Virtualization: The Key to an Efficient Data Center

By Paul Brennan
Communications News
01/29/08 4:00 AM PT

Virtualization also enables an organization to get the most from its servers, as there is no longer a limit to running just one operating system on a single server. Virtualization technologies can consolidate multiple platforms running different operating systems and heterogeneous applications on a single platform. This reduces the number of systems that need to be managed for the same tasks and operations.

Server visualization is transforming how organizations design and deploy services within data centers. While server virtualization can reduce hardware and operational costs, the agility of a virtualized infrastructure unlocks new ways to deploy, manage and monitor networked and Internet services.

Virtualization enables increased utilization of the data center by consolidating multiple environments onto a single server, allowing businesses to maximize existing resources. With fewer systems required for the same tasks, virtualization simplifies the IT infrastructure, easing the management of resources and facilitating the response to varying business demands on the IT infrastructure. This ultimately means bottom-line savings.
Less Hardware

For example, if an organization with 60 distributed physical servers implements virtualization, it can streamline its infrastructure to only two multiprocessor servers running 10 virtual servers. This can, in turn, reduce server asset requirements and administrative support by up to 40 percent.

In addition, horizontal scaling means the virtual environment has no upper limit, making it more scalable than an infrastructure composed of multiple physical servers.

Hand-in-hand with the growth of virtualization has been the rise of virtual appliances. These are pre-installed and preconfigured software packages that operate in virtual environments and provide the same functionality and ease of use as hardware appliances. The benefit of using virtual appliances is that there is no need to wait for new feature upgrades from manufacturers. Instead, they can be downloaded as soon as they are available.

Virtualization also enables an organization to get the most from its servers, as there is no longer a limit to running just one operating system on a single server. Virtualization technologies can consolidate multiple platforms running different operating systems and heterogeneous applications on a single platform. This reduces the number of systems that need to be managed for the same tasks and operations, which can help to cut real-time power and cooling costs.

Furthermore, a virtual appliance can be switched on or off as necessary, ensuring only the amount of power that is necessary is used. Typically, the level of energy required to run and cool traditional servers can be as much as 30 percent of a data center's power.
Increased Complexity

A problem faced by many organizations deploying virtual environments is the lack of management and feedback controls based on actual traffic flows and application performance. While virtualization can consolidate hardware in the data center, it can increase the number of virtual systems and applications, sometimes overwhelmingly. This brings with it greater complexity and management requirements, meaning that, in many instances, an organization is unable to tell in real time how systems and applications are performing.

Instead, the organization must rely on static predetermined business rules to allocate CPU resources. For example, if a company's Web site receives a surge in transaction requests beyond the capacity that has been allocated to the e-commerce application, the performance and reliability of the service can be seriously affected before additional resources can be allocated.

The benefit of a software-only approach to traffic management in virtualized environments is that the solution sits natively as a virtual machine, rather than in an appliance sitting on the periphery, making it well placed to manage the flow of traffic.
Flexibility and Monitoring

Deploying application traffic management within a virtual environment means that an IT manager can dynamically allocate CPU resources based on real needs, rather than just relying on static business rules such as boosting e-mail server resources at certain times of the day. The application-delivery controller can monitor real-time performance and response rates and feed this data backup to the virtual manager.

Virtualization provides a host of benefits, including techniques to improve performance, initiate server redeployments and shape traffic to minimize the effects of CPU over-subscription. Virtualization can also be used to seamlessly test and upgrade live applications without any interruption in service.