Q. VMWare……. Is it really as big as it looks?
Tim Muckart, Sales Manager for Financial Services, Avanquest Solutions:
A. Oh Yes!
VMware is to virtualisation what Hoover is to vacuum cleaning! It is massive and companies are desperate to get on the bandwagon.
I rarely go into an organisation where they have not implemented, or are looking to implement, VMware.
Using virtualisation technology to leverage and pool the underused capacity in existing computer hardware is an ROI success story. It gives greater IT flexibility throughout the organisation and it is cost effective, but it is not always a happy ever after story.
Companies are desperate for applications to install and be certified VMware friendly so they can get rid of their old tin, or at least use their hardware more effectively.
By running virtual machines alongside, each with a different IT function (applications or storage) hardware is reduced, but often they have not given enough thought to which applications they can install into the new environment.
They have spent a fortune on the VMware infrastructure, but they can’t do what they thought they could!
Moving to a virtual environment isn’t as simple as an operating system (OS) upgrade or tweaking the server. To gain the most benefits, they will need to make process, tool, and skill set changes.
- There are many tools and companies out there that can help an organisation plan properly for a successful move to virtualisation.
- Once a company has a clear perspective on what they want to virtualise and what can be virtualised they can then use these tools to spec the environment.
- The last thing any company wants to do is invest a huge amount in virtualisation and then realise half the applications in use cannot be installed in the new environment.
- Get good advise and do your research!
