Unveiling Nutanix Community Edition 2.1: Yes, it’s here!!
By Allan Waters
We’re excited to announce the latest version of Nutanix Community Edition (CE) has been released! This release includes a huge number of new features that were delivered since the last version of CE, including releases from AOS 6.6, AOS 6.7, AOS 6.8 and now AOS 6.8.1 (maintenance release). CE 2.1 has a number of improvements including installer fixes, making deployments easier, and improving the user experience. This Community Edition update will provide thousands of users access to the latest set of capabilities in their home or work lab.
A Home or Work Lab Essential
For those maintaining home labs, Nutanix CE with AOS 6.8.1 is a game-changer. The combination of accelerated performance, enhanced ease of use, and expanded feature set makes it an ideal choice for experimenting with technologies like the Nutanix AHV hypervisor, for testing new workloads, or studying for certifications. Whether you’re a seasoned IT professional or an ambitious beginner, this latest CE release provides a robust platform to explore and innovate. If you haven’t tried Nutanix CE lately, now is the perfect time to give it another look. The advancements in the updated version 6.8.1 make it an even more compelling option for your lab needs. Oh, and.. it’s licensed free of charge!
Performance Enhancements
One of the most impactful features of updating to version 6.8.1 are its performance upgrades. Although Community Edition cannot be used for production purposes, users updating their home labs from the previous CE edition (AOS 6.5.x) will notice a substantial boost in the performance and speed of operations. Over the years, Nutanix has fine-tuned the underlying architecture to optimize resource utilization with features such as AES, Blockstore, and SPDK. All ensure that when testing demanding workloads including databases, all are handled with ease. This means consistent high performance, reduced latency, and an overall smoother user experience.
AHV Advances
Nutanix’s Acropolis Hypervisor (AHV) also sees significant improvements. AHV has always been celebrated for its simplicity and robust performance, and this release builds on this foundation with several critical updates. Enhanced VM placement algorithms, better integration with storage, and improved networking capabilities are just a few of the advancements that users can expect over the older version of CE. For users trying Nutanix CE 2.1 and AHV for the first time due to an interest in pursuing alternative hypervisors, these improvements make AHV an even more compelling choice. AHV offers an intuitive and easy way to manage virtual environments with optimized performance and reliability.
Try out Prism Central 2024 and v4 APIs
Managing a complex IT environment does not have to be overwhelming, and Nutanix continues to simplify this process with each new release. Community Edition 6.8.1 provides access to our single-pane-of-glass Prism Central management interface, which provides significant benefits to users. First, the latest Prism Central presents a great opportunity to build automation with the new v4 APIs. These v4 APIs now support multiple endpoints, clusters, products, and operations. They offer a comprehensive and consistent set of APIs for operating the Nutanix Cloud Platform solution based on open standards, enhancing usability and the developer experience. With this in mind, CE 6.8.1 is the perfect test solution for your new v4 API scripts and automation.
Another new feature that makes CE even easier to set up with limited resources is X-Small Prism Central. X-Small Prism Central is a single-node Prism Central VM that is intended for small-scale deployments with limited workload, ideal for CE deployments.
A Legacy of Community Support
Nutanix CE has a long history of empowering IT professionals, enthusiasts, and developers. Thousands of users rely on CE to build home labs, develop new solutions, integrate their company’s products with Nutanix Cloud Platform, and gain hands-on experience with enterprise-grade technology. This thriving user base underscores Nutanix’s commitment to fostering a vibrant and engaged community. The ongoing updates and improvements to CE demonstrate that Nutanix is dedicated to keeping this platform relevant and valuable for years to come.
Download Today!
The release of Nutanix Community Edition 2.1 provides significant advancements in performance, AHV capabilities, and management. This version is poised to enhance the experience for thousands of users around the globe. Whether you’re an existing user or new to Nutanix, now is the perfect time to explore the benefits of Nutanix with Community Edition.
Register and download here. Terms and conditions apply - read the applicable license terms before you download. After registering, you’ll receive an email with a link to the .NEXT community. You will also need to register there to access the files.
© 2024 Nutanix, Inc. All rights reserved. Nutanix, the Nutanix logo and all Nutanix product, feature and service names mentioned herein are registered trademarks or trademarks of Nutanix, Inc. in the United States and other countries. Other brand names mentioned herein are for identification purposes only and may be the trademarks of their respective holder(s). This post may contain express and implied forward-looking statements, which are not historical facts and are instead based on our current expectations, estimates and beliefs. The accuracy of such statements involves risks and uncertainties and depends upon future events, including those that may be beyond our control, and actual results may differ materially and adversely from those anticipated or implied by such statements. Any forward-looking statements included herein speak only as of the date hereof and, except as required by law, we assume no obligation to update or otherwise revise any of such forward-looking statements to reflect subsequent events or circumstances