Hi Rebecca !
On 6/1/07, Rebecca Walter rwalter@suse.de wrote:
We have a request from management to standardize our terminology for virtualization technology. They, with input from in-house experts, propose the following terminology. Does anyone know of any reason these terms should not become the standard? I need feedback by the end of the day on 4 June so I can get back to management about implementation. If there are no objections, we can start standardizing on these terms immediately.
I'm happy that we want to propose a standard, but I already wrote a document with respective terms, here:
http://forgeftp.novell.com/lfl/.html/virtualization.html
Please read it.
"virtual host server"--A system running virtualization software that makes it able to host virtual machines. "management virtual machine"--The virtual machine used to control the other virtual machines.
What's the difference between the two ? I my terminology, I refer to them as "Host"
"NetWare virtual machine"
Agreed. I call this as VM or Guest.
"hypervisor"--The monitor for virtual machines.
Agreed. Sometimes I call this "VMM, virtual machine monitor", or "virtualizer". "hyperviser" is OK.
"virtual machine"--Not domain or guest.
Domains are specific to Xen, but not to virtualization in general. My article doesn't describe domains at all. If there is a way to make term generic, Please *don't* make terms, that are Xen specific. Only if there is no such way, we'll invent the new Xen-specific term.
Can we find a lowest common denominator to both out documents ?
Rebecca, I believe that SUSE should not be Xen-centric. Instead of choosing Xen-only strategy, we should take into account different emerging virtualization technologies. My article describes that as well. Xen is just one of many. While it works for some cases, it cannot be applied to all cases.
I would like to speak with your virtualization team to explain this to them, and push alternative technologies into openSUSE. I'm particularly interested in VirtualBox and OpenVZ, and I'm interested in overall good SUSE infrastructure to integrate other virtualization technologies as they emerge. I want to help make SUSE ready for virtualization at different levels.
Can you drop me emails of those virtualization guys at Novell ?