InfoWorld Takes You Under The Hood of Server Virtualization

Neil McAllister at InfoWorld wrote a great piece recently titled “Server Virtualization Under The Hood.”

Beyond offering insight purely on the benefits of server virtualization, McAllister takes the time to define and offer historical perspective on this burgeoning solution.

McCallister begins with an excellent definition that simplifies the idea of server virtualization, stating:

“Virtualization is a solution that basically fools an operating system (and any applications that run on top of it) into thinking the virtual machine is actual hardware. Running multiple virtual machines can fully exploit a physical server’s compute potential – and provide a rapid response to shifting datacenter demands.”

The benefit of virtualization is essentially this:  as a physical server will cost business capital to run, and only have so much computing power, it makes sense from both a financial and technical standpoint to minimize its inherent limitations and enable  virtual servers to shoulder the work.

As McAllister alerts us, the concept behind virtualization is not a new one.

Individual computers have been running multiple instances of operating systems simultaneously as far back as the 1970s.

What is new, however, is the feverish pitch surrounding virtualization as it has made its way into the general business lexicon as a cost-saving and efficiency enhancing solution.

For those seeking more detail on the different types of server virtualization available, McAllister defines the advantages of those most typically in play today:

• Full virtualization – allows nearly any operating system to be virtualized without modification
• Para virtualization – similar to full virtualization, but offering greatly improved response time for virtual servers
• OS-Level virtualization – an architecture that uses a single, standard  operating system across all virtual servers providing even greater speed

If you are considering implementing a server virtualization solution, more important than the different types of solution are the benefits your company will receive from the solution.

To get to the heart of the ultimate benefits of server virtualization, assess your IT solution needs by asking yourself questions like:

• Are you seeking primarily to reduce data center costs?
• What type of response time is necessary to ensure IT efficiency?
• What are your data capacity requirements?
• What is your timeline for implementation of a solution?

In the end, any IT solution, including server virtualization, should be looked at and discussed through the lens of its end-benefit to your business.

This is perhaps the most important idea to keep in mind when looking under the hood of any new solution.