How can you consolidate multiple servers with virtualization?

1 What is virtualization?

Virtualization is the process of creating a software-based representation of a physical resource, such as a server, a storage device, or a network. A virtual machine (VM) is a software-based emulation of a physical computer that can run its own operating system and application. A hypervisor is a software layer that manages the VMs and allocates the physical resources to them. There are different types of virtualization, such as server virtualization, storage virtualization, network virtualization, and desktop virtualization. In this article, we will focus on server virtualization, which is the most common and widely used type.

2 Why consolidate servers with virtualization?

Consolidating servers with virtualization can bring a range of advantages to your IT environment. Cost savings can be achieved by reducing the number of physical servers, as well as optimizing the utilization of existing servers. This leads to less hardware, power, cooling, and maintenance costs. Performance improvement is also achievable by allocating resources to the VMs according to their needs and scaling up or down as required. This results in a more flexible and agile system. Finally, management simplification is possible by managing all VMs from a single console and automating tasks such as provisioning, backup, recovery, and migration. This leads to less complexity and human error, while enhancing productivity.

5 What are the tools for consolidating servers with virtualization?

Virtualization is an effective way to consolidate servers, and there are many tools that can help you do this. Virtualization platforms such as VMware vSphere, Microsoft Hyper-V, Citrix XenServer, and Red Hat Virtualization provide a hypervisor and a management console to create and manage VMs. Migration tools like VMware vCenter Converter, Microsoft Virtual Machine Converter, Citrix XenConvert, and Red Hat virt-v2v can help you convert physical servers to VMs or migrate VMs from one hypervisor to another. For optimizing the performance and availability of your VMs, you can use optimization tools like VMware vRealize Operations, Microsoft System Center Operations Manager, Citrix XenCenter, and Red Hat CloudForms.