Beginning a Server Virtualization Project

In Part 1 of this series we discussed the four types of virtualization—application, desktop, server and storage virtualization. In this article we plan to focus specifically on server virtualization. While this article will look at virtualization in a general sense, we will link VMware’s terminology for virtual environments, since they are perhaps the most well-known of the virtualization platforms available, to some of the generic terms for those components.

Server virtualization is perhaps the best place to start when beginning a virtualization project. There are many reasons for this but one of the most important would be that it is a bit easier, and less costly than the other forms of virtualization. It is easier because IT can maintain complete control over the aspects of the changeover without disrupting end users.  Server Virtualization is less costly because you are consolidating hardware. Less hardware not only reduces physical overhead but also reduces the time that will be spent maintaining and upgrading the physical devices. It typically will mean that you simply repurpose the servers you have to handle the load or work of multiple servers. [...]

Understanding Virtualization

We can’t assume that everyone knows and understands what virtualization is—we should perhaps assume the opposite.

Even though virtualization seems to be a ubiquitous technology, understanding what it does and how to manage it is still out of reach of many IT and Engineering managers.

Virtualization is essentially taking traditional hardware like servers and reducing the number of physical machines by converting most of them to virtual machines located within fewer of these physical devices. For example you could take 30 physical servers and reduce them to 5 physical servers that each have 6 virtual servers running inside them. [...]