Take Inventory Before Diving in to Virtualization
candidates for virtualization.The components to consider include:
- Data centers: How many do you have and what are their functions? How many users rely on each? What percentage of servers is already virtualized in each, if any?
- Server inventory: This should include the age of each server, its computing capacity, as well as memory and storage capacity and configuration
- Desktop inventory: Again note age, computing and memory capacity as well as operating systems and any connected devices.
Define Application Priorities for Virtualization
- What are the key applications in use in the organization?
- How many users are there per application?
- What is your legacy application burden?
- How many application customizations does the company rely on?
- Have you developed completely custom applications?
Define Users and User Groups for Phased Virtualization Deployment
When preparing to launch the project, especially one that will impact a wide variety of applications and users, it’s important to split users into user groups based on their roles and their interactions with various applications and platforms. These groups, in conjunction with the application migration priorities, become the basis for a phased deployment plan.
- Simple: Users who perform repetitive tasks using a limited set of tools and resources, such as Human Resources
- Moderate: Users who work primarily with information or develop and use knowledge in the workplace using a more extensive set of tools
- Complex: Users who handle complex tasks and advanced functions using programs that require advanced knowledge
Utilize the Right Resources for Virtualization Success
As is often the case with new IT initiatives, having team members with previous experience or bringing on a trusted vendor to add horsepower to the effort can streamline efforts and lower risk. Additionally, it’s easy to underestimate the effort required to execute on a server virtualization project in a timely manner. Migrating applications can have significant impact on the workforce, so you don’t want a project to drag on. Ensuring proper team levels is critical to perceived project success.
To learn more about server virtualization, including its benefits and how to make a business case for your project, check out the Carousel white paper, “Executing on an Effective Server Virtualization Project,” or contact Carousel to speak with our virtualization specialists.
As a person who works for Dell I think Server virtualization allows more than cost benefits, there are many small scale industries that are looking upon virtualization, as it helps small industries to grow.One of the main benefits of virtual server is that it reduces a company’s physical infrastructure and improves the server to admin ratio at the same time.