File:R - p 2007- Machine Virtualization - Eric Traut

Although virtual machines have been around since the 1960's, they have only recently become widely used on PC-based servers and clients. Today they are commonly used in the datacenter to reduce capital and operational costs. They are also used on the desktop for software development and application compatibility. Fueled by recent advances in processor virtualization technologies, software developers continue to propose new uses for virtual machines. So what's with all the hype? Are virtual machines really the answer to many of today's computing problems? In his talk, Eric Traut will discuss the basic concepts involved in machine virtualization and provide an architectural overview of Microsoft's soon-to-be-released hypervisor. He will also discuss some of the factors that are driving the interest in virtual machines and talk about where virtualization should (and perhaps more importantly, shouldn't) be applied.

Eric Traut is a Microsoft Distinguished Engineer and Director of Development for the Windows Kernel and Virtualization team. He has spent the last 12 years of his career working on virtualization technologies. He is one of the original developers of Microsoft's Virtual PC and Virtual Server products, and he now leads a talented group of engineers who are responsible for many of the core pieces of the Windows operating system. This includes Microsoft's new virtualization platform (code-named "Viridian"), which will be included in Windows Server 2008. Eric holds a bachelor's degree in Computer Systems Engineering from Stanford University. He holds 11 issued US patents and 36 pending patents in the area of virtualization.