Virtualization
Virtualization is very much in fashion but that is not surprising because it offers a number of clear benefits such as the green agenda, bottom line cost savings, simplifying IT infrastructure management and disaster recovery.
In practical terms it allows your business to:
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Run fewer servers at higher utilization
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Save energy costs on server running and cooling
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Reduce carbon footprint
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Set up more robust and faster disaster recovery systems
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Quicker failover response
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Restructure server infrastructure
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Reduce time spent loading software and software patches
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Faster deployment of new servers
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Reduce maintenance costs as server volumes are optimized
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Reduce staff costs through elimination of the need for out of hours maintenance
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Release expensive office space
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Server Virtualization
This dramatically reduces the number of physical servers you run by enabling you to run multiple virtual servers on a single or reduced number of physical servers. Each virtual server has its own operating system so it can run applications as before and users have access to the network in the normal way. Multiple virtual servers are managed using a single management layer or hypervisor. In addition if a machine does go down then the disaster recovery options are more simple as virtual severs enable rapid fail-over.
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Storage Virtualization
The storage capacity is removed from the individual user or server and is shared. The allocation can therefore be adjusted as actual demand changes so resources are used most effectively. Capacity planning, backup and restore and peak time balancing can be done far more easily.
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Application Virtualization
This reduces the number of physical servers and desktop pcs as multiple applications can be run a single server within a server farm. Applications share operating system, memory and processing power with workloads balanced to maximize performance.
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Desktop Virtualization
Consolidates desktop PCs to a centralized server farm allowing every user to have their own virtual PC which is a low cost ‘thin client’ or terminal. Thus saving on expensive fully loaded desktops and ensuring easier software updating and control.