Sunday, September 5, 2010

You are here: Home / Services / Technical / Virtualisation

Virtualisation


chart_server_virtualization

Click for a larger image

What is Virtualisation and why would I need it?

Server virtualisation allows you to use a single powerful server computer and use it to run many separate server operating systems. (See the diagram left which shows a graphical representation of a virtulised server). These servers are independent standalone servers and can run different operating systems meaning you can run both Windows and Linux on a single virtualised server.

One scenario where this is very useful is when you have legacy systems that you must keep running as you can move these onto a virtualised server saving you expensive hardware upgrades and maintenance contracts for legacy systems hardware.

Benefits of virtualisation

  • Reduced power consumption – with fewer physical servers running you will save on electricity.
  • Space – office space can be at a premium and if you have several servers running in your office they can take up a lot of space and generate heat and noise.
  • Save money on maintenance contracts – if you have fewer servers you will pay less on server support and maintenance.

There are some caveats that must be considered when you decide to Virtualise your server infrastructure.

  • If you have a very demanding application it may run slower in a virtualised configuration. This is down to the very nature of the server being shared between multiple virtual machines.
  • Your server hosting the Virtual Servers now can become a single point of failure so buying a server with redundancy is crucial.
  • You will need to spend more money on your server equipment such as memory, disks and processors as this machine will be working harder for you. The benefit in the future is that if you need to deploy another server system you have already made the investment.

How we can help

Mulreany Consulting can work with you on virtualisation projects and provide support on virtualised servers. Call 045-394580 or email info@mulreany.ie for virtualisation advice.