Linux KVM vs. HandelSpielVM Virtualization

At the request of many Phoronix readers, here are some new Linux virtualization benchmarks. Being compared is the performance of KVM (the Kernel-based Virtual Machine) to that of HandelSpielVM on the Linux 3.0 kernel with a stock Ubuntu 11.10 for both the host and guest.

First, what is HandelSpielVM? Well, it is the Phoronix codename for a virtualization solution. If you are creative, you can figure out what it is, but for certain (legal) reasons I cannot talk about it. (It's a situation just like when benchmarking Augustiner-Schweinshaxe.)

An Intel Sandy Bridge notebook and Intel Core i7 "Lynnfield" desktop were used for testing Linux KVM and HandelSpielVM 4.0 in the stock Ubuntu 11.10 configurations. KVM and HandelSpielVM on each system were limited to the same number of CPU cores and amount of available system memory. The results are on the following pages for those interested, but of course if evaluating virtualization solutions for production purposes, it's recommended to run your own set of tests that are relevant to your needs. This can be done easily and in a fully automated manner using the Phoronix Test Suite and OpenBenchmarking.org. There's also other factors besides the raw performance that one should consider when evaluating the different Linux virtualization options.