XenEnterprise v4 Beta

XenSource is pleased to deliver the updated beta 2 version of XenEnterprise 4.0. This version includes hundreds of fixes, as well as added functionality in XenCenter.

XenEnterprise 4.0 leverages the open source Xen 3.1 hypervisor to deliver:

Greatly increased scalability and 64-bit guest support for real-world applications
Pooled server and storage resources with XenMotion™ live relocation, enabling dynamic resource management
Open management integration via the new XenAPI for investment protection for software, skills and processes
The new XenCenter virtualization management console, delivering more powerful and unified configuration and administration

Once again, we are counting on your assistance in bringing the new version to market with as high a level of quality as possible, and sharpening the user experience and new capabilities, by registering for the XenEnterprise 4.0 beta program, downloading and installing the software, and testing it against your workloads.

XenEnterprise 4.0 Beta Signup

Please fill out and submit the form below to sign up for the XenEnterprise 4.0 Beta Program.

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This request also adds your address to the pool for users to be contacted for future XenSource beta programs. To be removed from the beta user list, please send mail to .

XenEnterprise 4.0 New Features

XenEnterprise Resource Pools – up to 16 servers plus shared NFS and iSCSI SAN storage

Shared authentication, authorization, resource and configuration management

Storage Flexibility

Shared and private storage, volume and file-based (VHD), over multiple (DAS, SAN, NAS) connections
Thin provisioning, copy-on-write, snapshot for file-based VMs

XenMotion™ Live Relocation – move running guest VM within resource pool with virtually no service interruption
Increased Scalability

Memory: 128GB/host, 32GB/guest
CPUs: 1-32 physical, 1-8 virtual
Networking: 1-8 physical NICs, 1-7 virtual NICs
Storage: 1-128 Storage Repositories, 16TB/SR

64-bit Hypervisor – 64- and 32-bit Guests

64-bit Windows Server 2003 and Windows SBS 2003

Enhanced Resource QoS Control
Hotplug for virtual disk and NICs
Secure, remoteable XenAPI upward-compatible from OSS Xen – XML-RPC and language bindings
Enhanced ‘xe’ CLI for fine-grained system control
XenCenter – new Windows graphical administration console

Guided wizards
Configuration of multiple XenServer hosts and multiple resource pools
VM lifecycle management
Storage configuration and management
Guest templates

XenEnterprise 4.0 Requirements

CPU: 64-bit x86-based system. Intel VT or AMD-V hardware virtualization assist capability required to run Windows; 1.5 GHz single CPU minimum, 2 GHz or faster dual CPU recommended.
Memory: 1 GB of RAM minimum, 2 GB recommended
Disk: 16 GB of disk space minimum, 60 GB of disk space recommended
Network: 100 Mbit/s or faster network interface card.

XenEnterprise 4.0 Specifications

XenEnterprise 4.0 installs directly on server hardware without requiring a separate host operating system, and supports the following guest operating systems:

Windows

64bit guests

Windows Server 2003 Standard, Enterprise, Datacenter Edition SP2
Windows SBS 2003 SP2

32bit guests

Windows Server 2003 Web, Standard, Enterprise, Datacenter SP0/SP1/SP2/R2
Windows SBS 2003 SP0/SP1/SP2/R2
Windows XP SP2
Windows 2000 SP4

Linux

32bit guests

RHEL 3.5/3.6/3.7/4.1/4.2/4.3/4.4/4.5/5.0

RHEL 3.x, 4.x P2V
RHEL 4.4/4.5/5.0 vendor install

SLES 9SP2/9SP3/10SP1

SLES 9x P2V
SLES 10 vendor install

Debian Sarge/Etch built-in templates

Upgrade Paths - CAUTION

The following upgrade paths will be supported:

XenSource product 3.2 -> XenEnterprise 4.0 beta 2 (this release)
XenSource product 3.2 -> XenSource product 4.0 release

The license key will need to be re-applied in order to upgrade to the production release.

XenEnterprise 4.0 beta 2 -> XenEnterprise 4.0 beta (future beta builds if any)
XenEnterprise 4.0 beta 2 -> XenSource product 4.0 release

The following upgrade paths WILL NOT be supported:

XenEnterprise 4.0 beta 1 -> XenSource product 4.0 release
XenEnterprise 4.0 beta 1 -> XenEnterprise 4.0 beta 2 (and any future beta builds)

As always, we remind you that the XenSource End User License Agreement prohibits use of beta software for production use.

XenCenter Console Requirements

XenCenter, the XenEnterprise 4.0 management interface, can be installed and run on:

Operating systems: Windows XP, Windows 2000, or Windows Server 2003¹
CPU: 750 MHz minimum, 1 GHz or faster recommended
Memory: 384 MB of System RAM minimum, 1 GB recommended
Disk: 100 MB of disk space minimum
Other: Network interface card

¹ Due to the addition of resource pools and the change in underlying management API, a complete rewrite of the XenEnterprise management interface was required. While a new native Windows tool requested by many customers and partners was available, work had not progressed on a non-Windows alternative to the point that it would be feasible in conjunction with this release. Users of XenEnterprise 4.0 may manage their servers from a non-Windows desktop using the “xe” command line or using custom tools written using XenAPI. We expect partner products to be available shortly, and a XenSource option for managing from non-Windows desktops to follow late in the year.