Comparing virtualisation solutions on "real" arguments

Currently there are 4 software virtualisation products on the market, and i used all 4 of them for our customers. It seems to be logical to compare them all 4 so you and your customers have valid ways to choose what solution is the best for their needs.
The 4 solutions are:
Microsoft Softgrid
Altiris SVS
VMWare Thinstall and
Citrix virtual software.

We have several points to compare, and i tried to mention them all.

- Agents: Svs uses SVSadmin. Softgrid uses the Softgrid client. Citrix uses the Citrix client. They start once on a machine, and do their thing. The Thinstall agent starts multiple times. Every Thinstalled application starts it's own agent.

-Memory usage: The thinstall agent consumes about 40 mB of memory for every applikation you use. The SVSadmin only uses 1 MB. Hence the best solution in memory usage is Softgrid. In softgrid there is a very good memory usage program. It is the same as i use in the DVS4SBC add-on to run smoothly in Terminal server.
The Citrix agent does not take more memory then the client would without the virtualisation.

-Layer compatibility: Softgrid only has cut and paste functionality between layers. real interaction is not provided. In Softgrid 4.5 the cut and paste functionality is very extended, but it is still not completely transparent.
The Citrix solution streames the applikation to the local client where it runs, and when you do a call to another product, the software sends it back to the server, where it looksup the class, and starts the applikation if available.
Thinstall does a somewhat better job. If you build a thinstalled app that needs operability with other layers, the other software should be locally installed on the machine where you build the package. It than sees the classes, aqnd will make them available to the virtualised applikation.
SVS is the best in this one. It does not care if software is in a layer or local. It just works. BUT!!! Not alway's. I saw a very rare applikation going wrong in this. There is a very easy way to solve this.

-Streaming or deploying!
Softgrid streams the applikation into the environment where you wish to use the software. It does this in small blocks. The first 5 times it learns wich blocks to stream first to start the applikation.
Thinstall does not stream. You need to copy the thinstalled app into the client and then start it.
The Citrix solution is all about streaming. It streams the applikation 100% and then starts.
Svs has no streaming. But!! With the acquirement of Appstream SVS pro is a good solution. It streams the app 30% and then the user can start using it. The rest comes when needed. The greatest part is the license utility. If a app is streamed as much times as you have license for that particular app, the next user will get a nice message.

So, What do you need to use for your environment?
Softgrid, Thinstall, Citrix or SVS.
If you have only windows XP machines, they will do the job. Only the Citrix solution is not intended for that use. But remember the layer compatibility.
If you have windows XP and Vista machines Softgrid needs two packages because it can not handle the difference in c:\documents and settings correctly.
Thinstall and SVS are perfect choices.

If you have Terminal servers and/or Citrix, thinstall is not very good. The packages are very big, and it will cost you over 30% of the capacity of the server.
Softgrid is the best solution in this case. But still remember the layer operability. The Citrix solution is very good, but it will alway's stream the applikation to the local client. When this client is a thin-client or on the internet, it will consume a lot of bandwidth.

SVS is the very best choice on a terminal server, but you need the DVS4SBC add-on to get it up and running smooth and without failures. Packaging is easy, and bring the application in production does not need downtime. It cann be done even when users are logged in.

I do packaging in SVS and in Softgrid for my customers, and packaging in SVS saves a lot of time. Sequencing for Softgrid is not that easy. That is where SVS wins a lot. I builded packages in Softgrid that took me over 2 day's where the same package in SVS only took me 2 hours.
I do not have enough experience to say something about Citrix in packaging.
I use thinstall to build my U3 apps. Thinstall is the very best solution for building applikation that needs to be on your usb with or without U3 stick.

So all four programs are very good, but still i prefer SVS. It is the ease to build application that convinces me. Even the fact that i cann use about any deployment solution helps a lot. If i already have SMS or AD deployment, i cann use it.
I do not need a big backend solution that needs to be maintained. I can use a program as easy as Microsoft Visual source safe to keep track on versions, sources and documentation.
It alway's depends on the customer needs wich program i choose for them, but most of it will be SVS.

Regards
Erik
www.dvs4sbc.nl