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   Feb 20, 2008

   Mark_V_Dalton says:

   Folks, I definitely see the benefit behind the concept of "Sun xVM Ops Center"...

   Folks,

   I definitely see the benefit behind the concept of "Sun xVM Ops Center" but you Sun marketeers have done it, again!!! You've confused the concept of "Sun xVM" (a virtualization technology based upon the Open Source technology, Xen) with "Sun xVM Ops Center" (a data center management tool set) which have nothing to do with each other (at this time) and do not address similar issues going forward. At most, there is only a tangential relationship. This is much like the silliness of calling GNOME (an Open Source Desktop) "Sun Java Desktop System" (Sun's skin-deep implementation of GNOME).

   Furthermore, "Sun xVM Ops Center" considerably overlaps another new Sun product and service, "Sun Connection". I don't see how "Sun xVM Ops Center" would replace "Sun Connection" but I can see considerable customer concern over having to purchase or subscribe to two (2) different product suites that claim to do the same job. It would actually be more accurate to brand "Sun xVM Ops Center" as "Sun Connection Ops Center". Indeed, it would make far more sense to enhance and extend the "Sun Connection" product by integrating what you are currently calling "Sun xVM Ops Center" as "Sun Connection Plus" and integrating the full "Sun Connection" engine into it.

   Continuing to confuse technological concepts that have little relationship to each other only serves to confuse the customer. What is a customer to do? Clearly, the Sun marketeers haven't thought about that!

   I don't mean to sound harsh but this sort of silliness definitely detracts from Sun's image. It gives the appearance that you have no idea of what you are doing and are, therefore, not worthy of any further consideration. I am individual that sees considerable value in much of your technology and your overall technical vision. I do, however, find it ever more difficult to defend you against the proponents of Microsoft or EMC or whomever, in my organization, when your marketeers keep pulling dumb stunts like this just for the sake of branding.

   Signed,

   Confused and Frustrated

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   1. 

      Feb 21, 2008

      oteich says:

      Mark, You are totally right that we've managed to confuse people. Let me help cl...

      Mark,
      You are totally right that we've managed to confuse people. Let me help clarify. Sun xVM is just a brand. It's a brand focused on the datacenter software challenges, and derives from "the intersection of virtualization (V) and management (M)". There is no product or specific thing as "Sun xVM". We have not been very clear about this, and it has lead to confusion internally and externally.

      • The hypervisor implementation derived from the Xen community code (http://opensolaris.org/os/community/xen/) is technically called "Sun xVM hypervisor". Sometimes this is refered to as xVM, which leads to much confusion.
      • Sun xVM Ops Center is the management tool in this portfolio. As you've rightly noted, it overlaps quite a bit with Sun Connection. In fact, it's 100%! Sun xVM Ops Center 1.0 is the merge of Sun Connection as well as N1 Systems Management. The combined product has been re-architected, given a facelift, enhanced, and is our management platform moving forward.
      • Sun xVM Server, our hypervisor product designed to provide a ready-to-use virtualization appliance (similar to VMWare ESX) is coming out this summer. When it does, we will update Sun xVM Ops CEnter to include fully integrated management of both physical and the virtual machines.

      I hope this helps clarify.

      Oren Teich
      Director Marketing
      Sun xVM

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