton,
said the benefit of the SWSoft approach is that there is a reduced
burden of operating system instance management, in terms of issues
such as patching, licensing costs and administration.
SWSoft's users include Bertelsmann and Siemens.
Read article:
New technologies add to software licence
headache
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