A preview version of Microsoft Virtual Server, Redmond's rebranded version of the Connectix product it purchased last February, has slipped out onto newsgroups and Internet sites. Never publicly released, Connectix began beta testing Virtual Server late last year.
Microsoft Virtual Server enables enterprises with large server clusters to reduce the amount of physical machines by running multiple virtual servers on each. Microsoft plans to also position Virtual Server as a migration path for businesses still running Windows NT4 servers, which can be consolidated onto a newer machine running Windows Server 2003.
The leaked build is numbered 1.0.218 and retains the Connectix logo. It integrates with Internet Information Services to offer administration of virtual servers via the Web and features a remote control client. The beta release expires on October 15, 2003.
Microsoft has not said when it plans to release Virtual Server, but a final version is expected by the end of the year.