PC and server virtualisation software can potentially
shake up the entire IT world. Virtualisation technology allows a
single system to run multiple incompatible operating systems - and
their applications, meaning that long-standing barriers to
flexibility and compatibility can be broken down whilst
dramatically improving hardware utilisation rates. Virtualisation
software is something that every IT manager should be
considering.
All IT managers should also appreciate the necessity for
companies to run multiple operating systems without the financial
constraints that purchasing new hardware and software can bring.
These ten tips, supplied by IT Infrastructure services and
solutions company, C&C Technology are intended to help
organisations transition to new software without huge time and
financial implications.
1. Understand your infrastructure. Before making any decisions
concerning virtualisation it is important to understand your
current infrastructure; this would include numbers and types of
servers, operating systems, CPU and memory utilisation, application
names and versions. Without a thorough understanding of these
components it would be difficult to understand how virtualisation
technologies could best be used within your organisation.
2. Not everything should be virtualised. Although
virtualisation brings many benefits and may be used in a variety of
environments, it is not necessarily the answer to everything.
Operating system virtualisation will provide most benefit when
replacing a physical server which is being under–utilised. For
example, a typical server running Active Directory may only use a
small percentage of its processing power and is therefore ideal for
virtualisation.
3. Understand your administration model. Virtualisation brings
with it a new style of administration that may impact the existing
processes in place within your organisation. For example, where
there is a Server Team responsible for the provisioning of new
servers they may have to adapt the administration model in order to
have the ability to create servers in the new virtual
environment.
4. Understand what applications you have. Before virtualising
any applications it is best practise to understand exactly what
applications are included in the estate, what versions they are
currently using and how they work. Having a full understanding of
your application estate enables you to make the best decisions when
considering virtualising those applications.
5. Capacity Planning. Make sure you fully understand the
infrastructure that will be used to virtualise your environment.
You need to understand all components required to virtualise the
proposed services, especially the specification and capacity of the
chosen systems. If this is not done correctly then the solution
may not provide the expected performance and service levels
6. Know the technologies. There are a number of virtualisation
opportunities (including server, operating system, storage and
application) and many vendors offering products and solutions.
Having a clear understanding of what vendors are offering, and how
their products and solutions compare, will enable you to choose the
best solution for your environment. For example, in the
application virtualisation space both Citrix and Softricity offer
solutions, although they do this in different ways, using different
methods.
7. Make the best use of virtualisation ‘tools’. Virtualisation
is a complex and technical subject. Taking an environment from the
physical to virtual can be a tricky task if administrators do not
fully understand how to best design and implement virtualisation
technologies. However, there are a number of tools available that
will help with the implementation and migration from physical to
virtual environments which will save time and money (with many of
them offering ‘drag & drop’ style management interfaces).
8. Use the vendor and consulting community to help you
understand the various virtualisation technologies available in the
marketplace today. The solutions available are wide and can appear
at first glance complex. Use the experts to enable you to
confidently make informed decisions.
9. Before implementing and virtualisation technologies it is
important to understand the cost benefits that it brings with it.
For example if the required hardware specification to support the
infrastructure being virtualised costs more than the virtualisation
hardware itself why would you go ahead with the exercise unless you
had a clear idea how long the payback period would be. The tip is
to complete a simple return on investment analysis prior to
submitting the business case for funding.
10. Although virtualisation brings many benefits make sure you
fully understand that virtualising some applications can be a
complex affair. So make sure you prepare fully and use expert
advice to understand how to make maximum use of the virtualising
technologies.
To receive further information on virtualisation visit
www.cctechnology.co.uk