Managing Virtual Machine Workflows
Microsoft is trying to make managing virtual machines a little easier through a Web-based portal that can be used by managers overseeing datacenters or by IT pros to provision applications and services. To that end, it has rolled out a new beta version of System Center Virtual Machine Manager Self-Service Portal 2.0 Service Pack 1 (SCVMM 2.0 SP1).
SCVMM 2.0 SP1 may be a mouthful, but it's another tool to automate workflows based on the user's role. Microsoft added a few improvements with the beta, such as greater virtual machine import support and the ability to set expiration dates for virtual machines, among others.
The catch is that the portal is designed to work with Microsoft's System Center Virtual Machine Manager product, if you've paid for it. Microsoft has another virtual machine manager that's free with Hyper-V.
Is your shop using System Center Virtual Machine Manager and the new portal or something else to manage workflows for your virtual machines? Tell Doug about your favorite tools at [email protected].
-By Kurt Mackie
Posted by Doug Barney on 03/09/2011 at 1:18 PM