So how is it he's able to virtualize these third-party apps? "I don't ask them to support VMware, but to support it if it's running in a standard OS in a virtual environment, which has a generic driver set," Shapiro says. All the drivers and potential incompatibilities are what creates so much instability in Windows; VMware has abstracted out all the software, and it's a far more stable environment, according to Shapiro.
What does he do if a problem does arise and the vendor insists the problem be recreated in a physical server environment and not the virtual one in which it originated? "I'm OK with that as long as they try to solve it first before we go to a physical environment," Shapiro says. "For those who want to go to the physical environment first, I won't do it. Its a crock."
Too many vendors and VARs are putting this kind of virtualization exclusion verbiage into their licensing agreements, Shapiro fumes. "Virtualization's here and if they dont support it, they dont deserve to be in business," he says. "The guys who really need to hear this are the biggest vendors, like Microsoft."
Will Wilson, director of information systems for Guardian Management LLC in Portland, Ore., picks his virtualization spots very carefully. The technology works well and can be a godsend for many applications, but Wilson won't run the financial services company's mission-critical apps on VMs.
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