Oracle VM Server for x86

Oracle VM Server for x86 is the server virtualization offering from Oracle Corporation. Oracle VM Server for x86 incorporates the free and open-source Xen hypervisor technology, supports Windows, Linux, and Solaris guests and includes an integrated Web based management console. Oracle VM Server for x86 features fully tested and certified Oracle Applications stack in an enterprise virtualization environment.

Oracle VM Server for x86 can be freely downloaded through Oracle Software Delivery Cloud. Oracle announced the general availability of Oracle VM 3.4.6 at 30 November 2018.

Components

 * Oracle VM Manager: web based management console to manage Oracle VM Servers.
 * Oracle VM Server: includes a version of Xen hypervisor technology, and the Oracle VM Agent to communicate with Oracle VM Manager for management of virtual machines. It also includes a minimized Linux kernel as Dom0.

Versions

 * 3.4.6.3 - 3 June 2020
 * Export VMs to Oracle Cloud Infrastructure (OCI)
 * security updates
 * cumulative bug fixes
 * 3.4.6.2 - 13 December 2019
 * Additional Linux guest OS support (Oracle Linux 8.x, Red Hat Enterprise Linux 8.x, and CentOS 8.x)
 * security updates
 * cumulative bug fixes
 * new release model
 * 3.4.6.1 - 18 June 2019
 * updated versions of the Oracle VM Manager and Oracle VM Agent for SPARC
 * security updates
 * cumulative bug fixes
 * 3.4.6 - 30 November 2018
 * Updated Xen hypervisor
 * Update to the dom0 kernel
 * Security and patch updates for Oracle VM Server for x86 packages
 * Security and patch updates for Oracle VM Manager components
 * New User-Defined Validity in Months Option for Self-Signed SSL Certificates
 * New Option to Change the Location of a Running Virtual Machine
 * Increased Virtual CPU Configuration Limit for HVM and PVHVM
 * 3.4.5 - 7 June 2018
 * Support for Hybrid Columnar Compression (HCC) for better Oracle Database performance
 * A new Fiber Channel storage refresh option with Oracle generic storage plugin deployments
 * A new Balance Server start policy to complement the Best Server policy
 * Increased performance for Microsoft Windows guest operating systems
 * Support for TLS1.2 as the default connectivity protocol
 * Update to the dom0 kernel
 * Updated Xen hypervisor
 * Security and patch updates for Oracle VM Manager components
 * Security and patch updates for Oracle VM Server for x86 packages
 * 3.4.4 - 25 August 2017
 * Unbreakable Enterprise Kernel Release 4 (UEK R4)
 * Server package updates
 * Security updates for Manager components and Server packages
 * Updated Xen hypervisor for improved throughput and IOPS performance
 * Support for Microsoft Windows Server 2016
 * Support for Skylake processors
 * 3.4.3 - 12 May 2017
 * The ability to run Microsoft Windows Server Failover Clustering (WSFC) with the Oracle VM Windows PV Driver 3.4.2
 * Enhanced RAID functionality, with support for software RAID devices
 * Manager performance and supportability enhancements
 * Simplified UEFI PXE boot process for Oracle VM Server for x86
 * Updated Unbreakable Enterprise Kernel Release 4 and updates to other server packages
 * Security updates for manager components and server packages
 * 3.4.2 - September 2016
 * Includes an updated DOM0 kernel based on the 4.1 mainline kernel via Oracle Unbreakable Enterprise Kernel (UEK) Release 4 update 2.
 * Adds NVME support, extended SCSI support in the guest OS, numerous performance improvements in the host and guest OS, Oracle VM manager performance and scalability improvements, and security improvements.
 * Extended SCSI functionality available for virtual machines
 * 3.4.1 - April, 2016
 * Support for Oracle VM Virtual Appliances
 * Automated installation of VNC and Serial Console software
 * Storage live migration
 * User interface enhancements for virtual disk allocation
 * Fiber Channel over Ethernet (FCoE) support
 * Booting from UEFI
 * Dom0 kernel upgraded
 * Increased supported limits
 * Improved performance

Resource limits
As of version 3.4.6, Oracle VM Server for x86 can take advantage of up to 384 CPUs (Tested) / 2048 CPUs (Designed), 6TB RAM per server and can host a maximum of 300 VM per server. VCPUs per VM: 256 (PVM) / 128 (HVM, PVHVM) VMs per server, 1 TB RAM

End of life
As of March 2021 premier support has ended, although extended support is available until March 31, 2024

https://blogs.oracle.com/virtualization/post/announcing-oracle-vm-3-extended-support