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VMware 'ESX Lite': Mini ESX That Runs On Motherboard

Saturday, 16 June 2007 by Michel Roth

SearchServerVirtualization.com reports that VMware is supposedly working on something called ESX Lite. This would be a ESX Server shrunk down to a couple hundred of MBs and be embedded directly onto the motherboard on a chip. Since ESX Lite would be an OEM product only speculations have arisen as to who will be VMware's partner in crime. It seems that Dell is the prime suspect. All official channels remain quiet though.

It seems a pretty good move by VMware at a pretty good time. ESX Server is considered to be the leading hypervisor at the moment but you can never know what will happen if the behemoth from Redmond step onto the battlefield. Releasing ESX Lite while ESX is still synonymous with hypervisor would be the best bet. Also, OS virtualization by means of a hypervisor is becoming more and more mainstream (if it isn't mainstream already). Add to that the fact that solid state drives, memory chips and all that stuff is getting bigger, faster and cheaper all the time (especially if a big boy like Dell is going shopping) and this ESX Lite starts to make some good sense... If it all turns out to be true....

I'll be keeping an eye out for this developing story...