Red Hat Enterprise Linux and Microsoft Windows Virtualization Interoperability

In February 2009 Red Hat and Microsoft signed reciprocal agreements to enable cross-certification of the companies' virtualization platforms. Since that time, both companies have submitted their latest products for approval against the other's virtualization validation/certification program. As a result, customers are able to deploy heterogeneous virtualization environments comprising Microsoft Windows and Red Hat Enterprise Linux with full technical support available from both companies.

FAQs

Q1: Is there a new agreement between Red Hat and Microsoft?

A1: No, today's news delivers on the reciprocal agreements signed by Red Hat and Microsoft in February 2009. Red Hat signed an agreement to join Microsoft's Server Virtualization Validation Program and Microsoft signed an agreement to join Red Hat's Virtualization Certification Program.

Q2: Why the long delay between the original announcement in February 2009 and the first certifications in September 2009?

A2: Both companies decided to synchronize testing with new versions of their products. Now, licensed customers will be able to deploy on the latest versions of Microsoft Windows Server and Red Hat Enterprise Linux, virtualized on Microsoft and Red Hat hypervisors, knowing that the solutions will be technically supported by both companies.

Q3a: What level of support agreement is required from Red Hat when running Red Hat Enterprise Linux on Windows?

Any customer with a valid Red Hat Enterprise Linux subscription, using Red Hat Enterprise Linux 5.x guests, will be entitled to support from Red Hat.

While the customer may contact either the operating system or hypervisor vendor to initiate a support request, active technical support agreements with Microsoft and Red Hat are required to receive support.

Q3b: What level of support agreement is required from Microsoft for a customer to receive support when running Windows on Red Hat Enterprise Linux?

Customers with current Microsoft support agreements for Windows Server 2008 will entitle the customer to obtain support from Microsoft. Where an existing agreement is not in place, customers can identify their willingness to purchase 'per-call' support.

While the customer may contact either the operating system or hypervisor vendor to initiate a support request, active technical support agreements with Microsoft and Red Hat are required to receive support.

Q4: How do I find out what validations have been completed?

A4: Validations are posted to the respective Microsoft and Red Hat web sites:

• http://www.redhat.com/rhel/compatibility/hardware/
• http://www.windowsservercatalog.com/svvp.aspx

Q5: Are there any IP or business arrangements as part of the signed agreements between Red Hat and Microsoft?

A5: The agreements establish coordinated technical support for Microsoft and Red Hat's mutual customers using server virtualization, and the activities included in these agreements do not require the sharing of IP. Therefore, the agreements do not include any patent or open source licensing rights, and additionally contain no financial clauses, other than industry-standard certification/validation testing fees.

Q6: What commitments have Microsoft and Red Hat made to on-going support and continued validation of new versions of their software?

A6: Both Microsoft and Red Hat have committed to test and validate new versions of our products so that customers with valid support agreements continue to receive joint technical support.

Q7: Will Microsoft and Red Hat publish paravirtualized device drivers or integration components for their respective operating systems so that they run better as guests on the other vendor's virtualized platform?

A7: Yes. Microsoft products certified on Windows Server and Red Hat products certified on Red Hat Enterprise Linux are also supported in these heterogeneous virtualized environments, providing customers with increased deployment choice and flexibility.

Microsoft has submitted Integration components to the Linux community and plans to publish integration components when the testing and validation is complete in calendar Q409.

Red Hat has included paravirtualized drivers for Windows Server 2003, 2008, and Windows XP. During calendar Q409 Red Hat expects to deliver WHQL [Windows Hardware Quality Labs] drivers.

Q8: What Microsoft and Red Hat applications are supported on virtualized hardware and hypervisors that have passed these certification programs?

A8: Microsoft products certified on Windows Server, and Red Hat products certified on Red Hat Enterprise Linux, are supported in these heterogeneous virtualized environments, providing customers with increased deployment choice and flexibility. This includes, for example, Microsoft Exchange Server and JBoss Enterprise Middleware products. For additional information about Microsoft applications see: http://support.microsoft.com/kb/957006

Q9: What versions of Windows Server and Red Hat Enterprise Linux Server are certified to run as virtual machines.

A9: Red Hat Enterprise Linux 5.2, 5.3, 5.4 have passed cert tests when running on Windows Server 2008 Hyper-V, Microsoft Hyper-V Server 2008, Windows Server 2008 R2 Hyper-V, Microsoft Hyper-V Server 2008 R2. See more at RedHat's certified hardware site.

Windows Server 2003/ Windows Server 2008 / Windows Server 2008 R2 are validated to run on RHEL 5.4, using their KVM-based hypervisor. See more at Microsoft Server Virtualization Validation Program site.