Oracle has released version 4.1 of its popular VirtualBox virtual desktop software. Downloaded over 46 million times since it was released for free under the GPL in 2007, the new version of VirtualBox adds functionality that makes it more suited for large-scale enterprise deployments. This includes an enhancement that allows it address up to a terabyte of memory on a single server, as well as scalability for about 1,000 virtual machines per host. In addition, administrators can now create virtual networks to interconnect VMs on different hosts together.
As reported by eWeek, the new cloning facility is probably the most heralded feature for this release. Oracle's Senior Vice President of Linux and Virtualization Engineering outlined how this feature is different from a snapshot: "With a clone, you have a new entity that can then have its own life and, subsequently, its own snapshots." Full clones can be created through the GUI, which allows administrators and developers to create a new baseline VM for testing and development. VirtualBox runs on several operating systems such Windows, Linux, Solaris and Mac OS X, and can host Windows, Linux and Solaris as virtual machines. You can read the Changelog for VirtualBox 4.1 here, or download it here.
As reported by eWeek, the new cloning facility is probably the most heralded feature for this release. Oracle's Senior Vice President of Linux and Virtualization Engineering outlined how this feature is different from a snapshot: "With a clone, you have a new entity that can then have its own life and, subsequently, its own snapshots." Full clones can be created through the GUI, which allows administrators and developers to create a new baseline VM for testing and development. VirtualBox runs on several operating systems such Windows, Linux, Solaris and Mac OS X, and can host Windows, Linux and Solaris as virtual machines. You can read the Changelog for VirtualBox 4.1 here, or download it here.