    |
Home > Virtualization Home
 |
 |
|
Welcome to the Windows Server Virtualization Validation Program
To improve customers' support experiences when running Windows Server on virtualization technologies other than Hyper-V™ and Virtual Server,
Microsoft has launched the Server Virtualization Validation Program (SVVP).
SVVP is open to any vendor that delivers a machine virtualization solution that hosts Windows Server 2008 R2, Windows Server 2008, Windows 2000 Server Service Pack 4 (SP4)and Windows Server 2003 Service Pack 2 (SP2) and subsequent service packs. The virtualization solution can either be hypervisor-based or a hosted solution. The program enables vendors to validate various configurations so that Microsoft customers can receive technical support for Windows Server in virtualized environments. Customers can benefit from the support provided by Microsoft as part of the regular Windows Server technical support framework when running Windows Server 2008 R2, Windows Server 2008, Windows 2000 Server SP4 and Windows Server 2003 SP2 and subsequent service packs on validated solutions running on server hardware Certified for Windows Server 2008 or Windows Server 2008 R2, with the same validated processor architecture and not exceeding the maximum virtual memory or processors validated. Microsoft Life Cycle Support policy still applies for support and end of support for specific versions of an operating system and Service Packs. The Server Virtualization Validation Program is not a logo program, rather a reference that companies and customers will be able to use in conjunction with their validated solutions. Validated Configurations The list of validated configurations (Products) will enable customers to identify what configurations have been tested and validated to work with Windows Server, similar to a support matrix for hardware devices. A validated configuration consists of:
The SVVP only validates virtualization products and Windows Server [all versions] running on server hardware that is Certified for Windows Server 2008 R2. Contact your virtualization vendor for detailed information on what systems, adapters, storage external to the system such as SAN and NAS products, and networking devices such as switches and routers, are supported by the virtualization vendor. Please note that the vendor's virtualization solution may support larger virtualization, additional Operating System architectures and Processor architectures than they have submitted for validation. Additional configurations will not be eligible for support until the vendor performs additional tests and validations. In order to ensure that the configuration is supportable by Microsoft Support organizations, Microsoft requires the virtualization solution to be tested on server hardware that is Certified for Windows Server 2008 R2. Additionally, by requiring that customers use servers Certified for Windows Server 2008 or Windows Server 2008 R2 for running the validated virtualization product using the same processor architecture that was validated, customers can be assured that their system will run correctly, regardless of bus, interface, chipset, firmware, BIOS or other differences between the systems used for testing and the systems the customer has. Using Certified for Windows Server 2008 or Windows Server 2008 R2 avoids potential hardware incompatibilities which may cause issues the virtualization product cannot abstract. Finally, one of the possible problem isolation steps a Microsoft Support Engineer may need to do is to determine if the problem also exists when the Windows Server operating system is executing directly on the hardware platform, which requires certified systems. Issues related to software-based functionality that are not standard in server hardware, such as memory over-commitment and moving running virtual machines, are not supported by Microsoft under the Server Virtualization Validation Program. Receiving Support Customers can initiate support with the virtualization solution provider or Microsoft through existing channels for issues related to Windows Server running on a validated virtualization solution. Microsoft only supports Microsoft's products and will not be able to provide support for other companies' solutions. Microsoft and the virtualization solution provider will collaborate through TSANet if the root cause is believed to be from the other party's software and assistance is needed to resolve the issue. Participating Vendors The following companies who supply server virtualization software to the marketplace have formally committed to participate in the Server Virtualization Validation Program. Microsoft is working with them to validate their solutions as platforms for Windows Server 2008. Please contact them directly for any additional information.
As more vendors sign up for the SVVP, their names (and any validated solutions) will be added to this site. |
|