Parallels Server for Mac
Encyclopedia
Parallels Server for Mac is a server
virtualization
product built for the Mac OS X Server
platform and is developed by Parallels, Inc.
, a developer of desktop
and server
virtualization software. This software allows users to run multiple distributions of Linux
, Windows
and FreeBSD
server applications alongside Mac OS X Server on Intel-based Apple hardware.
Parallels Server for Mac was in development for more than a year before its alpha stage was demoed at MacWorld 2008 and the product was officially released on June 17, 2008. While in beta, Parallels Server for Mac did not allow running Mac OS X Server in a virtual machine
; however, Apple eased up on its licensing restrictions before Parallels Server for Mac’s GA release to allow running Mac OS X Leopard Server in a virtual machine as long as that virtual machine is running on Apple hardware. Parallels Server for Mac is the first and currently only server virtualization product for the Apple Xserve
.
, Parallels Server for Mac is a hypervisor
-based server virtualization software that allows users to run multiple guest operating system
s, each in a virtual machine, alongside a primary or "host" operating system. The product's hypervisor allows each virtual machine to function as a standalone server with its own virtualized hardware, memory and processor. However, unlike the desktop software, Parallels Server for Mac is a hardware-optimized enterprise product designed to handle server workloads such as database
s and enterprise email and is aimed at the professional market rather than the consumer market. Parallels Server for Mac allows users to run Intel-powered Apple hardware in a business environment without isolating the Mac servers from the organization’s Windows and Linux systems.
Users can run 32- and 64-bit guest operating systems such as Mac OS X Server, Windows, Linux, and FreeBSD in virtual machines on Apple Xserves and Mac Pros.
Parallels Server for Mac comes with Parallels Tools, Parallels Transporter for P2V and V2V migration and Parallels Disk Image tool for modifying the size of virtual disks. Also included are the Parallels Management Console, which allows server administrators to manage the virtual machines both locally and remotely and Parallels Explorer, which allows access to virtual machines without launching the guest operating system.
Additional features include:
Server (computing)
In the context of client-server architecture, a server is a computer program running to serve the requests of other programs, the "clients". Thus, the "server" performs some computational task on behalf of "clients"...
virtualization
Desktop virtualization
Desktop virtualization , as a concept, separates a personal computer desktop environment from a physical machine using the client–server model of computing....
product built for the Mac OS X Server
Mac OS X Server
Mac OS X Server is a Unix server operating system from Apple Inc. The server edition of Mac OS X is architecturally identical to its desktop counterpart, except that it includes work group management and administration software tools...
platform and is developed by Parallels, Inc.
Parallels, Inc.
Parallels, Inc. is a privately held virtualization technology company with offices in the USA, Germany, UK, France, Japan, China, Russia and Ukraine. Parallels' US offices are in Renton, WA.The company has more than 700 employees as of 2010....
, a developer of desktop
Desktop virtualization
Desktop virtualization , as a concept, separates a personal computer desktop environment from a physical machine using the client–server model of computing....
and server
Virtual private server
Virtual private server is a term used by internet hosting services to refer to a virtual machine. The term is used for emphasizing that the virtual machine, although running in software on the same physical computer as other customers' virtual machines, is functionally equivalent to a separate...
virtualization software. This software allows users to run multiple distributions of Linux
Linux
Linux is a Unix-like computer operating system assembled under the model of free and open source software development and distribution. The defining component of any Linux system is the Linux kernel, an operating system kernel first released October 5, 1991 by Linus Torvalds...
, Windows
Microsoft Windows
Microsoft Windows is a series of operating systems produced by Microsoft.Microsoft introduced an operating environment named Windows on November 20, 1985 as an add-on to MS-DOS in response to the growing interest in graphical user interfaces . Microsoft Windows came to dominate the world's personal...
and FreeBSD
FreeBSD
FreeBSD is a free Unix-like operating system descended from AT&T UNIX via BSD UNIX. Although for legal reasons FreeBSD cannot be called “UNIX”, as the direct descendant of BSD UNIX , FreeBSD’s internals and system APIs are UNIX-compliant...
server applications alongside Mac OS X Server on Intel-based Apple hardware.
Parallels Server for Mac was in development for more than a year before its alpha stage was demoed at MacWorld 2008 and the product was officially released on June 17, 2008. While in beta, Parallels Server for Mac did not allow running Mac OS X Server in a virtual machine
Virtual machine
A virtual machine is a "completely isolated guest operating system installation within a normal host operating system". Modern virtual machines are implemented with either software emulation or hardware virtualization or both together.-VM Definitions:A virtual machine is a software...
; however, Apple eased up on its licensing restrictions before Parallels Server for Mac’s GA release to allow running Mac OS X Leopard Server in a virtual machine as long as that virtual machine is running on Apple hardware. Parallels Server for Mac is the first and currently only server virtualization product for the Apple Xserve
Xserve
Xserve was a line of rack unit computers designed by Apple Inc. for use as servers. When the Xserve was introduced in 2002, it was Apple's first designated server hardware design since the Apple Network Server in 1996...
.
Overview
Similar to Parallels Desktop for MacParallels Desktop for Mac
Parallels Desktop for Mac by Parallels, Inc., is software providing hardware virtualization for Macintosh computers with Intel processors.-Overview:Parallels, Inc...
, Parallels Server for Mac is a hypervisor
Hypervisor
In computing, a hypervisor, also called virtual machine manager , is one of many hardware virtualization techniques that allow multiple operating systems, termed guests, to run concurrently on a host computer. It is so named because it is conceptually one level higher than a supervisory program...
-based server virtualization software that allows users to run multiple guest operating system
Operating system
An operating system is a set of programs that manage computer hardware resources and provide common services for application software. The operating system is the most important type of system software in a computer system...
s, each in a virtual machine, alongside a primary or "host" operating system. The product's hypervisor allows each virtual machine to function as a standalone server with its own virtualized hardware, memory and processor. However, unlike the desktop software, Parallels Server for Mac is a hardware-optimized enterprise product designed to handle server workloads such as database
Database
A database is an organized collection of data for one or more purposes, usually in digital form. The data are typically organized to model relevant aspects of reality , in a way that supports processes requiring this information...
s and enterprise email and is aimed at the professional market rather than the consumer market. Parallels Server for Mac allows users to run Intel-powered Apple hardware in a business environment without isolating the Mac servers from the organization’s Windows and Linux systems.
System requirements
- Intel-powered Mac server or desktop computer running Mac OS X Server Leopard
- Minimum 2 GB RAM
- 40.5 MB hard disk space for Parallels Server for Mac
- Minimum 15 GB for VM files and virtual hard disks
- Optical drive
- Ethernet or FireWire network adapter
Key features
Parallels Server for Mac comes with Parallels Tools, Parallels Transporter for P2V and V2V migration and Parallels Disk Image tool for modifying the size of virtual disks. Also included are the Parallels Management Console, which allows server administrators to manage the virtual machines both locally and remotely and Parallels Explorer, which allows access to virtual machines without launching the guest operating system.
Additional features include:
- 32- and 64-bit guest OS support
- Virtual support for 4-way Symmetric Multi-processing (4-way SMP)
- Up to 32 GB of physical RAM
- 64 MB memory support with up to 8 GB guest memory
- Supports virtual guest disk sizes up to 2 TB
- Supports Intel Virtualization Technology (Intel VT-x)) hardware accelerationHardware accelerationIn computing, Hardware acceleration is the use of computer hardware to perform some function faster than is possible in software running on the general-purpose CPU...
- Advanced Configuration and Power InterfaceAdvanced Configuration and Power InterfaceIn computing, the Advanced Configuration and Power Interface specification provides an open standard for device configuration and power management by the operating system....
(ACPI) support in VMs - Open APIOpen APIOpen API is a word used to describe sets of technologies that enable websites to interact with each other by using REST, SOAP, JavaScript and other web technologies...
- SDKSoftware development kitA software development kit is typically a set of software development tools that allows for the creation of applications for a certain software package, software framework, hardware platform, computer system, video game console, operating system, or similar platform.It may be something as simple...
that enables third-party vendors to incorporate support for Parallels Server for Mac into their own products - SNMP, Command line interface (CLI)
- VM Assistant to create new virtual machines
Limitations
Parallels Server for Mac can run only on Intel-based Apple hardware which must be running Mac OS X Leopard Server, not Mac OS X Tiger Server or on PC hardware. Also, at this time, users cannot run Mac OS X Tiger in a virtual environment due to Apple licensing restrictions.See also
- Apple XserveXserveXserve was a line of rack unit computers designed by Apple Inc. for use as servers. When the Xserve was introduced in 2002, it was Apple's first designated server hardware design since the Apple Network Server in 1996...
- HypervisorHypervisorIn computing, a hypervisor, also called virtual machine manager , is one of many hardware virtualization techniques that allow multiple operating systems, termed guests, to run concurrently on a host computer. It is so named because it is conceptually one level higher than a supervisory program...
- Server virtualizationVirtual private serverVirtual private server is a term used by internet hosting services to refer to a virtual machine. The term is used for emphasizing that the virtual machine, although running in software on the same physical computer as other customers' virtual machines, is functionally equivalent to a separate...
- VirtualizationDesktop virtualizationDesktop virtualization , as a concept, separates a personal computer desktop environment from a physical machine using the client–server model of computing....
- Virtual machineVirtual machineA virtual machine is a "completely isolated guest operating system installation within a normal host operating system". Modern virtual machines are implemented with either software emulation or hardware virtualization or both together.-VM Definitions:A virtual machine is a software...
- x86 virtualizationX86 virtualizationIn computing, x86 virtualization is the facility that allows multiple operating systems to simultaneously share x86 processor resources in a safe and efficient manner, a facility generically known as hardware virtualization...