- VMware Fusion
Infobox_Software
name = VMware Fusion
caption = VMware Fusion running Windows Vista on Mac OS X
developer = VMware, Inc.
latest release version = 2.0 (build 116369)
latest release date = release date|2008|09|16
latest preview version =
latest preview date =
operating_system =Mac OS X
platform =Apple-Intel architecture
genre =Virtual machine
license = Proprietary
website = [http://www.vmware.com/products/fusion/ VMware Fusion]VMware Fusion is a
virtual machine software product developed byVMware forMacintosh computers withIntel processors. Fusion allows Intel-based Macs to runx86 andx86-64 "guest"operating systems , such asMicrosoft Windows ,Linux ,NetWare and Solaris as virtual machines simultaneously withMac OS X as the "host" operating system using a combination ofvirtualization ,emulation anddynamic recompilation . While similar in most respects toVMware Workstation , Fusion contains some unique features such as support for runningMac OS X Server as a guest operating system, and mapping the Mac OS X user's desktop, documents, music and pictures folders to the equivalentSpecial Folders in Microsoft Windows.Overview
Fusion is VMware's first entry into the emerging Macintosh x86 virtualization market, which has been made possible by the
Apple Intel transition . Fusion utilizesIntel virtualization technology present in theIntel Core microarchitecture platform. Much of the underlying technology in Fusion is borrowed from other VMware products, such asVMware Workstation , allowing Fusion to offer features such as64-bit and SMP support from the first beta version onward. Built on VMware's history of enterprise virtualization technology, Fusion's strength lies in its high-performance rather than its features and OS X/Windows integration. [ [http://www.maclife.com/article/vmware_fusion VMware Fusion- MacLife ] ]Fusion 1.0 was released on August 6, 2007, exactly one year after being announced. [cite web|title=WWDC: VMware brings virtual machines to Mac OS X |url=http://www.macworld.com/news/2006/08/07/vmware/index.php |publisher=Macworld |date=
2006-08-06 ]ystem requirements
* An Intel-based Mac (64-bit guest operating systems require a
EM64T -capable processor)
* 1 GB of RAM (2 GB or more recommended)
* 400 MB free disk space for VMware Fusion
* 5 GB free disk space for each virtual machine (10 GB or more recommended)
* Mac OS X version 10.4.11 or laterFeatures
platforms.
Direct X 9.0 is supported in VMWare Fusion through dynamic recompilation to
OpenGL instructions in Windows XP Service Pack 2 virtual machines. Hence, users can play supported games through Fusion or run applications which require 3D graphics.cite web|url=http://www.vmware.com/products/fusion/faqs.html |title=VMware Fusion FAQs |publisher=VMware |date=2007-08-06 ]32-bit and 64-bit guest operating systems are supported by VMWare Fusion cite web|url=http://www.vmware.com/products/fusion/system_requirements.html |title=VMware Fusion System Requirements |publisher=VMware |date=
2007-08-06 ] . Over 60 operating systems are supported, including Windows Vista, Windows XP, Linux, and Solaris. There is also support for Windows XP Service Pack 2 Boot Camp partitions: a user can use his WindowsBoot Camp partition, eliminating the need for two separate Windows installations. [6] In addition, VMWare Fusion offers support of up to 8 GB of memory on guest 64-bit operating systems, and up to 16GB of RAM onMac Pros andXserves . cite web|url=http://www.vmware.com/products/fusion/features.html |title=VMware Fusion Features |publisher=VMware |date=2007-08-06 ]Snapshots enable users to save a stable state of the guest operating system to disk, allowing users to quickly return to their virtual machine without the need of rebooting.
Shared Folders allow the mounting of folders from the host operating system to the guest operating system.
Extensive hardware support is built into VMWare Fusion. For networking, there is support for wired and
wireless networks , inNAT or bridged mode. There is access to physical devices from the virtual machine (i.e. read and write CDs and DVDs) as well as access toUSB 2.0 devices such asvideo cameras ,iPods ,printers , anddisks at full speedFact|date=April 2008. Firewire support is still missing in the latest version, although a workaround exists by mounting the device as a shared folder [cite web |url=http://blogs.vmware.com/teamfusion/2008/08/how-to-access-a.html |title=How to Access a FireWire Hard Drive Using VMWare Fusion |publisher=VMware |date=2008-08-12 ] .Support for multiple CPUs (SMP) or multicore CPUs is built into VMWare Fusion. Fusion also allows the user to assign up to two CPUs to one virtual machine to gain additional performance for CPU-intensive workloads [cite web |url=http://www.vmware.com/products/fusion/faqs.html#c25468 |title=VMware Fusion FAQs |publisher=VMware |date=
2008-09-08 ] .Virtual machines created with VMware Fusion can be used with other VMware products and vice-versa and are compatible with other VMware
virtual appliance s.cite web|url=http://www.vmware.com/products/fusion/faqs.html |title=VMware Fusion FAQs |publisher=VMware |date=2007-08-06 ]VMWare Fusion 2.0 was released as a free upgrade on September 18, 2008. [cite web |title=VMware Fusion 2 (Free Upgrade for All VMware Fusion 1.x Users)|url=http://www.vmware.com/download/fusion/] New features in this release include:
* Multi-display support - enables the use of up to 10 additional displays by guest operating systems
* Virtual Machine conversion - allows the conversion of Parallels Desktop and Virtual PC virtual machines to VMware
* Support for DirectX 9.0 Shader Model 2 [cite web|title=Key Features of VMware Fusion 2.0 Beta 1|url=http://www.vmware.com/communities/content/beta/fusion/fusion2_beta1.html]
* Application sharing between Windows and Mac - users can set certain files to launch with specific Mac or Windows applications
* Folder Mirroring - allows select folders to be accessible on both the host and guest operating system
* Keyboard and Mouse shortcut mapping
* Snapshot improvements - multiple snapshot support, in addition to creating automatic snapshots at set intervals
* Improved CPU resource utilization
* Support for 4 processor virtual machines
* Mac OS X Leopard Server virtualization support
* Improved Linux support
* A complimentary 12-month subscription to McAfee VirusScan Plus for Windows virtual machinesVersion history
ee also
*
Comparison of VMware Fusion and Parallels Desktop
*Comparison of virtual machines
*Desktop virtualization
*Virtualization
*List of VMware software References
External links
* [http://www.vmware.com/products/fusion/ Official webpage]
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