Cloud and Virtualization Standardization Efforts

Standardization is important to ensure interoperability between virtualization mangement vendors, the virtual machines produced by each one of them, and cloud computing. Here, we will have look at the prevalent standards that make cloud computing and virtualization possible. In the past few years, virtualization standardization efforts led by the Distributed Management Task Force (DMTF) have produced standards for almost all the aspects of virtualization technology. DMTF initiated the VMAN (Virtualization Management Initiative), which delivers broadly supported interoperability and portability standards for managing the virtual computing lifecycle. VMAN’s OVF (Open Virtualization Format) in a collaboration between industry key players: Dell, HP, IBM, Microsoft, XenSource, and Vmware. OVF specification provides a common format to package and securely distribute virtual appliances across multiple virtualization platforms. VMAN profiles define a consistent way of managing a heterogeneous virtualized environment.

Source of Information : cloud computing for dummies 2010