What is Server Virtualization?
Server virtualization technology is has emerged in the last few years and had a huge impact on business
computing. It allows system administrators to streamline their server environments and add flexibility
and efficiency. The basic concept around virtualization is to separate the operating system (OS) from
the hardware by adding a layer of virtualization software between the two. This allows you to support
multiple OS on the same piece of hardware and better leverage your resources. In addition to allowing
for a more efficient use of hardware, the separation from the physical hardware makes the virtual
machines that you build on the virtualization layer hardware independent. This is a huge time saver for
sys admins, and can also make high availability more attainable than ever before.
Cost Savings
There are a lot of ways that you can save money with virtualization. The obvious are hardware costs,
warranties and hardware maintenance costs, and rack space in the data center. Less obvious cost
savings come on the back end from power consumption.
A server with a 750-watt power supply that runs 24/7 cost approximately $777 per year in electricity to
keep running. A basic example of the virtues of virtualization would be to look at an environment with
4 servers. If you can consolidate all of these physical servers into a single piece of hardware through
virtualization, you stand to save $2,331 per year. That’s a very small example, but as the numbers scale
up so do the savings. Add to that the cost savings on server warranties and maintenance costs and you’ll
find that virtualization usually pays for itself and then some. We recommend using this technology to all
of our customers.
If you have questions about whether virtualization is a fit for your business or how to get started, call
the pros at i.t.NOW.
