Compare and contrast the top three (3) brands of virtualization software available.

Virtualization software is a type of computer program that allows users to create virtual versions, or replicas, of a physical system. This software can be used for a variety of application, from data storage to running multiple operating systems on one machine. The three most commonly used virtualization solutions are VMware vSphere, Microsoft Hyper-V, and Citrix XenServer. Each product has its own unique features and advantages over the competition, so it’s important to understand the different options before deciding which solution will best suit your needs.

VMWare vSphere is considered the leading virtualization solution due in part to its scalability and robust feature set. It supports up to 128 processors per host server and provides high availability through redundancy with clustering technology. In addition, it includes memory management capabilities such as transparent page sharing (TPS). VMWare vSphere also offers advanced security features like role-based access control (RBAC) and encryption of stored data at rest or in transit. However, these features come at a cost – hardware requirements are higher than other solutions and there is high associated setup costs for licensing fees as well as additional services for support and maintenance beyond basic installation costs.

Microsoft Hyper-V is another popular option for businesses seeking an effective virtualization platform that requires no more effort than installing the necessary components on existing hardware infrastructure without purchasing any extra licenses or services. Although not as powerful as VMWare vSpheres when it comes to processor cores per host Server ,Hyper-V still provides advanced security measures like RBAC along with network isolation via Network Virtualisation using System Centre Virtual Machine Manager (SCVMM). Unlike VMWare however this solution lacks true live migration capability requiring downtime when moving machines between hosts; it also doesn’t provide built in disaster recovery tools making them somewhat harder to implement compared to those offered by other solutions such as VMWare Site Recovery Manager (SRM).

Finally we have Citrix XenServer – an open source hypervisor based on the Xen Project enabling both public cloud providers like Amazon AWS EC2 & Microsoft Azure Services Platforms while providing private cloud implementations with readymade packages giving organizations flexibility when choosing their hosting options. As an open source solution many components featured within XenServer are free but there are some cost associated depending on what addons you wish too incorporate into your environment from third party vendors; backup & disaster recovery solutions being some examples where you may incur additional charges if required over what is offered out of box by default . Furthermore ,XenServer does lack certain advanced features its competitors offer such as proactive monitoring & analytics requiring administrators to either purchase custom tailored plugins from third parties or develop their own .

In conclusion ,the top 3 brands of virtualization software available all have their pros & cons when comparing them against each others ; While VMware offers higher performance levels making it better suited for larger organizations looking for more sophisticated deployment scenarios , Microsoft offers lower cost entry points ideal for smaller operations plus having already existing Windows servers makes switching easier providing high compatibility rates between applications running within Hyper -v environment . Finally we have XinServer which although less powerful then its rivals offers flexbility given its free/open source nature allowing companies full customization ability tailoring made environments upon whatever specifications they require ; An example would be if someone wanted highly optimized database servers running Oracle software they could tweak specific settings ensuring optimal performance versus going down standard configuration route