How can you determine whether server virtualization is suitable for you?

Server Virtualization has been around for about ten years in the Windows computing field. During this period, many small companies are actively using this technology to fully explore the value of servers while at the same time improving storage efficiency. In some cases, the benefits of server virtualization for small company owners are obvious. However, for other small and medium-sized enterprises, virtualization technology may not be recommended. According to a recent survey by CDW, 25% of small companies are currently using server virtualization. Companies that use server virtualization technology Virtualize an average of 33% of servers. 73% of companies that are not yet on the road to virtualization said they are investigating or planning to implement this technology.

But is server virtualization the right technology to be deployed?

1. When server virtualization technology is not used

Some small company employees do not have a fixed IT staff, or even if they have IT staff, they also have to deal with many daily tasks, such as ensuring security, managing desktop systems, and maintaining servers. Such people often cannot cope with the technical complexity brought about by virtualization.

Therefore, if you do not have enough IT resources for small companies and do not want to send them internally, or do not have to outsource the budget, IT is best not to use virtualization. It brings about more difficult problems than answering difficult questions.

Bill Roth, vice president of marketing at Nexenta, said: "Most SMEs with fewer than 100 employees do not even consider virtualization because they do not have the right technical resources. Some core problems (such as having a unified email system) often occupy the IT time of small companies ."

2. If IT is part of the company's core competitiveness, IT will adopt virtualization.

However, for many small companies, technology is a core competitiveness. They are at the forefront of technology and bring value to their respective fields. They usually have a large number of servers and require redundant storage systems. There are many skilled IT senior staff in the workforce. In such a company, virtualization is bound to add value.

Roth said: "If you have the corresponding technical skills, it is the best choice to use virtualization for core infrastructure. Virtualization is widely used in these companies to cut down capital expenditures related to technology development ."

3. Is the server busy or not busy?

Greg Schulz, an analyst at StorageIO Group, a market research company, said that if you have several servers occupying the ground, Rack, or cabinet space, they are not very busy and used to run certain applications, they may be suitable for virtualization technology. If a small company's servers have the following features, it is suitable for virtualization technology:

• They occupy space on the ground, Rack, or Cabinet

• They are specifically used to run certain applications

• They are not very busy

If your server equipment is aging and virtualization is upgraded to a newer modern server, it is expected to greatly integrate the server. For example, it can greatly reduce the number of servers and reduce power and cooling costs, it can also free up a lot of ground space.

Schulz said: "server virtualization can reduce the number of physical servers required ."

4. sensitive applications

It is worth mentioning that not all applications can run smoothly in a virtual environment. Some key or sensitive applications require a large amount of processor or memory resources, and you do not want them to share these resources with other virtual servers. An example is an independent server dedicated to ensuring security.

Schulz said: "I often hear that applications like databases or other performance-oriented applications cannot perform virtualization ."

First, you need to understand the performance requirements of your application, and then perform virtualization. In addition, you must test it in advance in any case.

5. shared storage, yes; virtual storage, maybe not

At present, there is a lot of hype in the field of storage virtualization. However, not all small companies have to have storage virtualization. However, for some small companies, it is important for users to share centralized storage resources. This may mean a storage server or other types of storage systems accessed through the network. But it does not have to be a virtual storage.

Schulz said: "Some people will tell you that virtual servers must be equipped with virtual storage resources. Such arguments generally come from vendors or their own businesses that are closely related to virtual storage ."

Schulz added: "I will focus more on finding storage solutions that meet your main goals, covering performance, availability, data protection, capacity, energy and costs, and other necessary functional features, and within the budget."

6. deployment Speed

Some companies need to be able to quickly configure servers. In some cases, rapid configuration is a significant competitive disadvantage. If this is the case for your company, virtualization is essential. It takes several days to apply for a physical server, connect to the server on the ground, and install the application. However, once the virtual framework is put in place, this process can be completed immediately.

Chris Giroux, A virtualization technology expert at CDW, said: "In a virtualized environment, you can dynamically allocate resources as needed, so that you can configure a server in just a few minutes ."

7. Test Run on server virtualization

It is wise to try Virtualization in a small scope before making a major decision to fully adopt virtualization. Roth recommends buying a cheap tool like VMware Workstation (for about $199) is a good way for IT staff to understand virtualization. This also laid a good foundation for simple virtualization infrastructure.

Roth said: "VMware Workstation is a simple way to try virtualization and see value early. It can be used for free for 30 days, and it can immediately reflect the value ."

8. self-study of virtualization knowledge

Do not be afraid to fill in virtualization knowledge before implementation. "Virtual dummies" (http://www.dummies.com/how-to/content/virtualization-for-dummies-cheat-sheet.html) is a good start. It roughly introduces virtualization and its functions. After learning this knowledge, you can decide whether or not to be bold.

9. Don't listen to the hype about server virtualization.

One of the worst reasons for deploying virtualization is probably because you are completely involved in this hype and virtualization is purely for virtualization. Such a scene appeared in 1990s, when most small companies felt it was necessary to access the Internet. Subsequently, many companies invested heavily in website construction, which has limited value. As early as that time, some companies actually needed to access the Internet, but many companies could have waited a year or two before accessing the Internet.

Nowadays, the hype in virtualization is very high, and some companies can easily join in it without thinking about it. Never do this!

Schulz said: "One obvious sign that you don't need virtualization is that you simply deploy it to use a new method, technology, or tool. Take a step back and ask if you really need to virtualize the server. To this end, we need to evaluate the loss, benefits, and risks of not performing virtualization ."

10. seek help from a reliable vendor

Although server virtualization may be complex, the good news is that vendors are greatly simplifying the difficulty of deploying virtualized servers. The solution suite includes servers, storage systems, and pre-installed servers so that everything is complete and ready for use.

Schulz said: "These solutions are suitable for small companies and help you quickly and easily purchase, install, and support your services. In particular, you do not have a full-time technical employee in charge of the technology, or if you are more concerned with running and supporting business, rather than focusing on scientific research projects."

For example, CDW provides a free server virtualization ready-for-use self-evaluation tool (http://newsroom.cdw.com/sbservervirtualization/SmallBizSATool_111111.pdf) for small companies, you can see how well the company has prepared for virtualization.