Top considerations for virtualizing your business.
October 5th 2011 03:22
So you’re sold on the benefits of virtualization for your small business. Now what? Getting it right the first time means wading through many different options of what to virtualize, how to virtualize and when to virtualize. Here are considerations for answering the toughest virtualization questions.
So you’re sold on the benefits of virtualization for your small business. Now what?
Getting it right the first time means wading through many different options of what to virtualize, how to virtualize and when to virtualize. Here are considerations for answering the toughest virtualization questions.
Start with the server. There is server virtualization (both storage and application servers) and there is desktop virtualization.
Desktop virtualization runs multiple desktops from a single machine. All applications and programs are stored and run on this central machine, but the users can see and utilize their particular desktops from any device.
Server virtualization runs multiple server images from one physical server, creating a more efficient and more fully utilized server. Server virtualization is easier, most experts agree. Its payback is almost instant in terms of lower overall costs and higher server utilization and less management time. And the small business gets immediate gains in application availability, business continuity and data security, among others.
Consider hardware upgrades. If the server or servers you want to virtualize are approaching three years' old or more, it probably makes sense to virtualize with a new server. Today’s hardware has been optimized for virtualization from the processor chips on up. Retrofitting aging hardware for virtualization can end up costing more real dollars in support and maintenance alone. And the performance won’t be as good.
Choose your partner — carefully. This may be the single most important step for a small business with few, if any, internal IT resources. Look for a partner with a proven record of virtualization consulting, implementation and support services for your sized business. Ask for local references. Be sure the partner is virtualization platform-agnostic, so you can choose what works best for you. And get an iron clad cost estimate for deploying a virtualized server or servers up front, allowing for reasonable change orders that may ensue.
Be ‘platform savvy’. Two vendors — VMware® and Microsoft® — dominate the virtualization platform market. Both are excellent. But they are different from one another, and learning those differences is key to selecting the right one for your specific needs. VMware developed its solutions initially for mid-sized and large companies, while Microsoft got into the virtualization later, and focused more on mid-sized and small companies.
One good place to start a virtualization journey is at www.dell.com where you will find that coveted ‘single point of contact’ for all virtualization planning, deployment and support services tailored specifically to small businesses.
Compliments of Dell
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