VMware touts vSphere 4.1 as 'foundation' for cloud computing

VMware has released the latest version of its virtualisation software

VMware has launched the latest version of its vSphere virtualisation tools designed to boost scalability and improve performance to provide users with a more powerful foundation for cloud computing.

VMware vSphere 4.1 will help companies with an eye firmly on the cloud, according to the firm, and has new memory management and expanded resource pooling features.

For example, VMware vCenter Server can manage up to 10,000 concurrently powered-on virtual machines, a three-fold increase over the last version.

Additionally, the firm is promising performance improvements of around 25 per cent, and better consolidation levels thanks to memory compression.

Machine integration has also been improved, and apparently now runs five times as fast, while new network and storage controls improve resource management, reducing waste and allowing granular control over how apps access shared storage.

These new features go deep into the system and, according to VMware, once admins set up quality of service priorities, vSphere will automatically manage virtual resources in tune with these.

"Virtualisation occupies an increasingly central position within IT strategy as the cornerstone of modern infrastructures and the foundation for cloud computing," said Raghu Raghuram, senior vice president and general manager for virtualisation and cloud platforms at VMware.

"VMware vSphere is redefining the economics of computing, while helping customers to achieve the levels of utilisation and automation that underpin the promise of cloud computing."