Chapter 10. Summary
Virtualization Is a Double-Edged Sword
As with many types of technology, virtualization is a very powerful tool. If it is used properly, organizations gain quite a number of benefits:
Applications can perform faster than today’s processor technology would normally support or make it possible to use many lower-cost, lower-performance machines to handle work that would normally be assigned to a larger, more expensive machine.
Applications can scale to support more users than would be possible on a single system.
Application environments can be much more reliable and dependable. System configurations can be constructed that will survive the loss of any single component.
Client applications can be isolated from one another so that previously incompatible applications can share the same machine.
Personal workloads and locked-down corporate workloads can share the same machine.
Server use can be optimized.
Virtualization, however, is not a panacea. Using the wrong tool or using the right tool improperly can result in poor performance, higher costs for the organization, and the organization not being able to meet its objectives.
Virtualization is best used when the organization has an overarching plan and is developing solutions to fit an architecture rather than focusing on the “hot” tool of the moment.
Where to Go Next
Before embarking on the journey to a more virtualized environment, an organization should answer the following questions:
What are the organization’s goals?
What needs to be done to achieve those goals?
Who needs to be involved to marshal all of the necessary resources?
What types of technology are needed to build the tools that will help the organization achieve its goals?
Does the plan allows for technological improvements, new technology, or changes in suppliers?
In short, the organization needs to have a plan, needs to implement solutions according to that plan, and needs to carefully monitor ongoing development and operations to make sure the organization achieves its goals.
As Yogi Berra once said, “If you don’t know where you’re going, you might end up somewhere else.”
If your organization doesn’t have the appropriate expertise on staff, it would be very wise to seek out a supplier or consultants to help.