Microsoft has released a beta of the Microsoft Virtual Server 2005 Migration Toolkit

VSMT automates the migration of an operating system and installed applications from a physical server to a server running within a virtual machine that is provided and managed by Virtual Server 2005. Virtual Server allows multiple virtual machines running different operating systems and applications to run on the same physical computer.

The primary usage scenarios for VSMT are as follows:

• Windows NT 4.0 Server migration. Migrating servers running Windows NT 4.0 Server to Virtual Server 2005 is appropriate when an application designed to run on Windows NT 4.0 Server cannot easily be moved directly onto Windows Server 2003. Migrating the server application to new hardware running a member of the Windows Server 2003 family affords improved performance, reliability, and maintainability. The application environment is still maintained within the Windows NT 4.0 Server software, so changes to the application are not required to realize this benefit. For a complete description of planning and implementing a Windows NT 4.0 Server consolidation project, see the Solution Accelerator for Consolidating and Migrating LOB Applications, available on the Microsoft Web site http://go.microsoft.com/fwlink/?LinkId=31616.

• Server consolidation. Migrating multiple physical servers onto a smaller number of physical servers is appropriate when the original physical servers are underutilized. This reduces the cost of supporting and maintaining servers. Each of the original physical servers runs in its own virtual machine to maintain application isolation, security, and operating system environment.

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