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Do you recall how in The Matrix, the machines crafted a simulated reality to keep humans under control, all while harnessing their bodies’ heat and electrical activity as an energy source? The protagonist, Neo, eventually discovers that the "real" world is actually an intricate virtual simulation.

Virtualization Management Tools operate similarly, creating efficient virtual interfaces for human use. Just as The Matrix blurred the lines between simulation and reality, these tools merge virtualized layers with the physical applications we use daily. They enable multiple virtual environments to run on a single physical system by creating virtual versions of servers, storage, compute, or network resources.

In much the same way that The Matrix overlays a virtual world on top of the real one, Virtualization Management Tools build virtual environments atop physical hardware, allowing for efficient resource utilization and isolating various workloads within the same system.

So, let's dive into the top 5 Virtualization Management Tools suited for businesses ranging from small startups to large enterprises!

Virtualization Management Tools are essential for mastering the digital landscape in today’s world. These tools are the gateways to the virtual universe, enabling us to create, monitor, and optimize virtual assets and deployments. They simplify resource management, enhance data analytics, and streamline operations. With these tools, you can assess the health and status of your virtual resources and virtual machines using charts and statistics, leading to more informed decision-making.

Following up on our 2023 list, we present the top 5 Virtualization Management Tools of 2024. Read on to find out more!

Top 5 Virtualization Management Tools Of 2024

Creating your own “Matrix” world might seem intimidating, but with today’s technology and tools, it's entirely possible. Virtualization Management Tools allow you to maximize resource utilization, optimize performance, simplify provisioning, improve security, and scale seamlessly. Ultimately, these tools help reduce costs and increase efficiency.

Here are our top 5 picks for Virtualization Management Tools - in no particular order!

Tool 1: VMware Workstation Pro

Based in California, USA, and founded in 1999, VMware is a cloud computing firm with a global presence. In 2023, VMware was acquired by Broadcom, a global technology leader. VMware has consistently been recognized as a leader in the 2023 Gartner® Magic Quadrant™ for Distributed Hybrid Infrastructure, Container Management, and SD-WAN, among other accolades.

VMware Workstation Pro is making its debut on our list. It’s VMware's hypervisor that facilitates the creation of virtual machines (VMs) on a single physical hardware system, allowing users to run multiple VMs simultaneously. This tool automates and simplifies IT management across hybrid, private, and multi-cloud environments, offering full-stack visibility into physical, virtual, and cloud infrastructure for enhanced virtualization management.

VMware stands out for its advanced network configuration features, robust network simulation capabilities, user-friendly dashboard interface, and support for diverse operating systems.

Tool 2: Microsoft Hyper-V

Founded in 1975 in New Mexico and headquartered in Redmond, Washington, Microsoft is a household name. In 2024, Microsoft was recognized as a Leader in the JUST 100 rankings, ranking fifth in the industry, and in 2023, Microsoft was placed in the top 10% of its industry. Additionally, MSCI Ratings* awarded Microsoft an AAA rating, the highest available.

Microsoft Hyper-V, introduced in 2008, also made our 2023 list. Hyper-V is Microsoft's virtualization product that enables users to create and run virtual machines. It allows administrators to maximize hardware use by running multiple operating systems on the same physical server.

This tool is best known for its Windows hypervisor and seamless integration with other Microsoft applications, making it easy to virtualize. It’s also compatible with various VM backup software, providing robust support and easy deployment in business IT environments.

Tool 3: IBM PowerVM

IBM, a technology pioneer, was founded in 1911 as the Computing-Tabulating-Recording Company before becoming IBM. Headquartered in Armonk, New York, USA, IBM operates in over 175 countries with a workforce of over 282,000 employees. In 2023, IBM earned accolades such as the Top Supercomputing Achievement and Best Use of HPC in Industry and Physical Sciences by Reader’s Choice Awards.

Formerly known as ‘Advanced Power Virtualization,’ IBM PowerVM makes its first appearance on our list. This Virtualization Management Tool offers a secure and scalable environment for AIX and Linux applications. Built on advanced virtualization technologies, it delivers reliability, availability, and serviceability, making it the key virtualization solution for IBM Power systems.

IBM PowerVM is known for its flexibility, allowing businesses to scale operations as needed. It also excels in security and compliance, making it ideal for virtualizing test environments and enabling more agile testing and deployments.

Tool 4: Oracle VirtualBox

Originally developed by Innotek as a free product, VirtualBox was later acquired by Sun Microsystems in 2008, and then by Oracle in 2010. Today, Innotek is based in Stuttgart, Germany, while Oracle is headquartered in Texas, USA. Oracle received the TrustRadius 2023 Tech Cares Award and was included in the Forbes Net-Zero Leaders List.

Oracle VM VirtualBox, new to our list, is a cross-platform Virtualization Management Tool that allows users to run multiple operating systems simultaneously on a single physical machine. It supports a variety of operating systems, including Windows, Mac OS X, Linux, and Oracle Solaris, and is ideal for IT professionals and developers.

Users praise Oracle VirtualBox as the best open-source option, with built-in operating system functionality. Additionally, it has responsive customer support and a vast community knowledge hub, making it user-friendly even for non-technical users.

Tool 5: Google Compute Engine

Founded in 1998 in California, USA, Google has revolutionized technology on a global scale. Serving clients like Apple, PayPal, and Deloitte, Google has been recognized as a Leader in the Gartner Magic Quadrant for Cloud Infrastructure and Platform Services, among other accolades.

Google Compute Engine (GCE), new to our list, was announced at a Google conference on June 28th, 2012. GCE operates under Google Cloud Platform (GCP) and is an Infrastructure as a Service (IaaS) component built on the global infrastructure powering Google services like Search, Gmail, and YouTube.

GCE’s standout features include cloud functionality, robust scalability, high availability, integration with Google Kubernetes Engine (GKE), and strong networking and load-balancing capabilities. These features contribute to cost efficiency and optimized virtualization management.

Conclusion

Oracle Virtualbox was identified and reported as having a critical vulnerability associated with Privilege Escalation and Arbitrary File Move/Delete. This vulnerability was assigned with CVE-2024-21111, and the severity was 7.8 (High).  However, Oracle has acted swiftly upon the report and has patched the vulnerability accordingly. Following that, Oracle also released a security advisory to…

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