Over the last couple of years virtualisation has extended beyond the enterprise and entered the awareness of SME’s. I say ‘the awareness’ as I don’t believe many SME’s outside the IT sector actually utilise virtualisation software in their day-to-day activities. This is a shame because I believe that there are a number of advantages that virtualisation can bring to the growing company.
First of all, a quick overview of virtualization. What I am referring to here is the ability to create one or more software environments on a hardware platform. In essence, run more than one operating system (all the same or a variety thereof) on a single PC or server. There are a number of alternatives on the market, the generally acknowledged best of which is VMWare’s range. However, Microsoft has also bought into the market and caused a bit of a shake-up when they started offering the PC and server products for free. VMWare quickly followed suit, creating a great opportunity for SME’s to get themselves on the virtualization ladder without any initial financial outlay. For a full list of virtualization services offerings, have a look here.
The most common use of virtualization is to run a number of virtual servers on one physical server. Why? Well a typical server is actually only utilized between 10% and 20% of its potential maximum. Obviously, therefore, there is scope for utilizing that other 80%-plus. In the past, many people have run software that uses their spare CPU cycles for community projects, such as SETI@home or Cancer research. This is commonly referred to as Grid Computing. And if you’re happy to donate computing resources like that, then that’s fine. But maybe you should consider using them as effectively as you can first, and then donating what’s left?
So how can you utilise virtualisation within a company that doesn’t span continents? Well, if you’ve got even a single server then it’s worth considering. With a single physical server, you are probably running all sorts of services that, in a larger organization, would warrant separate servers. You are probably using it as a file server, print server, email server, domain controller and directory services. You might be using it as a web proxy, a firewall, or any of a number of different things. And what happens if any one of those services causes the server to crash, or requires a restart? You got it; everything is unavailable until the whole shebang is back up again.
Traditionally, the means of separating out these services has been to utilize any piece of hardware that’s available to run them. Typically, a domain controller or a print server or a file server doesn’t need to be a powerful box, so the PC that can’t run MS Office any more is pressed into service as a server. Now think about this. Your company is using a desktop PC that’s probably 4 or 5 years old minimum as a core part of the network infrastructure. It’s designed to be a reasonably reliable workhorse for your admin people, but disposable. If it stops working, the cheapest option is to chuck it away and buy a new one for £200 or £300. You scared yet? You should be!
This is where virtualization comes in. Invest instead in a reasonably powerful server. Stick it in an air-conditioned environment. Haven’t got one, rent some space in a data centre, or rent a server from a hosting provider. Install a reliable, secure operating system; remember you can get Linux for free. Install your free version of you favorite virtualisation product (VMWare server fits the bill). Install your guest operating systems - you might need Windows for your domain controller and directory services, but why not use Linux for file serving and print serving? And voila, you have a much more stable environment.
First of all, a quick overview of virtualization. What I am referring to here is the ability to create one or more software environments on a hardware platform. In essence, run more than one operating system (all the same or a variety thereof) on a single PC or server. There are a number of alternatives on the market, the generally acknowledged best of which is VMWare’s range. However, Microsoft has also bought into the market and caused a bit of a shake-up when they started offering the PC and server products for free. VMWare quickly followed suit, creating a great opportunity for SME’s to get themselves on the virtualization ladder without any initial financial outlay. For a full list of virtualization services offerings, have a look here.
The most common use of virtualization is to run a number of virtual servers on one physical server. Why? Well a typical server is actually only utilized between 10% and 20% of its potential maximum. Obviously, therefore, there is scope for utilizing that other 80%-plus. In the past, many people have run software that uses their spare CPU cycles for community projects, such as SETI@home or Cancer research. This is commonly referred to as Grid Computing. And if you’re happy to donate computing resources like that, then that’s fine. But maybe you should consider using them as effectively as you can first, and then donating what’s left?
So how can you utilise virtualisation within a company that doesn’t span continents? Well, if you’ve got even a single server then it’s worth considering. With a single physical server, you are probably running all sorts of services that, in a larger organization, would warrant separate servers. You are probably using it as a file server, print server, email server, domain controller and directory services. You might be using it as a web proxy, a firewall, or any of a number of different things. And what happens if any one of those services causes the server to crash, or requires a restart? You got it; everything is unavailable until the whole shebang is back up again.
Traditionally, the means of separating out these services has been to utilize any piece of hardware that’s available to run them. Typically, a domain controller or a print server or a file server doesn’t need to be a powerful box, so the PC that can’t run MS Office any more is pressed into service as a server. Now think about this. Your company is using a desktop PC that’s probably 4 or 5 years old minimum as a core part of the network infrastructure. It’s designed to be a reasonably reliable workhorse for your admin people, but disposable. If it stops working, the cheapest option is to chuck it away and buy a new one for £200 or £300. You scared yet? You should be!
This is where virtualization comes in. Invest instead in a reasonably powerful server. Stick it in an air-conditioned environment. Haven’t got one, rent some space in a data centre, or rent a server from a hosting provider. Install a reliable, secure operating system; remember you can get Linux for free. Install your free version of you favorite virtualisation product (VMWare server fits the bill). Install your guest operating systems - you might need Windows for your domain controller and directory services, but why not use Linux for file serving and print serving? And voila, you have a much more stable environment.
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