Virtualization Simplified
Virtualization was invented thirty years ago to virtualization expensive and large main-frames.
As hardware prices went down. Gradually virtualization was forgotten as hardware prices gradually reduced.
More recently virtualization at levels (Hardware, Switching and Storage) became important to improve security,
realiability, availability, reduce cost and provide flexibility.
Virtualization brings several advantages to the design of modern computer systems including better security,
higher reliability and availability, reduced costs, better adaptability to workload variations, easier migration of virtual
machines among physical machines, and easy coexistence of legacy applications. Many vendors including Sun,
IBM, and Intel have already announced virtualization solutions.
Data Centers are the main culprits of consuming huge energy and emitting huge amount of CO2, which is very
hazardous for global warming. Virtualization technology provides the solution but it has many overheads, like single
point of failure, total cost of ownership, energy and efficiency calculations and return of investment. The other problem faced
by IT managers related with the proper implementation of Virtualization technology in data centers to cop up with the
above defined problems.
TechnoPlanet Enterprise comes up with a five step model to properly implement virtualization. It starts by categorizing servers and their
associated applications and resources into different resource pools. It is important to consider that virtualization not only needs to characterize the workloads that are planned to be
virtualized, but also target the environments into which the workloads are to be applied. It is important to determine the type of servers, their current status whether idle or busy, how
much it will cost to implement server virtualization, the type of technology needed to achieve the service levels required and finally meet the security/privacy objectives. It is also
important for the data center to check whether it has the necessary infrastructure to handle the increased power and cooling densities arise due to the implementation of
virtualization. It is also important to consider the failure of single consolidated server, because it is handling the workload of multiple applications. It poses many challenges to the data
center physical infrastructure like dynamic high density, under-loading of power/cooling systems, and the need for realtime rack-level management. These challenges can be met by
row-based cooling, scalable power and predictive management tools. These solutions are based on design principles that simultaneously resolve functional challenges and increase
efficiency. This model can be followed by IT managers to properly implement virtualization in their data centers to achieve efficiency and reduce carbon footprints.
TechnoPlanet Enterprise design's virtualization using below points
- Why we need it?
- How it can improve our businesses?
- Types of virtualization technologies exist?
- What is cost/benefit ratio of virtualization?
- What new challenges it will bring to business firms?
- Structure of virtualization solution being implemented?
- Which applications or services are good virtualization candidates?
- Server platforms best suited to support virtualization?