The Challenge Businesses of all sizes have long struggled to make the most efficient use of their computing resources. During the technology boom of the 1980s and 1990s, for example, they invested billions of dollars into IT environments in a continual cycle of upgrades and replacements. For many businesses, however, these investments resulted in extraordinarily complex environments, characterized by an ever-expanding array of diverse and incompatible operating systems, hardware standards, and applications. These complex environments, and their associated costs, continue to this day.

For example, under the “one application, one machine” IT infrastructure model used by most businesses, a new computer is added along with each new job function. As the needs of a business grow, so do its attempts to purchase enough new computers and upgrade enough existing ones to meet those needs. Another factor in the struggle to use IT dollars wisely is the practice of deploying computers to handle worst-case workloads. For many businesses, this results in buildings filled with high-performance computers that on an average day use no more than 10 percent of their computing power. Further, the more computers in operation, the more space required and the greater cost of energy from the electricity needed to power them and the air-conditioning needed to cool them.

Still another challenge is the considerable cost of maintaining a workforce of technicians who are qualified to support, service, and maintain an IT environment composed of disparate hardware configurations, operating systems, and software.

In response, businesses have tried to “virtualize” parts of their environment with solutions designed to enable computers to run two or more operating systems side by side. Most such solutions, however, have been costly, difficult to install and use, and characterized by notoriously poor performance. As a result, they have failed to produce the anticipated productivity and cost advantages.

Today, however, there is reason for optimism surrounding the deployment of virtualization: the introduction of Intel® Virtualization Technology and the software solutions that take advantage of that technology.

Cost-Effective, High-Performance Virtualization Made Easy

So

lution

Brief

Who Founded in 2005 and based in Renton, Washington, Parallels, Inc., is a privately held company that specializes in the development of workstation and server virtualization software technologies. At both the server and workstation levels, Parallels offers cost-effective, easy-to-use products for both Windows*- and Linux*-based PCs and Intel-based Macintosh* computers.

What Based on hypervisor technology and optimized for Intel® Virtualization Technology (Intel® VT), Parallels Workstation* (for Windows and Linux) and Parallels Desktop* (for Mac*) enable a single desktop or mobile computer to simultaneously run multiple operating systems, each in its own independent virtual machine.

Why Parallels Workstation and Parallels Desktop provide businesses the productivity advan-tages of granting users simultaneous access to multiple operating systems without the associated costs of purchase, configuration, training, management, and operation of multiple physical workstations.

Why Intel Intel VT encompasses enhanced processor capabilities that are designed to provide a more stable and efficient architecture for running virtualization software solutions. By providing products based on a version of hypervisor technology that is optimized for Intel VT, Parallels gives businesses an easy and cost-effective way of deploying and running stable, high-performance virtual machines on desktop or mobile computers.

SO

LUT

ION

Less than a year after its founding, Parallels, Inc., introduced virtualization solutions based on powerful and proven hypervisor technology and optimized for Intel® Virtualization Technology (Intel® VT). Cost-effective and designed for users at any technology level, the company’s workstation solutions, Parallels Workstation (for Windows* and Linux*) and Parallels Desktop (for Mac*), are helping businesses large and small to boost productivity without the costs associated with adding new hardware.

Parallels Solution Brief

The CompanyOne company that is offering solutions optimized for Intel® Virtualization Technology is Parallels, a Washington-based firm that specializes in the development of workstation and server virtualization technologies. Collaborating with Intel, and employing a workforce of professionals who are highly skilled in the art and science of virtualization, the company offers two products for deployment on workstations (both desktop and mobile) and one for deployment on servers: Parallels Workstation (for Windows* and Linux*), Parallels Desktop (for Mac*), and Parallels Server. Parallels Workstation and Parallels Desktop are detailed in this document; for more information on Parallels Server, visit www.parallels.com.

Parallels Workstation enables users to create a virtual machine that runs nearly any unmodified x86 operating system, including Windows from 3.1 through Vista* Release Candidate 1, Linux*, FreeBSD*, Solaris*, OS/2*, eComStation*, and MS-DOS*, on an Intel-powered PC. Parallels Desktop enables users to run that same set of operating systems on any unmodified Intel-powered iMac*, Mac Mini*, MacBook*, MacBook Pro*, or Mac Pro*.

The Solution Parallels Workstation and Parallels Desktop enable users to create several isolated, independent, fully operational virtual machines on a single physical PC or Mac. By virtualizing the computer, these solutions help IT administrators create a simple, efficient virtual IT infrastructure to satisfy evolving technology needs, while simultaneously reducing hardware, software, personnel, and overall operating costs.

Each product works by mapping the host computer’s hardware resources directly to the virtual machine’s resources, allowing each virtual machine to operate identically to a standalone computer. Each virtual machine effectively has its own processor, RAM, floppy and CD drives, I/O devices, and hard disk—all the resources of a physical computer.

Parallels Workstation and Parallels Desktop are the first desktop virtualization solutions based on hypervisor technology, which was originally developed in the 1960s to maximize the power of large mainframes. Using a thin layer of software inserted between the machine’s hardware and the primary operating system to directly control critical hardware profiles and resources, hypervisor technology dramatically improves the stability and security of applications running in a virtual machine.

“By basing our products on hypervisor technology

that is optimized for Intel Virtualization

Technology, businesses can experience superior

productivity with the twin advantages of a long-proven software

solution and a next-generation hardware

solution.”

Nick Dobrovolskiy Chief Executive Officer

Parallels, Inc.

�

So

lution

Brief

SO

LUT

ION

Figure 1. Parallels Workstation (for Windows* and Linux*) and Parallels Desktop (for Mac*) are based on proven hypervisor technology, which efficiently partitions a physical machine into multiple guest virtual machines without the need for binary translation.

Moreover, because the Parallels Workstation and Parallels Desktop lightweight hypervisor is optimized for Intel® VT, these solutions can be deployed to take full advantage of that capability without requiring any IT intervention. They also can offer performance advantages previously unheard of in the world of virtualization.

In one performance comparison, for example, testers from Parallels deployed an application into three separate environments: (1) on a base machine, (2) on a virtual machine implemented with Parallels Workstation on a VT-capable computer, and (3) on a virtual machine implemented with another virtualization solution on a non-VT-capable computer. The test application in the Parallels Workstation/VT-capable environment achieved performance levels that could be considered equivalent to those of the application running on the base machine and that were up to 150 percent better than performance levels of the application running on the non-Parallels Workstation/non-VT-capable computer.

In another performance comparison, a demonstration of a 500MB file extraction, the virtual machine running on a Parallels Workstation/VT-capable computer completed the task in about half the time of the same test running on the non-Parallels Workstation/non-VT-capable computer.

The Benefits Parallels Workstation and Parallels Desktop are designed for rapid adoption with minimal training by users at any level of technology sophistication. With a powerful wizard, users can create a virtual machine in seconds, and with a clean, Web-like user interface they can single click to open menus and start, stop, and pause any virtual machine. As a result, users can rapidly begin to enjoy the benefits of having access to more than one virtual machine on their desktop or mobile computer, and the companies they work for can use computing resources far more efficiently than ever before.

Significant cost savings. Because Parallels Workstation and Parallels Desktop enable users to work with multiple operating systems simultaneously, and switch seamlessly between them, users can enjoy the productivity benefits of having multiple computers without the associated purchase, configuration, maintenance and support costs to their business. When multiple users across a business are taking advantage of virtualization, cost savings can be significant in terms of hardware purchase, management, and maintenance; office space; and electricity and cooling.

“Intel is delivering relevant innovations for virtualization solution providers including

Intel Virtualization Technology for processor,

memory and I/O virtualization, dual-core

microprocessors and Intel Core microarchitecture.

Parallels has taken full advantage of Intel

Virtualization Technology available in our latest

processors, and we look forward to continued

collaboration with Parallels on enabling new platform

capabilities such as Intel Virtualization for Directed

I/O in our upcoming chipsets which will help

improve the reliability, performance and flexibility

of I/O devices on virtualized environments.”

David Tuhy General Manager

Intel Desktop Products Division

Putting Parallels Solutions to Work Parallels Workstation and Parallels Desktop can make a significant difference in the efficiency and effectiveness of users from all sectors of a business. Here are just a few examples: Software developers can create a complex, multi-tiered virtual world on the desktop. By piping a debugger from the primary operating system to the guest operating system running inside a virtual machine, developers can program and self-test new code in multiple environments in real time. Quality-assurance professionals can create multiple virtual machines that match real-world environments exactly, including customized operating- system operation, hardware configurations, and software availability. Because each virtual machine is encapsulated in its own file set, testers can reset with a single mouse click, dramatically reducing the time required to create a “clean slate” testing environment. Moreover, because each virtual machine is self-contained and runs independently of other virtual and physical machines, a guest operating system crash, shutdown, reboot, or reconfiguration on one does not affect operations on others. Help-desk technicians and customer support agents can create virtual machines that are identical to selected user configurations. By recreating problems inside a virtual machine that is identical to a user’s operating environment, technicians and support agents can solve problems effectively without leaving their workstations, thus maximizing their work time and minimizing user downtime. Because virtual machines are independent of one another, multiple support issues can be addressed simultaneously, and individual virtual machines can be restarted or reconfigured without affecting the performance of others.

More efficient IT administration. Using Parallels Workstation or Parallels Desktop, IT professionals can test new software, updates, and patches in a virtual environment prior to deployment to a physical environment. This practice can help to ensure that potentially hazardous bugs or conflicts are identified and eliminated before they can do damage to servers or individual machines. IT managers can also test and optimize complex, multi-tier applications on a single machine.

Improved security. With Parallels Workstation or Parallels Desktop, a user’s desktop or mobile computer can be set up so that one virtual machine handles access to the Internet, Web browsing, and e-mail, for example, and another virtual machine handles access to a data warehouse, intranet, or other internal data and applications. Such “division of labor” can help businesses more readily defend against a hacking attempt, virus infection, or other malicious attack.

Maximized mobility. Virtual machines created with Parallels Workstation or Parallels Desktop are stored as files on the hard drive of a physical machine, meaning that each virtual machine profile can be easily zipped and ported, either physically or electronically, to a new machine anywhere in the world. This ensures that users who spend time on the road or work from several offices are able to access their usual applications, profiles, and settings, regardless of their location.

Positioning for the future. Parallels Workstation and Parallels Desktop are designed to take businesses seamlessly into the future of virtualization with full support for Intel® Virtualization Technology for Directed I/O, targeted for delivery as part of next-generation core logic chipsets. With Intel Virtualization Technology for Directed I/O, devices are assigned directly to virtual machines. This arrangement can improve system reliability by enabling the containment and reporting of errant DMA software. It also can enhance security by supporting multiple protection domains under software control and providing a foundation for building trusted I/O capabilities.

The Intel Advantage Intel® Virtualization Technology for processor and Intel® Virtualization Technology for Directed I/O are part of a collection of premier silicon technologies designed to deliver new computing benefits for IT managers and both home and business users. Through silicon-based virtualization functionality, VT enables the deployment of virtual machines on server and workstation (including desktop and mobile) platforms without the need for binary translation. Thus, VT eliminates associated performance overhead and vastly simplifies the design of the virtual machines, in turn enabling them to be written to common standards and to be more efficient.

Intel Virtualization Technology is designed to provide a foundation for a rich ecosystem of virtualization solutions that encompass server and work-station environments. These hardware-assisted virtualization solutions will extend the capabilities of powerful compute engines to handle multiple, disparate roles simultaneously. At the workstation level specifically, these solutions are expected to vastly improve availability and security for both desktop and mobile client platforms.

Intel Technology

4-way Intel® Xeon® processors

Intel® Core™ microarchitecture

Intel® Core™ Duo / Intel® Core™2 Duo processors

Dual-Core Intel® Xeon® processors

Dual-Core Intel® Pentium® processors

Taking Action

To learn more about Parallels, visit: www.parallels.com

To learn more about Intel® Virtualization Technology, visit: www.intel.com/technology/computing/vptech/

Information in this document is provided in connection with Intel products. No license, express or implied, by estoppel or otherwise, to any intellectual property rights is granted by this document. Except as provided in Intel’s Terms and Conditions of Sale such products,

Intel assumes no liability whatsoever, and Intel disclaims any express or implied warranty, relating to sale and/or use of Intel products including liability or warranties relating to fitness for a particular purpose, merchantability, or infringement of any patent, copyright or other

intellectual property right. Intel products are not intended for use in medical, life saving, or life-sustaining applications. Intel may make changes to specifications and product descriptions at any time, without notice.

Intel, the Intel logo, Core, Core Inside, Xeon, and Xeon Inside are trademarks or registered trademarks of Intel Corporation or its subsidiaries in the United States and other countries.

* Other names and brands may be claimed as the property of others.

Copyright © 2006, Intel Corporation. All rights reserved. 315385-001US