There’s no question that virtualization has changed the way data center workloads are deployed. Gartner forecasts that more than 82 percent of server operating systems will run inside virtual machines (VMs) in 2016, up from 70 percent in 2012.
Clearly, the streamlined physical architecture, centralized management capabilities, improved server utilization rates, and increased agility and productivity enabled by virtualization have translated to greater operational efficiency and business value. More can be done, however. While many organizations have virtualized significant components of their IT environments with success, many have stopped short of virtualizing mission-critical applications.
This mindset is gradually changing as more organizations are seeking to become 100 percent virtualized. Technical roadblocks that previously contributed to negative perceptions about virtualization have been largely eliminated, leading to increased confidence in virtualizing mission-critical applications.
Innovations in storage, such as high-performance flash storage and automated storage tiering, as well as advancements in server hardware and virtualization platforms, have dramatically reduced performance issues that have slowed the adoption of virtualization.
This has made IT managers more comfortable about virtualizing applications with high I/O demands and low latency, such as Exchange, SQL Server and SAP. In addition to performance improvements, recent technological advancements have made it easier to manage applications and provide end-to-end visibility across all virtualized applications to prevent disruptions in business operations.
Moving mission-critical applications lays the groundwork for a software-defined data center (SDDC) in which all infrastructure components – compute, storage, networking and security – are virtualized, pooled, aggregated and delivered as software, and management is automated through the use of policy-based software systems. The SDDC speeds application deployment from weeks to minutes and brings the cost-savings of virtualization to the entire data center.
Mission-critical applications tend to be the most complex to virtualize because they impact the greatest number of users, business processes and technologies. The tools and processes for maintaining and updating applications need to be thoroughly evaluated, and the existing infrastructure needs to be assessed in order to find out which components will support virtualization and which ones require an upgrade.
Technology aside, virtualization of mission-critical applications may require a culture shift in how technology is viewed, starting in the IT department and continuing to senior management. In a virtualize environment, IT infrastructure moves from a physical asset to a strategic business asset.
While today’s sophisticated virtualization platforms and technologies have removed longstanding obstacles to virtualizing mission-critical applications, the process is very complex. To ensure a seamless, successful transition, partner with an integrator who has worked with the latest platforms and technologies and understands what hardware and software are compatible.
Let Technologent help you develop an effective virtualization strategy that not only produces cost savings, but also improves how you do business.
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