In the traditional approach, every new software application required a new physical server (or an upgrade). This added cost to every project and deployment took days to weeks. This also drove server sprawl.
Application workloads were directly dependent on server reliability for uptime. Even planned hardware maintenance and software updates negatively impacted productivity.
IT managers were challenged to meet increasing organizational demands on limited budget and time while…
This can be where confusions creep in so it is important to remember the fundamental concept of virtualization (and again I refer to the article, The Fundamental Concept of Virtualization, on this website): It represents an abstraction from physical resources. All uses of virtualization are centered around this concept.
There are three major types of virtualization…
With a management consulting background, I have seen so many fads sweep through business communities both here in the US and abroad that I can be as skeptical as the next person when it comes to the latest and greatest thing grabbing so much attention. I approached virtualization with a squinted eye, did a lot of homework, and came to the conclusion that, although virtualization is not right for everyone, it has substantial merit and is far beyond being the latest gimmick. This particular technological breakthrough has received global endorsements from the true movers and shakers in the IT world who certainly do not agree on everything – HP, Microsoft, IBM, Dell, EMC, not to mention major analyst firms. What are the factors that are driving virtualization to the forefront?
Since virtualization is at the forefront of technological advances and because every mover and shaker in the industry (IBM, Microsoft, Dell, etc. plus industry analysts) have solidly endorsed it, you should have some fundamental concept of what this is all about. It is the future of computing coming right at you.
So here goes…