How Virtualization can Enhance Your ROI Virtualization is a type of technology that allows a single computer to do the same job that would normally be required of multiple computers. It does this through sharing resources from one computer through a large number of environments.  Both virtual desktops as well as virtual servers will give you the ability to house more than one OS, and you can also host many applications locally and in locations which are remote. This frees you from the geographical and physical limitations that you would normally have to face. Another advantage of virtualization is the…

How Virtualization Works Virtualization is a type of process in which numerous virtual operating systems are handled at the same time on one computer. It is a technique of increasing and sharing the physical resources so that a piece of hardware can be pushed to its maximum limit. To understand the power of virtualization, it is first necessary to become familiar with Moore’s Law. This law has predicted that computer processing power would double every 18 months or so. The law also stated that the geometric growth in computer power and the necessary hardware requirements will not change a great deal,…

In 2003, Microsoft purchased Connectix Corporation, a company which specialized in the development of virtualization software both for the Mac OS and Windows operating systems. Since then, both Hewlett-Packard and Sun have announced that they too are working hard to enhance their virtualization technology. IBM has been a leader in virtual machines for quite some time, and virtualization has played an important role in many IBM projects. Over the last few years, there has been a noted increase in the amount of academic research that has been conducted on this subject. While more people have become familiar with virtualization technology…

Budgeting is the first step in successful implementation of  virtualization.  If you are working with an enterprise that is interested in virtualization, it is not be a bad idea to make sure you have the funds for numerous investments which are closely related to it. Properly implementing virtualization can bring a number of benefits to your organization, and some of these include reducing the outlays that occur with hardware and power, enhance the availability, and reduce the amount of disaster recovery. The case studies which have been conducted for virtualization show that virtualization is not only highly compelling, but it is…

When it comes to virtualization, there are security issues that needs careful consideration. A number of surveys have shown that only a small percentage of enterprises are making use of security in order to give protection for their virtual infrastructure. While many companies move a sizeable number of servers to their virtual infrastructure, they may also increase their attack surface risk at the same time. When it comes to virtualization, it is absolutely critical for companies to have a well thought out security strategy. Though security is critical for virtual infrastructure, many firms have failed to take it into consideration. It really does not matter what stage you are…

Preparing Your Organization for Virtualization Numerous security gaps may occur with virtualization, but by using the right tools an organization can overcome them.  As with management, the issue of security is something that those new to virtualization may fail to consider. Many organizations make the mistake of not paying attention to certain nuances that are connected to virtualization, and because of this, they often put themselves in positions where they are less secure than they should be. There are a number of security issues to consider for virtualization, and enterprises that do not address them are putting themselves at grave…

Virtualization implementation can be quite tough, and if you do not want to be responsible for it, you always have the option of hiring a vendor who specializes in virtualization for IT. At the same time, if you choose to go down this route, it is critical for you to make sure you work with a vendor who can walk you through all the steps, who will take the time to analyze your environment to look for opportunities which will allow you to lower costs and enhance your utilization at the same time. Before you can implement virtualization, it is…

Microsoft has reduced the amount of flexibility that customers have when it comes to choosing the right virtualization software. They have limited the number of people who can run the software, and they have also placed controls on how the software is run. Microsoft has taken the time to leverage the ownership it has in the market by persuading customers to make use of its virtualization products. One of the ways in which it does this is through virtualization licensing. In addition to this, they also make use of terms for distribution, especially when it comes to SQL Server and…

Virtualization has its share of difficulties.  When a company decreases the number of server farms it has, it is often possible to see the immediate benefits in terms of price. At the same time, there may be potential problems that lie beneath the surface. First off, it is still necessary for enterprises to handle the servers, and this will require you to make use of more workers and tools, and you will need to update your images whenever you are ready to add to the environment. Many enterprises choose virtualization precisely because it is capable of saving a great deal…

While virtualization gives you many advantages, it is not perfect. Many people who work in the IT field are aware of the fact that taking the time to virtualize IT will bring about a large number of benefits. It will save time and money, and there are many tools that can be purchased via numerous vendors. Despite this, as with the introduction of any new technology, there are challenges that needs to be faced and overcome. Some of the most basic challenges that IT departments may run into is realizing that they have no idea what is inside their data…

Security Challenges to Consider While virtualization can bring a lot of benefits to users, there are a number of security issues which should be consider. One of the most prominent of these is called "break out" attacks, a situation in which criminals will escape from a virtual machine designed for guests in order to launch attacks against the hypervisor, allowing them to gain control over the host. This is a looming threat, and a viable attack could occur at any time. When it comes to virtualization implementation, there is a great deal of uncertainty that many enterprises encounter. As with…

Virtualization Solution Types Virtualization solutions basically falls under three categories, and these categories are related to the architecture that is used for the virtualization of the server. The key differences between these architectures are directly connected to the relationship that exists among the hardware, and the layer for virtualization. Virtual Machine Monitor (VMM) is a virtualization software layer which offers the ability to generate numerous instances which are isolated but share identical hardware resources.  The Type-2 VMM architecture may be exemplified through the JVM, or Java Virtual Machines. The goal of virtualization is to generate the runtime environment inside, which the…

Virtualization is a very complex topic, and there are a number of terms and words which are commonly used when talking about it. By becoming familiar with these terms, you will be better able to understand virtualization technology and reap the maximum benefits offered by it. The first term that you will want to become familiar with is hypervisor. The hypervisor is the simplest component of virtualization. This is the software which is responsible for decoupling the OS, as well as the applications via the physical resources. The hypervisor comes with a kernel which is unique to it, and it…

Virtualization Market Impact Virtualization often comes in the form of portable software which operates on basic Intel/AMD servers, as well as Oracle and Sun. When the first VIF was released, it was a bit more than $1,000, and it included a virtual capacity feature which was automated. This was important because it allowed for the introduction of a SAN program which is capable of automating the process of virtual functionality, which basically means that it can thin the provisioning. The thin provisioning capabilities which are connected to the virtualization tool has allowed many companies to deploy virtual infrastructure tools which…

Virtual Infrastructure Key Benefits No matter how good an IT firm is, it will face challenges from time to time. A number of IT firms find that their servers and storage mechanisms are not being fully utilized, and this means that they must increase their level of performance. These IT firms must be capable of managing their energy as well as the price of their data centers, and they must be capable of offering innovation and scalability in order to provide support for their operations.  It is important for them to be able to reduce the complexity of IT, but…

Handling Virtual Environments via VMM 2008 When Microsoft first showcased the System Center Virtual Machine Manager, many people were impressed by its ability to scale down the interface when it came to handling any virtual infrastructure that was running MS Virtual Server. To deal with the introduction of Hyper-V, a newer version of the VMM, or Virtual Machine Manager, has been offered. The new Virtual Machine Manager is not only capable of handling the older versions of Microsoft Virtual Server, but it can also handle the Hyper-V installations as well, and it offers support for the infrastructure of the VMware….

Scalability Features When a virtualization platform behaves more like a server which is physical, it will become a lot easier for numerous enterprises to utilize and depend on workloads which are virtual. There are four important areas for which virtualization features can be viewed, but most contemporary virtualization tools are similar to each other in terms of the features and the functions they have. Factors such as TCO, or total cost ownership, will be used as a type of differentiator. The solutions for management will also see more investments which will bring technology closer to an IT environment which is…