Virtualization Automation – A Proper Virtual World

The Halo Trilogy and VMware Have Something In Common?

November 14th, 2007

More than Combat Evolved To Be Sure!

Yes, this title is a bit different from my usual rant, rave, and cursing of the virtualization ups and downs. But since life is a series of metaphors that create perception? Why not a videogame represent reality? I want to explain something that occurred to me, while, yes, playing Halo 3, on my Xbox 360, and no this is not a promotion for Microsoft game console line, or videogames for same.

Suspend reality with me for a few moments and consider the following… In dimension of sight, of sound, of reality not so far different from ours… cybernetics are a real, creation of super humans for combat is not common, but done, Combat Evolved, if you will. Specific to our discussion, a lone survivor of an elite unit, call them Spartans, is fighting to save not only himself, but his race. He is against impossible odds, under scaled resources; even some of his own peers give him no chance of success, in fact they even hate him for his past efforts. This solider, sometimes called the Chief, has only 2 goals, one, save his race, and two, save his friend, an A.I. entity. Cortana, if she, yes she, was human might be his love, rather than just his guide on this adventure. Comments like… Finish the Fight… We will… are the few words and not much more that the Chief says. His heart is given to his goals, he acts, he responds, he improvises, he overcomes, and most important, from a videogame perspective, he wins. Like, all the Greek warriors of the past, burned, carved, polished, programmed, down to a lean and efficient core of ability. He was a rumor, then a hero, now a legend.

For those that do not realize or know, what I have illustrated is in basic elemental terms the premises of the game story line of Halo, and its sequels Halo 2 and Halo 3. How John, designated unit 117, a Spartan class combat cybernetic solider was/is introduced to millions of avid XBOX and now recently, XBOX 360 fans over the last 6 years or so. Just maybe the most popular video game of recent history.

Returning to reality, and the explanation of the title of this article, VMware is at a cross roads of the future, down one path, say the left, VMware disappears into the shadows as Netware has done. To the right, avoiding the darkest shadows of market share, finding a niche scenario such as RedHat has achieved. And of course the obvious path, the one straight ahead, the domain of Microsoft, the endless resources of the empire of code, marketing, capital, and even more to the point, attitude. To jump back to the Halo story line, Microsoft could be seen as the Covenant, an alien society that is dominated by a prophetic vision and desire to change the universe to its own belief of reality. Yes, I am avoiding the obvious Star Trek comments, we are discussing Microsoft and Halo universe after all. Back on point, Microsoft is allowed to do this, this is what a free and open market mechanism is, and I support it.  However, this also means that VMware should expect real competition, and when it comes, it will come in force, with massive impact. As in Halo, the Chief has no where to go but up-hill, this is true for VMware as well.

Microsoft just released System Center Virtual Machine Manager (SCVMM), it is not perfect, in fact I find it hard to use, its GUI seems odd and disjointed, and it is not elegant or as sophisticated as it will some day be. However, I do see its potential, it will provide Microsoft with a tool, no, a weapon to attack VMware at the core of its more mature virtualized product line, VMware VirtualCenter. VMware developed a great hypervisor, it dominates the performance of virtual instances, VMware ESX host, although not perfect, is better than anything else I have seen or used to date. But what really catches your attention is VMware VirtualCenter. VirtualCenter makes managing all your hosts at least as painless as possible, it is not perfect, and suffers from VMware growing pains, but it is the best of breed right now, in spite of its quirky performance and lack of scaling to a true corporate enterprise level.

Microsoft does learn and has learned from VMware, it adapts, and this is the danger for VMware. Again, no Star Trek comments please. Although I have yet to push System Center Virtual Machine Manager to the same scale as I have VMware VirtualCenter, I will not be surprised when it scales to a reasonable level for enterprise customers, or that it may only be an incomplete match against VirtualCenter, but that will be enough to rock VMware, and shake it to its very bones. Not to mention painless integration to MOM. Just like a plasma grenade that is a bit to close to the Chief. Can you feel the game console controller vibrate and rattle?

As at the end of the Halo 3 plot-line, picture a scene, in a dark spaceship, lost and a drift, with just two souls aboard. Look into a chamber of shadows, with the A.I., a now rescued Cortana, looking fondly at John 117, as he locks his pulse rife into a nearby weapons rack, then turns and climbs into a stasis chamber. Cortana says something to the effect…I have sent out a beacon, but it maybe years before they find us. To which, the Master Chief replies with his simple, minimalistic style, more his personality than habit… Wake me… (Insert a real pause for effect)…When you, need, me. I am sure the ironic tone of this is not lost in printed form. When I heard it, it gave me a cool chill down my spine. Really it did. 

Thus, in our reality… VMware wake! Competition is what we need! Challenge Microsoft; create quality, consistency, real best of breed solutions, the feature race is not effective, quality and stability is, after all that is how Microsoft did it, even if in the case of Microsoft Word it took them 11 versions to do it.  Microsoft is in this fight to win, and they have the potential to do so, they have adopted the mindset of Halo 3… Finish the Fight. VMware can not afford to sleep; can not afford to be drifting lost in space. As the Chief saved Earth, someone must save the future of virtualization. There may not be a Halo 4 in our future, only the accountants of Bungie know for sure. But I know this much… VirtualCenter 4 has got to kick some major alien ass, or it is, in every sense of the phrase… Game Over.

Entry Filed under: A Proper Virtual World