The
Time is NOW for Virtualization
By Blake Britton - VP, Axxys Technologies
As we continue to look
forward at the IT landscape nothing is growing faster than virtualization.
The last 4 out of 5 projects completed by us have all involved creating a
virtual strategy for our clients. I know this number does not appear to be
"staggering" or "earth shattering" but it is a rapidly growing trend in
business. Here are a few reasons we are encouraging our clients to move to
a virtual server environment for their infrastructures:
Maximize
Resources
Can you
imagine hiring someone with the intent of using 10% - 20% of their
potential? This is what seems to happen when a client purchases a new
server for their business. Server hardware is incredibly powerful with
Quad Core processors and the low cost of memory these days; however, it is
challenging to utilize the resources to their full potential because of
operating system and software limitations. By implementing virtual
software such as VMware ESXi (FREE) you are able to create multiple
servers each with their allotted piece of the processor and memory "pie".
This will allow you to create multiple environments where hardware
resources are fully utilized per server for each role. I know you think
this may be creating too many servers but this is simply needed in a lot
of environments so applications and processes can be run at their full
potential.
Faster Server
Provisioning
When
you build a virtual server environment you have the ability to build your
servers to be flexible. Flexibility allows you to access and run a virtual
server at any time to take over operations of a downed server should the
need arise. For example, if your file/print server goes down and you have
it backed up, under the right circumstances, you can migrate from the
backup or rebuild your file/print server to a virtual server using the
tools provided from VMware. This eliminates the need to wait on new
hardware and provides you the ability to immediately work on the solution
for the downed server.
Reduce Your Server and
Carbon Footprints
By
using virtualization technology you can still have the right amount of
servers needed to operate your business efficiently. If you are moving to
a datacenter environment, having less servers means you need less "real
estate" to house those servers. It also provides you with the ability to
lower your power and cooling requirements since you are running less
physical equipment. This allows all businesses to think and act "green'
without compromising your business productivity while saving money on
location housing and electricity.
There are many other
reasons to begin building your virtualization strategy, but the keyword
here is STRATEGY. You are moving to a new model when thinking of
technology so it is important to plan this migration out so your business
can achieve the greatest value possible. Consult with us on your strategy.
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