And then there are all the other advantages of virtualization: The ability to run multiple virtual appliances on a single server, the ability to migrate virtual appliances from one server to another, and the ability to back up a virtual appliance almost instantly.

Even when the software is proprietary, a virtual appliance costs less than a physical hardware appliance. In short, with the rise in popularity of virtualization and server consolidation, IT pros have many other options, options that offer all of the pros of a physical appliance, with very few of the drawbacks. Why build it yourself when you can download the whole installation, already pre-configured? Naturally, the virtual appliance is especially handy when the solution stitches together a host of components or relies on an entire LAMP stack. You'll find an increasing number of open source projects available for download in virtual machine formats for Xen, VirtualBox, VMware, and other virtualization platforms.

It's a formula that made hardware-based appliances immensely popular for network security, backup, storage networking, file services, email, and many other single-focus solutions.īy leveraging open source solutions, and shedding the hardware entirely, virtual appliances can push the cost savings to whole new level: completely free. Virtual appliances are great for the same reasons physical appliances took the IT world by storm: They make deployment a snap - even instantaneous - while at the same time reducing costs.

Download virtualbox appliances