Virtualisation brings the promise of cost reductions
though IT consolidation and the efficient use of resources. In
fact, the technology is so transformational, according to analyst
firm Gartner,that it will be the highest impact, trend-changing
infrastructure and operations technology right up until
2012.
Storage and
networking virtualisation are now mature technologies, and
server and PC virtualisation are becoming more pervasive, noted
Philip Dawson, vice-president and distinguished analyst at
Gartner.
However, experts have warned that before embarking on a
virtualisation pilot, it is worth being aware that the new
technology may involve unexpected costs, as well as licensing and
management considerations. Organisations may also need to upgrade
network and server resources to get the best out of a virtualised
infrastructure.
Virtualisation and automation vendor
Parallels warned
prospective virtualisation users that they needed to consider the
costs of virtualisation very carefully, as well as the timeframe in
which they expect a return on investment.
"The current economic environment is putting additional pressure
on realising savings on the total cost of ownership of
virtualisation, and the speed at which these benefits can be
reaped," said Serguei Beloussov, chief executive at Parallels.
He added that the right mix of servers, power, cooling, system
administration and other IT factors, is crucial to the efficiency
of the virtualised infrastructure. "Check the real-life density for
your virtualisation solution, as it translates directly into cost
savings," said Beloussov.
Virtualisation can also bring licensing issues, and
vendors, analysts and users alike have complained about the
complexity of different software licensing models - even from the
same vendor.
For example, when it comes to licensing Microsoft Windows on a
virtualised infrastructure, there are many considerations, said
Mark Wilson, senior
customer solution architect at Fujitsu Service.
He noted that Windows Server 2008 standard edition and later
includes the right to run one virtualised operating system
environment (OSE). Windows Server 2003 R2 enterprise edition and
later includes the right to run four virtualised OSEs, as does
Windows Vista enterprise edition.
Licensed processors
However, Windows Server 2003 R2 datacenter edition and later,
and Windows Server 2008 for Itanium-based systems include the right
to run an unlimited number of virtualised OSEs, provided that all
physical processors are licensed and the user has the right number
of client access licenses.
Applications running in the virtual environment are generally
licensed as they would be in a physical environment, and
per-processor licensing, for virtualised applications, relates to
virtual CPUs. However, not all vendors license their virtual
applications the same way.
As well as the cost and licensing issues, virtualisation can
bring management problems.
Tom Brand, consultant at Morse, explained, "Too many
organisations still haven't grasped that the management strategies
and tools involved are far more complex than with traditional
physical environments."
He said that 62% of UK businesses are unaware of how many
virtual machines are on their networks. Brand added that
organisations need to implement strategies from the top down,
providing clear ownership of the virtual environment and controls
over creating, managing and retiring virtual machines.
Any pilot scheme must be used to ensure these strategies are
correctly implemented, and to understand the dynamic relationships
between virtual and physical machines, said Brand.
Colin Fisher, regional director at VMWare specialist
Veeam, agreed that "the main
barrier to successful virtualisation" is management.
"The tools, skills and strategies that have worked so well in
physical environments are unfortunately quite unsuitable for
virtualised ones," he said.
Right tools for the job
Fisher said that, before embarking on a virtualisation project,
organisations need to examine how they will manage the new
environment, and ensure that they have the right tools for the job.
"Without these, businesses will quickly find themselves watching
over an ungovernable sprawl."
Despite the obstacles, many organisations are reaping the
rewards of a virtualised IT infrastructure.
One of the top attractions of virtualisation is the 'green'
angle.
"A business opting for virtualisation will experience
significant cost and CO2 savings," said Chris Shaw, managing
consultant at NCC Group.
"If the number of servers is cut from 30 to three, the
associated electricity bill could drop from almost £11,000 to just
over £1,000. CO2 emissions could drop from 64.71 to 6.47 metric
tons, the equivalent of taking nearly 10 cars off the road every
year," said Shaw.