5 Ways Server Virtualization Can Help Your Business
Most companies are looking for ways to do more with less. Using a server virtualization solution is one way to put this notion into practice. Server virtualization involves running multiple operating systems on a single server at the same time. Each operating environment is called a virtual machine. It is self-contained and behaves as if it were a separate computer. You can run applications on these virtual machines, just like you would on physical computers.
Here are five ways server virtualization can help your business:
1. Improved Server Utilization
Today's servers are much more advanced than models from the past. These newer machines come with multiple processing cores that often go unused. Server virtualization can help you tap into this unused resource so that you can get the most out of the servers you already have.
2. Reduced Costs
With server virtualization, you can reduce the number of physical servers that you need. This can significantly lower your initial hardware expenditures and your ongoing maintenance costs. In addition, having fewer servers means you will use less electricity to run them and keep them cool.
3. Isolation of Older Operating Systems
Some companies rely on older applications for mission-critical operations. Often, these legacy applications only work on older operating systems, so the companies use the older systems business-wide. Older operating systems are more vulnerable to cyberattacks because the vendors stop updating and supporting them.
If you use a server virtualization solution, you can put your legacy applications on a virtual machine running an older operating system temporarily until an alternative solution is found. You can then use a newer operating system for your other business operations. Isolating the unsupported operating system will mitigate some of the security risks until you can update to a current and supported application.
4. Quick Disaster Recovery
Hardware failures and data breaches happen. Server virtualization lets you quickly recover from them. You can create a system image of a virtual machine to get an exact copy of everything on it, including the operating system, applications, system settings, and local data. If disaster strikes, you can use this image to re-create the virtual machine in minutes. If the entire server fails, you can simply re-create all your virtual machines on another virtualized server.
Having system images of your virtual machines also makes a server upgrade a risk-free process. If the upgrade does not work, you can use the system images to restore the server to its pre-upgrade state.
5. Easy Monitoring and Management of Resources
Server virtualization solutions often include an administrative console that lets you monitor your virtual machines so that you know which ones are using the most resources. Based on this information, you can easily adjust the amount of memory, storage capacity, and processors allocated to a given virtual machine.
Get All the Benefits without Putting Your Company at Risk
Server virtualization offers many benefits, but it is not easy to set up. You need to implement a server virtualization solution in stages. This gradual approach will ensure that your mission-critical IT assets are safely moved to virtual machines. Rushing through the process could open up your company to unnecessary risk. If something goes wrong, you could face significant downtime.
To get all the benefits of virtualization without putting your company at risk, work with a team of qualified professionals with experience in migrations and virtual environments. Electro-America, Inc., can help guide you to a solution that works for you, while safely and securely implementing your company's server virtualization solution. Contact us today!
