VMware one-ups Microsoft with vSphere 5.1

The race for virtualization dominance between Microsoft and VMware has become more interesting with VMware's recent release of vSphere 5.1. We obtained vSphere around the same moment as the final release of Windows Server 2012, whose newly included virtual switch and enhanced Hyper-V features were designed to clobber VMware.

But back in the garages of their digital "brickyard", VMware was scheming to one-up the one-ups.

While we like Hyper-V3, there are both pronounced and subtle reasons why we like vSphere 5.1 a little more. Some of the competitive difficulties amount to classic Microsoft problems revolving around support for competitive platforms. But VMware also does a better job trying to lift the barriers to virtualization via annual aggressive releases.