VMware hosting?

vagueware · 22nd July 2008

I have a client who is in need of a hosting provider who can take a VMware image and just boot it up in a data centre without him having to worry too much about hardware - his Windows VM is rather specific to a particular job and he wants some redundancy around it.

I've had a dig around but can't find anything obvious for VMware, just for Xen. Is my Google kung-fu just weak?

The other factor is that he'd prefer to stay EU for DPA reasons, but because it's asset processing it can go outside EU if that's any help.

Anybody seen services like this anywhere yet? I know ESX adds quite a bit to the cost of deploying, but it seems like a service somebody else out there must want. :-)

JamesSykes · 22nd July 2008

There isn't much out there because like you say enterprise VMWare stuff is quite expensive to setup.

I have heard of one company but I dunno if they are any good :

http://www.hosting-vmware.com/

Oh you might try contacting Hosting 365, they have a big Vmware cluster. Dunno if they will take your existing image and boot it, they should be able to.

LeaUK · 22nd July 2008

Uhm, this is an interesting request and one perhaps we will see more of in the near future. We run Virtual Iron so theoretically could import VMWare disks, but it's a little fiddly to be honest.

Disappointingly, we're not ready to provide such services as yet but will be keeping an eye on requests of this nature ;-)

Sorry I couldn't help.
Lea

gavint · 27th July 2008

We're a Citrix XenServer shop but I believe Gradwell are going to shortly re-launch a VMware VPS service after using it for a lot of their own infrastructure.

Gavin

The Ally · 30th July 2008

Quote:

Originally Posted by vagueware

I know ESX adds quite a bit to the cost of deploying, [...]

Not any more! Since July 28h, it is completely free of charge!

JamesSykes · 30th July 2008

Quote:

Originally Posted by The Ally

Not any more! Since July 28h, it is completely free of charge!

Not if you want to use it to rent out server it isn't.

freethought · 30th July 2008

It's only ESXi (the embedded hypervisor) that's free

The Ally · 30th July 2008

Quote:

Originally Posted by JamesSykes

Not if you want to use it to rent out server it isn't.

Can you show me where that limitation can be found?
I think it is an urban legend, but please prove me wrong!

JamesSykes · 30th July 2008

Quote:

Originally Posted by The Ally

Can you show me where that limitation can be found?
I think it is an urban legend, but please prove me wrong!

Read the license agreement. It's quite clear.

Karl · 30th July 2008

Quote:

VMware grants you a nonexclusive, non-transferable license, without rights to sublicense, to (i) install or have installed a single instance of the Software and each Licensed Additional Module on a single Server, unless permitted to have multiple instances on a single Server or to have multiple instances on multiple Servers by the payment of applicable license fees (whether such fees are based on a per Processor, a per Virtual Machine, a per user or any other VMware approved licensing model); (ii) use the Software and each Licensed Additional Module solely for information processing and computing purposes, including the hosting of computer application-based services from a Virtual Machine and provision of such services via an internal or external network, provided such services may not consist of services to a third party that provide primarily computing or processing power (such as utility computing or grid computing) or any computer application-based service that is traded, rented, leased or sold on a Virtual Machine basis; and (iii) use and reproduce the VMware Virtual Infrastructure Client Software or VMware WebAccess (in object code form only) for the purposes of installation and operation on an unlimited number of your own internal computers or terminals solely for the purpose of accessing the Server on which the Software is installed.;

There we go, so no, you can't use it to provide virtual machines ala VPS. VMware don't want to loose their lucrative per VM licensing. You can't use any version of ESX full stop for providing compute time/virtual machines, unless it is licensed under the hosting provider programme.

JamesSykes · 30th July 2008

"primarily computing or processing power (such as utility computing or grid computing) or any computer application-based service that is traded, rented, leased or sold on a Virtual Machine basis"

Does that mean you can sell shared hosting for example? Or if you were to provide a complete solution to a customer without any specific details as to virtual machines and so forth?

As in you sold a customer a load balanced hosting platform but you just happened to host those on virtual machines sitting on Vmware boxes?

Karl · 30th July 2008

You'd need to clarify that with VMware.

JamesSykes · 30th July 2008

Quote:

Originally Posted by Karl

You'd need to clarify that with VMware.

Just checking if you already had

Not planning on anything but I suspect using VMWare for any leased/rented services would cause problems, shared hosting or otherwise.

Karl · 30th July 2008

It's a bit of a grey area for sure, my take is that shared hosting from it would be fine - but I'd likely find that VMware would disagree as they'd see us as a candidate for their hosting programme.