Server Virtualisation

Creating a more efficient IT infrastructure


What is Virtualisation?

Efficiencies

Virtualisation technologies are an ideal foundation for your IT infrastructure.  They are the most effective way of reducing IT running costs and getting more done.

Consolidate

It can enable you to reduce the number of servers that your organisation requires.  Fewer physical servers should reduce running costs.

Availability

If a physical server fails, the virtual machines (VMs) are automatically restarted on another physical machine in that cluster.  No data loss or downtime.

Continuity

Backing up servers is much easier process to perform in a virtualised server environment.  You’ll be better prepared if disaster strikes.


Virtualisation: The Facts

*Source;**source

Percent server utilisation rates*
Percent savings on overall IT costs*
VMs or more per physical server**

How does virtualisation work?

 

 

Hypervisor

Instead of directly installing an operating system onto physical servers another application is installed instead, called a ‘hypervisor’.  In simple terms this thin layer of software creates a virtual pool of resources from the group (or cluster) physical servers that are virtualised.  These resources; CPU, hard drives, USB ports etc., are used to create the virtual machines (VM), which could be new servers.  A standard operating system is then installed on the VM.

Applications

Once the operating system is running applications can be installed onto the VMs as if they were physical servers.  Most applications are will run effectively in a virtualised environment, however there are exceptions.  It’s worth checking with the software manufacturer to check if it is supported that environment.

Multiple operating systems

One of the benefits of virtualisation is that one physical server can run many VMs. These VMs could be running completely different operating systems.


Benefits of Virtualisation

As well as cutting IT operating cost virtualisation can benefit both you and your organisation in many other ways.

Improve Agility

Got a growing team of users?  Need more IT resources but can’t justify a new server.  With virtualisation you can simply create a new virtual server in just a few clicks.  You can allocate additional resources from your pool of resources to specific VMs.  Increasing disk space, processing power and capacity in just a couple of clicks.  Helps you respond better and faster to your organisation’s needs.

Strengthen Disaster Recovery Plans

Backing up data is much easier in a virtualised environment.  Rather than having to back up individual servers; you are dealing with a cluster of servers in one go rather than individual servers.  More importantly recovery time can be reduced too.  A VM will operate on a separate server using the same hypervisor software.  This beats having to build a physical server with the same spec to get the backup running.

Extend the Life of Applications

We’ve all got an older server running an older application.  The challenge with this is that the spare parts required for that server could be difficult to find.  If the server dies, so does that business critical legacy application.  In a virtualised environment you could create a VM that is the same specification as that older server and run the application on that.

Easier to Manage

With the market leading virtualisation applications you can manage your server environment, regardless of individual server O/S, from one application.  Many of the everyday server maintenance tasks can be automated helping you focus on bigger issues.

Greener IT

Consolidating physical servers to a smaller number in a virtualised environment should reduce the amount of energy to power your IT and keep it cool too.

Application Availability

The beauty of virtualisation is that it breaks the link between the physical resources and the applications that those resources power.  This means that if a physical server fails the VM running the application will still be powered by the rest of the resources from that cluster.  This means that your business critical applications should experience less downtime.

Centralise your IT

Virtualisation goes beyond traditional applications and servers.  We deploy virtualised telephone systems, firewall infrastructure, building control applications, even networks.  This helps centralise your IT resources and enables you to build your own IT cloud.  Check out this case study that displays how we enabled Darlington Building Society to deliver its IT resources as services over its network.
Abtec Virtualisation Benefits

Next Steps

Case Studies

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