Migrating systems to a virtualized environment can deliver significant efficiency gains and cost savings, but it has to be planned carefully. Martin Courtney explains how IT leaders can improve the odds of success
Server virtualization, which allows multiple virtual machines to run separately on a single physical computer system, has become a priority for many IT departments, thanks to the multitude of benefits it delivers. But IT manager considering deploying the technology need to be aware of how different priorities can affect their implementation plans.
A key question to ask is what are the primary goals of your virtualization project? Consolidation is the most common driver for adopting server virtualization. Other goals reduced hardware maintenance costs, or more in the “Green IT” area such as reduced energy consumption or a company’s carbon footprint.
Most experts agree the best virtualization strategy is to take a phased approach, and understand the requirements of the applications that will run on the virtual machines (VMs). Some applications will require little change in a virtualized environment. Key things to consider are the databases connected to them, the infrastructure that supports them, and how they interact with the network and storage resources.
The good news is some firms do not necessarily have to install new servers to handle virtualization. A lot depends on what they have already and how it fits alongside the virtualization software licensing requirements, etc. For some great expert advice from IT managers who have dealt with server virtulaization check out - Hot Tips for Virtualization - Computing.co.uk
Posted under Green IT, Server Virtualization, Storage Virtualization, Virtualization Strategies
This post was written by admin on October 10, 2008
