Virtualization Journal

Red Hat announced that customers can now deploy fully supported virtualization environments that combine Microsoft Windows Server and Red Hat Enterprise Linux. In response to customer demand for interoperability in their IT environments, Red Hat and Microsoft have completed testing and validation for mutual customers using server virtualization. Joint support from Red Hat and Microsoft for these configurations is available today.

In February 2009, Red Hat and Microsoft announced agreements to validate and support the companies' corresponding virtualization and operating system platforms. The agreements have enabled today's delivery of expanded virtualization interoperability through the cross-certification of Red Hat Enterprise Linux and Microsoft Windows Server.

Customers can now deploy tested and supported heterogeneous, virtualized Red Hat and Microsoft solutions. The completed certifications include:

• Validation of Red Hat Enterprise Linux 5.4, using the Kernel Virtual Machine (KVM) hypervisor, with Windows Server 2003, 2008 and Windows Server 2008 R2 guests.
• Certification of Windows Server 2008 Hyper-V, Microsoft Hyper-V Server 2008, Windows Server 2008 R2 Hyper-V and Microsoft Hyper-V Server 2008 R2 host with Red Hat Enterprise Linux 5.2, 5.3 and 5.4 guests.

Additionally, Microsoft products certified on Windows Server and Red Hat products certified on Red Hat Enterprise Linux are also supported in these heterogeneous virtualized environments, providing customers with increased deployment choice and flexibility.

"IT administrators supporting heterogeneous infrastructures certainly understand the pain of having to deal with multiple independent technical support organizations. Often, environment failures are not owned by any one specific support team despite established contracts and SLAs,” said Steve Brasen, Principle Analyst at Enterprise Management Associates. “With this announcement, Red Hat and Microsoft are ensuring their customers can resolve any issues related to Microsoft Windows on Red Hat Enterprise Virtualization, and Red Hat Enterprise Linux operating on Microsoft Hyper-V, regardless of whether the problem is related to the operating system or the virtualization implementation."

“We are happy to offer our customers added choice and interoperability in virtualization – the ability to deploy mixed virtualization environments with Red Hat and Microsoft platforms -- with coordinated support by both companies,” said Mike Evans, vice president, Corporate Development at Red Hat. “Red Hat customers have the flexibility to run their applications in environments that span from bare-metal servers, to virtualized servers, to public clouds – and this additional support will broaden their deployment choices even further.”

“This work is a step forward for customers, partners and hosting providers who want to offer their customers the main x86 virtualized operating systems to run applications,” said Mike Neil, general manager of Windows Server and Server Virtualization at Microsoft Corp. “Customers now get improved virtualization support between the two companies so they can confidently deploy new applications and services.”