A software that allows multiple operating systems to run on one physical computer, creating virtual environments within which programs can execute independently, known as a virtual machine monitor.
Xen is a powerful virtual machine monitor designed specifically for x86 machines. It allows users to easily run multiple guest operating systems in isolated environments, making it an essential tool for anyone looking to optimize their computer's performance.
One of the greatest strengths of Xen is its ability to partition a single machine in such a way as to support the concurrent execution of multiple operating systems. In order to achieve this, Xen must be able to isolate virtual machines from one another, ensuring that the execution of one does not adversely affect the performance of another, particularly when virtual machines are owned by mutually untrusting users. Additionally, Xen must be able to accommodate the heterogeneity of popular applications by supporting a wide variety of different operating systems, while introducing only minimal performance overhead.
With Xen, all of these challenges are met with unprecedented levels of performance and resource isolation. As an Open Source software released under the terms of the GNU General Public License, Xen offers users full flexibility and customizability. In fact, Xen has already been successfully ported to Linux 2.4 and 2.6, as well as other operating systems including NetBSD, FreeBSD, and Plan 9.
Xen is a popular choice for running demanding applications like MySQL, Apache, and PostgreSQL, and should run unmodified over any Linux distribution (RedHat, SuSE, Debian, Mandrake). While a port of Windows XP was developed for an earlier version of Xen, it unfortunately couldn't be released due to license restrictions. Nonetheless, Xen remains a favorite among developers and users alike as a powerful and reliable virtual machine monitor that delivers exceptional performance and resource isolation.
One of the greatest strengths of Xen is its ability to partition a single machine in such a way as to support the concurrent execution of multiple operating systems. In order to achieve this, Xen must be able to isolate virtual machines from one another, ensuring that the execution of one does not adversely affect the performance of another, particularly when virtual machines are owned by mutually untrusting users. Additionally, Xen must be able to accommodate the heterogeneity of popular applications by supporting a wide variety of different operating systems, while introducing only minimal performance overhead.
With Xen, all of these challenges are met with unprecedented levels of performance and resource isolation. As an Open Source software released under the terms of the GNU General Public License, Xen offers users full flexibility and customizability. In fact, Xen has already been successfully ported to Linux 2.4 and 2.6, as well as other operating systems including NetBSD, FreeBSD, and Plan 9.
Xen is a popular choice for running demanding applications like MySQL, Apache, and PostgreSQL, and should run unmodified over any Linux distribution (RedHat, SuSE, Debian, Mandrake). While a port of Windows XP was developed for an earlier version of Xen, it unfortunately couldn't be released due to license restrictions. Nonetheless, Xen remains a favorite among developers and users alike as a powerful and reliable virtual machine monitor that delivers exceptional performance and resource isolation.
What's New
Version 3.4.1: N/A