So what's the big fuss about 'server virt'?
It's a buzzword that's gaining ground. 'Server Virt' is a
syllable-saving way of saying server virtualisation. If
you're not annoyed by this curt truncation of a perfectly innocent
word, let's explore what it has to offer!
The basics
Servers cost money. They need to be 100%
reliable (or as close as possible to that), and with all the
information stored on them, they're not intended to be disposable.
So they're built to a high spec rather than a low cost. A bit like
a vault is to a bank, servers for your business are not something
you really want to pinch pennies on (regardless of how good your IT
support might be). Business owners accept that, and so servers
are often purchased with a 'belt and braces' approach.
Servers also take up space. Not only are they
substantial pieces of hardware, they usually need storing in a 19"
rack, alongside supporting equipment (network cabling, power
supplies, monitors and keyboards) and away from dust, accidental
spillages and curious (or malicious) fingers. This usually leads to
storing them in a dedicated room or at least a partitioned area on
the premises.
Servers gobble up energy. Not just the
electricity it takes to run a powerful computer that's switched on
and working hard 24 hours a day, but also the ventilation and
cooling they require to keep them working at the right temperature
(a confined server can generate a lot of heat).
All this would be manageable enough if you only ever needed
one of them.
But that's the thing: you often need multiple
servers. Whether that's to fulfil different functions, to
act as failover, or to handle fluctuating demands such as spikes in
website traffic or everybody checking their e-mails first thing,
business often have a 'peak server load' requirement which far
exceeds their average use. You can't physically switch on a servers
on and off in response to this load, so that's a lot of equipment
on standby.
Seeing the problem? More and more pieces of
expensive, power-hungry equipment that demands its own space on
your premises, and a lot of it 'just in case'.
Is there a better way? Well, there may be. For
many different businesses, virtualising your server
capabilities has provided the answer.
'Server Virt' just means partitioning and reorganising one
physical piece of equipment into several discrete instances of a
server. They can either perform the same tasks, or be allocated to
different types of demand.
How does it work? It's simple in theory, although it takes a lot
of expertise to implement in a proper, robust, business-proof kind
of way. But the benefits of having one machine act as several
virtual machines, therefore doing the job of multiple physical
servers, are clear:
- Less expense (on equipment you don't positively need)
- More space (less of it taken up by computer equipment)
- Lower electricity bills (by far! … and a greener
footprint to match.)
Chorus IT has been helping Bristol businesses to hop nimbly
around the IT minefield for ten years of fast-paced change, so if
you'd like to discuss IT efficiency savings with us, please get in
touch on 01275 398900.
