There have never been tougher times in the virtualization industry where VMware (by Broadcom) has significantly changed their pricing rules. The virtualization landscape is constantly evolving, with new technologies and updates that aim to enhance performance, security, and manageability.
In this post, we’ll explore the latest developments from Vates with their XCP-ng platform, the new features of Xen Orchestra (XO) 6 and XO Lite, the transition from VMware to Vates, the integration of REST API, and the advancements in auto-restore health-check timeout.
If you never heard of XCP NG before, I’d recommend to check out my other article about this virtualization platform – Why You Should Consider XCP-ng as an Alternative to VMware.
XCP-ng: The Open-Source Virtualization Platform
XCP-ng stands is an open-source virtualization solution, offering a robust alternative to proprietary platforms such as VMware or Hyper-V. The platform is based on Xen hypervisor managed by Xen Orchestra (equivalent of VMware vCenter Server).
The latest standard release, XCP-ng 8.2, brings forward a suite of enhancements. Users can expect improved hardware support, performance boosts, and the convenience of upgrades twice a year. The Long-Term Support (LTS) version promises stability and security fixes without the need for major upgrades annually.
December 2023 saw a significant security update for XCP-ng, addressing vulnerabilities in Xen and linux-firmware within the controller domain. This update underscores Vates’ commitment to maintaining a secure and reliable platform for its users.
Xen Orchestra 6 and XO Lite: Simplifying Management
XO 6 represents a full rewrite of the Xen Orchestra UI and part of the server, aiming to deliver a more secure, faster, and user-friendly experience. The transition to Vue.js for the web UI, xo-web, allows for a more comprehensive toolbox and faster feature delivery.
XO Lite, on the other hand, is a lightweight, XAPI-based web application that doesn’t require hosting a virtual appliance. To give you a clear view, imagine XO Lite as VMware ESXi client. You can access directly your host and manage it, change settings, manage VMs etc. It offers basic management capabilities for individual pools and is designed to be a “Per pool management” tool, ideal for managing multiple pools with ease.
VMware to Vates: A Seamless Transition
With VMware v6 reaching the end of life, many are considering a switch to XCP-ng because of the recent Broadcom acquisition and pricing changes. Vates provides a less expensive and constantly evolving solution, making it an opportune time for migration.
Vates’ Open Virtualization Platform simplifies the management of virtual infrastructures while reducing virtualization license costs.
XCP-NG LTS Support
VMware To Vates (V2V) – VMware To Vates is a migration tool included within the Xen Orchestra management. The recent update allows you to migrate VMs from vSAN based clusters as well. This might have been a showstopper for some previously.
REST API: Powering Automation and Integration
XCP-ng is managed entirely by its API, known as “XAPI”. The XAPI project, hosted by the Linux Foundation, allows clients like Xen Orchestra or xe CLI to communicate with the platform. The new REST API is designed to be public and REST-like, enabling simple requests through tools like curl.
Auto Restore Health-Check Timeout: Enhancing Backup Reliability
The Restore Health Check feature in XO tests backups in a lab environment, ensuring their integrity and reliability. However, users have noted that the name of the tested VM is no longer displayed after the test is completed. This feedback is crucial for Vates to refine the feature and enhance the user experience.
Why SMBs would move out of VMware?
Small businesses are increasingly considering moving away from VMware vSphere due to the licensing costs for several reasons:
VMware vSphere’s licensing can be intricate, with various categories, editions, and pricing structures that require a detailed understanding to navigate. This complexity can be overwhelming and time-consuming for small businesses to manage.
Subscription Model – Following Broadcom’s acquisition of VMware, there has been a shift towards a subscription-based business model. This change has led to concerns about potential price hikes and the removal of free products, prompting businesses to explore more affordable alternatives.
Open-Source Alternatives – Many small businesses are turning to open-source solutions that offer greater flexibility in hardware and software licenses. Open-source infrastructure like KVM-based and Xen-based hypervisors are becoming popular choices due to their interoperability and community support.
Price Increases – Reports have indicated that some small managed service providers have seen the price of doing business with VMware rise significantly, in some cases, up to tenfold4. Such increases can be unsustainable for small businesses, pushing them to seek more scalable and financially viable options.
Xen Orchestra – a vCenter Alternative
Xen Orchestra (XO) is a comprehensive web interface designed to manage XCP-ng and XenServer infrastructures. Developed by Vates, it’s an agentless system that provides a wide array of features to streamline the administration and backup of virtual environments.
Here are some key aspects of Xen Orchestra:
- Web and API-based Interface – XO offers a user-friendly web interface accessible from any device, alongside a robust API for automation and integration.
- Administration and Management – It simplifies tasks such as VM creation, management, metrics, and statistics. Users can receive backup reports directly on communication platforms like Slack1.
- Backup and Disaster Recovery – Xen Orchestra provides various backup modes to suit different needs, ensuring the security of your VMs. It supports full backup, delta backup (incremental), continuous replication, and even file-level restoration.
- Cloud Enabler – As a cloud initiator for XCP-ng, XO allows for group management, resource delegation, and easy group administration, making the transition to cloud computing smoother.
XO Lite – Recognizing the needs of small businesses or those with limited budgets, Vates introduced XO Lite which is a simplified version of Xen Orchestra that runs directly in the browser, providing essential management capabilities without the need for a full-fledged administration interface.
Open Source and Community Support – XO is open source, which means there are no licensing fees, and it benefits from active community support. This makes it an attractive option for businesses looking to reduce costs without compromising on features.
Xen Orchestra User interface
Enterprise-Level Support – Despite being open source, XO offers professional, full-time support, ensuring that businesses can rely on it for critical operations1.
In essence, Xen Orchestra from Vates is a versatile tool that caters to the needs of both large and small virtual infrastructures, offering a balance between advanced features and ease of use, all while being a cost-effective solution compared to proprietary alternatives.
Small businesses are moving away from VMware vSphere due to the complexity and high costs associated with its licensing, the shift towards a subscription model, and the availability of more flexible and cost-effective open-source alternatives.
In conclusion, the advancements in XCP-ng, Xen Orchestra 6, XO Lite, and the integration of REST API represent significant strides in the virtualization domain. The transition from VMware to Vates and the improvements in auto-restore health-check timeout further solidify Vates’ position as one of the leaders in open-source virtualization solutions.
