Virtualization has gone beyond an experimental technical concept. It is currently a core component in desktop infrastructures and data centers.

In fact, virtual technologies have become an integral part of modern IT systems. But while virtualization is considered the key to smooth project management and execution, roadblocks are also part of the package. And while virtual technologies offer many benefits, the realization of these benefits is not taken for granted.

Here we look at virtualization and what IT professionals can do to get the most out of this technology.

Virtualization: From The Past To The Present

Virtualization was introduced to the tech industry in the 1960s to help organizations achieve greater usage, cost-effectiveness, and flexibility in computing environments.

IBM’s introduction of virtualization then focused on partitioning massive and expensive mainframe systems into separate virtual machines capable of running multiple processes or applications.

In the decades that followed, the mainframe model that virtualization brought about evolved into a client-server model where low-cost servers and desktops can run specific and independent applications.

Over the years, virtualization has proven to be an indispensable component in IT organizations looking to better manage multiple desktops and servers.

Benefits Of A Virtual Transition

In addition to its primary goal of virtual separation, virtualization covers various aspects of the server, network, and application management. Virtualization solutions help to combine different physical resources into one virtual resource, as in the case of network storage virtualization, which opens the way for more effective control and management of such resources.

The virtualization decision has clear benefits for IT organizations, and the biggest benefit of virtualization comes from cost savings. In most cases, IT companies use one application per server to avoid the risk of failure and its domino effect.

Server virtualization allows you to multitask a server with a different purpose while turning multiple servers into a single pool with increased workload flexibility.

Because virtualization essentially offers the necessary reduction in the number of physical servers, power consumption is reduced. Also, fewer servers will mean fewer manual tasks like server maintenance. 

The work of backing up, archiving, and restoring data, as well as deploying applications is also becoming easier and faster. As a result, organizations can shift their focus to other important aspects of their overall operations.

Since virtualization is considered a legitimate strategy to streamline desktop and server management, many virtualization vendors such as Microsoft, IBM, StarWind, RedHat, and Citrix, among many others, have left a mark on the industry by providing V2V migration services and more.

Virtualization Issues

Years after virtualization has become an essential component of IT businesses and organizations, the technology still faces several key challenges.

With virtualization, the technology industry is expected to offer stakeholders a competitive edge. At the same time, data center leaders are likely to be dealing with initial investments, managing tight budgets, and expecting limits on future capital expenditures. Strict adherence to IT standards and compliance with industry and government regulations cannot simply be ignored.

Application administrators, on the other hand, must be highly skilled when it comes to replicating the production environment, deploying software or patches, thoroughly testing the system, and transitioning from the application to the production environment. Since the procedure is, to put it mildly, complicated, automation tools and technical support will definitely come in handy.

For infrastructure administrators, the main challenge is to consolidate management’s vision of the virtual data center. Since seamless integration across multiple sites is not possible, administrators face the challenge of managing a flexible virtual data center. By choosing virtualization, IT infrastructure managers run the risk of being trapped in a confined space.

But despite the many hurdles associated with the virtualization suite, the technology continues to be a key component of data center scaling efforts. More than a decade ago, technology research and consultancy Gartner predicted that virtualization would improve average server performance by at least 7% and up to 50% through physical space and energy savings.

Virtualization Implementation: Best Practices

Commitment to best practices, which involves using methodologies and actions to achieve outstanding results, can ensure the effectiveness and efficiency of implementing virtualization technologies in the IT environment.

As in other environments, best practices in virtualization—when adapted effectively and efficiently to specific circumstances—can produce exceptional results. Needless to say, virtual systems and infrastructure require methods just as much as physical systems. Here is a brief overview of the main best practices.

Understanding the advantages and disadvantages of a virtualized environment

Virtualization plays a number of roles in IT organizations that need to be understood before making the decision to migrate physical servers to virtual systems or deploy virtualized servers.

Consider the role of each virtual system

When analyzing virtual system configurations, server and storage settings must be taken into account to prevent workload conflict or host overload.

Consider what components are needed for perfect scaling

IT organizations forget to consider the components needed to scale to virtualization, including networks, host hardware, storage, and hypervisor.

Backup of virtual machines and systems

Proper backup procedures ensure reliable results. It is also necessary to ensure that fast and reliable data recovery procedures are in place.

Don’t Neglect Security

Virtual systems are not invulnerable. Without realizing it, most organizations focus on efficient management and patching of their physical systems, often with blatant disregard for virtual servers. The truth is that virtualized systems require proper management, with particular attention to patching and protection against viruses and threats.

The precise definition of an organization’s security perimeter is also critical. While it is often difficult to enforce compliance, it is worth limiting the distribution of virtual machines and maintaining infrastructure security policies.

Conclusion

By understanding what constitutes an efficient virtual system or a reliable deployment of virtual applications, by adhering to standard industry policies, IT organizations can reduce the risk of maintaining undervalued virtual machines that do more harm than good.