VMware recently announced plans to support multiple hypervisors via vCenter. Those plans have become reality and you can now download VMware vCenter Multi-Hypervisor Manager. VMware vCenter Multi-Hypervisor Manager is a component that enables support for heterogeneous hypervisors in VMware vCenter Server. It provides the following benefits to your virtual environment:
- An integrated platform for managing VMware and third-party hypervisors from a single interface.
- A hypervisor choice for the different business units in your organization to accommodate their specific needs.
- No single hypervisor vendor lock-in.
When you add a third-party host to vCenter Server, all virtual machines that exist on the host are discovered automatically, and are added to the third-party hosts inventory.
vCenter Multi-Hypervisor Manager 1.0 introduces the following set of basic management capabilities over third-party hosts:
- Third-party host management including add, remove, connect, disconnect and view the host configuration.
- Ability to provision virtual machines on third-party hosts.
- Ability to edit virtual machine settings.
- Integrated vCenter Server authorization mechanism across ESX and third-party hosts inventories for privileges, roles, and users.
- Automatic discovery of pre-existing third-party virtual machines
- Ability to perform power operations with hosts and virtual machines.
- Ability to connect and disconnect DVD, CD-ROM, and floppy drives and images to install operating systems.