Re: [Xen-users] IBM x445, anyone using it?

["Javier Guerra" <javier@xxxxxxxxxxx>]

On Tue, May 20, 2008 at 2:11 PM, Jeff Lane <sundowner225@xxxxxxxxx> wrote:
> On Tue, May 20, 2008 at 3:04 PM, Mark Williamson
> <mark.williamson@xxxxxxxxxxxx> wrote:
>
>> Nb VMware would give you full virtualisation support on your pre-HVM 
>> hardware,
>> which Xen can't give you.
>
> Good point...  but isn't there really a difference between say, full
> HVM virtualization on Xen and VMWare which is more emulation in this
> case?  That's just for curiosity sake...


VMWare does emulation for the 'hard' parts, where the existing 386-era
virtualization doesn't cut it.  it's heavily optimized, and does a lot
of code-modification on the fly to get it to manageable levels.

HVM-capable hardware makes it a lot easier, but (the first generation,
at least) incurs in heavy switching costs, so it's not a 'day and
night' performance advantage.  it's most a 'any hardware/complex code'
vs. 'new hardware/simpler code' tradeoff.

and, of course, VMWare is starting to use HVM capabilities for some
hard cases, and Xen/KVM are getting more PV into HVM...

-- 
Javier

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