Read this interesting post/article on InfoWorld last night about virtualization and it’s role in the enterprise, and if it would be an advantage to your company.
Though perhaps overhyped in some circles as a cure-all, virtualization is worth exploring to free up datacenter space, reduce costs, and maybe even keep your company up and running
Virtualization has been hailed by many as the cure to all our woes. Wouldn’t that be nice? Alas, it has its limitations — though it may do a whole lot more than you imagined it could.Before we can really center on the benefits, we need to resolve some of the misconceptions. For example, perhaps you think of server virtualization as a great way to create savings by reducing the amount of hardware you need.
[ For the latest virtualization news and views, please check out David Marshall’s Virtualization Report. ]
Now, before you nod your head in agreement, keep in mind that that last statement may not be accurate. Imagine reducing 10 servers down to one. You might think that this results in obvious savings. But placing 10 virtualized systems onto one machine comes with a hefty price tag all its own. To calculate true ROI (return on investment), you have to first consider the cost for that solitary server, which has to be maxed out with processor/RAM/disk features. It should have a solid set of storage virtualization (mirrored drives, RAID, and so forth) and, in true business continuity form, should be replicated with data protection and disaster recovery in mind.