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What is virtualisation?

Virtualization first came on the scene in the sixties with the coining of the term “time sharing.” Around that same time, IBM Watson Research Center started a project called the M44/44X Project. The work involved testing this “time sharing” concept where virtual machines (44X) were created to image the main machine, the IBM 7044 (M44). Soon after came the virtual machine monitor (VMM) giving the ability to create multiple virtual machines, each instance capable of running its own operating system.

Now, over four decades later, we are extrapolating on the fundamental technologies of virtualization, creating new, more efficient ways to manage resources and deliver services.

Virtualization is the next big step in the evolution of selling computers to business. It’s easy to see why. Some estimates say servers typically operate between 15% and 25% of CPU capacity. With virtualization, that could be improved dramatically, up to 80%.

It doesn’t take an accountant to understand the cost savings in the process, whether getting the most from your hardware or reducing expenses in storage, space, hardware and utilities; not to mention simplified administration and increased reliability across consolidated servers and multiple operating systems.

How does this work for small business when the network isn’t really that big?

“Virtualization enables one server or computer to act as many,” said Dan Chu, vice president of emerging products and markets at VMware. “Instead of keeping your important programs on separate servers so that if one application or server fails, the other applications aren’t affected, virtualization software lets you run many applications on the same server.”

In such a scenario, you actually have one server sitting on the floor, but it acts as though it were several servers. Virtualization software enables that server to be split up into different partitions.

For example, one server could act as, say, three virtual servers with each virtual server running an application (i.e., file server, Web server and e-mail server). Each virtual server acts completely independently from one another so that if one crashes, the others are not affected. The net result is that you have to buy only one server and pay for its power consumption. You get the benefit of three servers for the cost of one.

“The way that I explain it to people is that virtualization is a way to make an environment portable,” said Nickolett.

This means that software can be easily relocated to a larger or smaller machine or even moved from one operating system to another. This is accomplished by splitting one physical server into numerous virtual servers or virtual machines (VM). Each VM hosts a specific application or set of software. As everything is virtual, it is easy to move the VMs around and make changes in the IT environment.

Some small businesses embark upon the virtualization journey as a way to simplify disaster recovery. Typically, they just went through their first disaster and experienced a nightmare trying to recover their systems: finding the right back up tapes, hooking them up to new hardware, and finding all sorts problems – like not having a record of their software licenses and not being able to find the original CDs for their operating systems and programs.

They have to go through the laborious task of re-installing and re-configuring everything and making it work on the new hardware and then figuring out how to get the data from the tapes back into the systems. This process can take many days if you’re not familiar with it.
Virtualization, on the other hand, makes it relatively easy to capture everything onto a single system image, which makes recovery a snap. “A virtual image makes recovery or failover faster, easier and more foolproof,” said Nickolett. “Like anything, it requires planning and testing, but it can be an attractive alternative for some businesses.”

So, what about the small print? What can go wrong?

The most important element to note is that while virtualisation allows a single server to act as many servers, the virtual servers all think they are servers in their own right – including the licences. This is a legal issue rather than a technical one. When Microsoft Server is taken off a server, and placed onto a Virtual Machine, it requires a new licence. You don’t get a refund for the old licence. So, updating a network by removing 3 servers, would still cost 3 new licences!

This isn’t so bad for the bigger organisations that have volume licences – but that isn’t available to SME’s.

What’s the answer? Bite the bullet? Pay Microsoft or consider using a different OS. Linux works well in this situation, and it doesn’t require the office PC’s to change or staff to know any different – but it saves you the cost of a useless piece of paper – although it is a legal requirement!!

For more infomration on Virtualization, talk to us on 01352 70 32 24

Originally posted 2009-07-10 15:12:37.