Good morning, last week of my 3 month research in to IT strategy, so I have been compiling the report, and cannot share any of my findings until the report is published in September. However, today is final read through on 3 sections, then to complete the glossary, then that is it finished. The report captain will have the task of Quality Checking (QC) the whole document, and must spot any inconsistencies.
The rest of week will be working on my presentation for VMworld in September, so if you are going I will see you there.
Virtualisation Market Hots Up
The whole market in virtualisation is dynamic and as such represents a daunting prospect for many CIOs, who must decide which vendor I go with, and what are the gotchas that the technology has hidden.
My advice is to not look beyond a 3-5 year time frame, as the market is changing rapidly, and a leading vendor today may not be then, or the technology will have changed. You do not want to make a 100% life time choice of Betamax, it was the best technology, but VHS won the battle, so beware consider the value you can get, and build in the cost model a complete replacement of the solution in 5 years. Then review the figures and see if they make sense
About Me
- Roy Illsley
- A Senior Research Analayst for a leading firm, with a focus on infrastructure management and virtualisation
Showing posts with label Virtualisation. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Virtualisation. Show all posts
Wednesday, 23 July 2008
Wednesday, 25 June 2008
Chaos rules
Last few days have been mad, I am heads down on the report and to be honest getting stuck on some of the more complex models, but drawing pictures helps.
Yesterday was a write off, I had the dentist, doctors for the kids jabs, British Gas doing an inspection, school. And the day was trashed because the nurse got up late, was behind with her work. That small thing made my whole day one of catch-up, and re-assign appointments. The Journalist were OK, and I made the vendor briefing, but I do not want another day like that.
Hyper-v worth the Hype?
I thought the 2nd August was 180 days for when Hyper-v will be released, but I am picking up noises that suggest it is next month, but I may be wrong on that. Hyper-v is a basic hypervisor, and as such lacks some of the more advanced features that Vmware, Citrix (XENserver), VirtualIron, etc have. I believe that the link up with Citrix demonstrates that Microsoft is going after the SMB sector with Hyper-v and leaving XenServer to complete in the enterprise market with VMware, while it works on making Hyper-v as technically capable as its rivals that is.
Vmware with it price bundles is attempting to move into the SMB space, however, what Vmware provides in terms of capability it lacks is a clear understanding of the market, and how to deliver to the SMB sector. Smaller vendors such as VirtualIron and Parallels have created a good reputation in certain SMB markets, but they lack the funding to raise virtualisation profile. Therefore, I believe that as Microsoft winds up its PR message, this can be used by the smaller vendors to ride on the coat-tails and enjoy more success.
Windows server 2008, is a very good product and I think this will become more widely used as the business case evidence is released to support Microsoft's claims of reduced management time and hence cost savings. As for Vista, well 2008 and Vista desktop is an argument from a support perspective, but with talk of Microsoft seven (vista replacement) due in 2009 time frame I think many may hold fire (if they can), which will mean organisations if their refresh is due in 2009, 2010 will have a dilemma use Vista or stay on XP. Evidence is mixed on this, but I believe Vista will more widely adopted in conjunction with 2008, but not in every case.
Yesterday was a write off, I had the dentist, doctors for the kids jabs, British Gas doing an inspection, school. And the day was trashed because the nurse got up late, was behind with her work. That small thing made my whole day one of catch-up, and re-assign appointments. The Journalist were OK, and I made the vendor briefing, but I do not want another day like that.
Hyper-v worth the Hype?
I thought the 2nd August was 180 days for when Hyper-v will be released, but I am picking up noises that suggest it is next month, but I may be wrong on that. Hyper-v is a basic hypervisor, and as such lacks some of the more advanced features that Vmware, Citrix (XENserver), VirtualIron, etc have. I believe that the link up with Citrix demonstrates that Microsoft is going after the SMB sector with Hyper-v and leaving XenServer to complete in the enterprise market with VMware, while it works on making Hyper-v as technically capable as its rivals that is.
Vmware with it price bundles is attempting to move into the SMB space, however, what Vmware provides in terms of capability it lacks is a clear understanding of the market, and how to deliver to the SMB sector. Smaller vendors such as VirtualIron and Parallels have created a good reputation in certain SMB markets, but they lack the funding to raise virtualisation profile. Therefore, I believe that as Microsoft winds up its PR message, this can be used by the smaller vendors to ride on the coat-tails and enjoy more success.
Windows server 2008, is a very good product and I think this will become more widely used as the business case evidence is released to support Microsoft's claims of reduced management time and hence cost savings. As for Vista, well 2008 and Vista desktop is an argument from a support perspective, but with talk of Microsoft seven (vista replacement) due in 2009 time frame I think many may hold fire (if they can), which will mean organisations if their refresh is due in 2009, 2010 will have a dilemma use Vista or stay on XP. Evidence is mixed on this, but I believe Vista will more widely adopted in conjunction with 2008, but not in every case.
Monday, 23 June 2008
Only 6 weeks until the football season starts
After last week when it was one day event after another, this week starts in London, but it is home for nearly two months while I complete a report. I will get the odd day out, but at least I will some work done.
Virtualisation aims at the desktop next
The take-away from the Citrix and Vmware analyst events was they have both woken up to the fact that what the analysts have been saying for the past 12 months plus is coming true. Server virtualisation was full of gotcha’s, and end-users found them out and management vendors were not ready. The result was it stalled and damaged confidence.
However, the rise of desktop and application virtualisation is characterised by other vendors being ahead of the game, and the virtualisation vendors being slow to recognise its value. We will have to wait and see how this battle shapes up, as Citrix have a leading position and it is theirs to lose, but their market is based on the old paradigm, not the new. Therefore, I see this as a more level playing field where the best proposition wins out, and so far Citrix has a good story and Vmware some cool technology. What is needed is the mix of both.
Virtualisation aims at the desktop next
The take-away from the Citrix and Vmware analyst events was they have both woken up to the fact that what the analysts have been saying for the past 12 months plus is coming true. Server virtualisation was full of gotcha’s, and end-users found them out and management vendors were not ready. The result was it stalled and damaged confidence.
However, the rise of desktop and application virtualisation is characterised by other vendors being ahead of the game, and the virtualisation vendors being slow to recognise its value. We will have to wait and see how this battle shapes up, as Citrix have a leading position and it is theirs to lose, but their market is based on the old paradigm, not the new. Therefore, I see this as a more level playing field where the best proposition wins out, and so far Citrix has a good story and Vmware some cool technology. What is needed is the mix of both.
Wednesday, 18 June 2008
A Damp day in Munich
Munich is overcast; however, Citrix was a very good event. The day was long, especially after a late night. Now it is the dead time, pick-up for the airport is in an hour.
I will get home at 11pm, and then off to Vmware tomorrow for another overnight stop.
Think about image management in a desktop virtualisation world
The big topic that Vmware and other VDI vendors neglect to say is that managing the images and then the patches is an operation that must not be under-estimated, Citrix have a different approach, and it certainly resonates with hard pressed server managers.
Consider the how do I manage and how do I provision and patch the centrally hosted desktop images and applications. This is an area that should be considered, as the value you can obtain from both centrally hosted and managed images, as well as a method of image management provides a double cost saving.
I will get home at 11pm, and then off to Vmware tomorrow for another overnight stop.
Think about image management in a desktop virtualisation world
The big topic that Vmware and other VDI vendors neglect to say is that managing the images and then the patches is an operation that must not be under-estimated, Citrix have a different approach, and it certainly resonates with hard pressed server managers.
Consider the how do I manage and how do I provision and patch the centrally hosted desktop images and applications. This is an area that should be considered, as the value you can obtain from both centrally hosted and managed images, as well as a method of image management provides a double cost saving.
Tuesday, 17 June 2008
BHX and a coffee, with the internet on the go
Off to visit Citrix today in Germany, so early start to the airport, this is the bit I like the best, short travel to meet vendors with an interesting story to tell.
Windows Server 2008 points the way to Microsoft’s future approach
Windows Server 2008 is a surprisingly diverse product, with some very small new enhancements that could be easily overlooked, and some large high profile additions that Microsoft is certainly not allowing anybody, including the media, to overlook. However, what is the balanced view on Windows Server 2008.
Firstly, it will have by 2 August an inbuilt Hypervisor – a Hypervisor enables the virtualisation of the commodity server hardware so that it can support the execution of multiple Virtual Machines. Hyper-V, as it is known, is not the most technically advanced Hypervisor on the market, that award goes to Vmware, but it is a very good basic Hypervisor with a couple of interesting features: The ability to execute a Xen based Virtual Machine, and the concept of synthetic device drivers – the synthetic device drivers are the new high performance device drivers that are available with Hyper-V, rather than emulating an existing hardware device Microsoft exposes a new hardware device that has been designed for optimal performance in a virtualised environment.
One of the smaller and easier to overlook features of Windows Server 2008 is the ability to have a finer grained password policy, which may sound dull, but consider the IT department that is supporting ‘C’-level executives who do not necessarily have the time, or inclination, to maintain a complex alphanumeric 10 character password that is forced to be changed every 30 days. This finer control allows for these users to have different rules to say a database administrator, which enables IT to ensure that password policies are designed appropriately for the role/purpose of the account.
The other big feature of Windows Server 2008 is the introduction of server core, a stripped down operating system. This according to Microsoft requires up to 40% less patches to be applied, and occupies significantly less disk space than for the full Windows Server 2008. I consider this to be a major advancement, which will enable organisations to install server core on systems such file and print servers, reducing the maintenance required, and hence the operational cost.
Other features that are worthy of a mention at this stage include; role-based installation of features, simplified clustering using the wizard concept, read-only domain controllers, modified boot process that brings the firewall up earlier and so reduces the window of vulnerability, and the use of Network Access Protection (NAP) so a health policy can be set for anything connected to the network.
I consider that unlike its code base cousin, Windows Vista, Windows Server 2008 actually provides the system administrators with the capabilities needed to make their operational lives easier. I are not predicting a massive up-take for Windows Server 2008 this year, but I believe that as organisations plan to refresh its technology Windows Server 2008 will be selected because it has been designed to make management simpler, and hence reduce operational costs.
Windows Server 2008 points the way to Microsoft’s future approach
Windows Server 2008 is a surprisingly diverse product, with some very small new enhancements that could be easily overlooked, and some large high profile additions that Microsoft is certainly not allowing anybody, including the media, to overlook. However, what is the balanced view on Windows Server 2008.
Firstly, it will have by 2 August an inbuilt Hypervisor – a Hypervisor enables the virtualisation of the commodity server hardware so that it can support the execution of multiple Virtual Machines. Hyper-V, as it is known, is not the most technically advanced Hypervisor on the market, that award goes to Vmware, but it is a very good basic Hypervisor with a couple of interesting features: The ability to execute a Xen based Virtual Machine, and the concept of synthetic device drivers – the synthetic device drivers are the new high performance device drivers that are available with Hyper-V, rather than emulating an existing hardware device Microsoft exposes a new hardware device that has been designed for optimal performance in a virtualised environment.
One of the smaller and easier to overlook features of Windows Server 2008 is the ability to have a finer grained password policy, which may sound dull, but consider the IT department that is supporting ‘C’-level executives who do not necessarily have the time, or inclination, to maintain a complex alphanumeric 10 character password that is forced to be changed every 30 days. This finer control allows for these users to have different rules to say a database administrator, which enables IT to ensure that password policies are designed appropriately for the role/purpose of the account.
The other big feature of Windows Server 2008 is the introduction of server core, a stripped down operating system. This according to Microsoft requires up to 40% less patches to be applied, and occupies significantly less disk space than for the full Windows Server 2008. I consider this to be a major advancement, which will enable organisations to install server core on systems such file and print servers, reducing the maintenance required, and hence the operational cost.
Other features that are worthy of a mention at this stage include; role-based installation of features, simplified clustering using the wizard concept, read-only domain controllers, modified boot process that brings the firewall up earlier and so reduces the window of vulnerability, and the use of Network Access Protection (NAP) so a health policy can be set for anything connected to the network.
I consider that unlike its code base cousin, Windows Vista, Windows Server 2008 actually provides the system administrators with the capabilities needed to make their operational lives easier. I are not predicting a massive up-take for Windows Server 2008 this year, but I believe that as organisations plan to refresh its technology Windows Server 2008 will be selected because it has been designed to make management simpler, and hence reduce operational costs.
Monday, 16 June 2008
Monday morning i feel fine, i have work on my mind?
First day of the week and only day I will be at home this week, a lot of travelling, Munich tomorrow for teo days, then Hampshire for two days, in between I will be home Wednesday night, before leaving for Hampshire in the morning.
Today has four telephone sessions, one with the team, two vendor briefings, and one journalist, then I will finish my last out-line for the report in between.
Virtual Management on the network
An aspect of virtual management that is often overlooked is that of network management, and how this becomes more complex in a virtual network world. Why, because the in a virtual world you are not restricted by the physical connections, so potentially you could create recursive loops, and instead of having network separation, have complete openness.
Today has four telephone sessions, one with the team, two vendor briefings, and one journalist, then I will finish my last out-line for the report in between.
Virtual Management on the network
An aspect of virtual management that is often overlooked is that of network management, and how this becomes more complex in a virtual network world. Why, because the in a virtual world you are not restricted by the physical connections, so potentially you could create recursive loops, and instead of having network separation, have complete openness.
Wednesday, 11 June 2008
Webinars save the planet, but do not meet the speakers needs
The day has started bad, I was getting ready for a speaking engagement in front of a couple of thousand people in Orlando, but the vendor has decided to cancel the conference, and replace it with a Webinar. I hate doing presentations when I can not see the audience, you just do not know how it is being received.
Anyway today is day two of the report, more out-lines to produce and get approved.
The Virtual Desktop will it happen
The death of the desktop PC has been predicted by many in our industry for years, but we still have millions of them in use all over the world, and with the cost of the hardware falling the economics look like keeping the status quo.
However, as the world goes more mobile, and the devices used require less local processing power the need for smaller intelligent devices that can connect to the data sources and applications will increase. This will be the point that organisations look at the value of the desktop in terms of how does it fit my business model.
Anyway today is day two of the report, more out-lines to produce and get approved.
The Virtual Desktop will it happen
The death of the desktop PC has been predicted by many in our industry for years, but we still have millions of them in use all over the world, and with the cost of the hardware falling the economics look like keeping the status quo.
However, as the world goes more mobile, and the devices used require less local processing power the need for smaller intelligent devices that can connect to the data sources and applications will increase. This will be the point that organisations look at the value of the desktop in terms of how does it fit my business model.
Monday, 2 June 2008
IT Service Management coming out of its IT shell
Final practice for my Keynote on ITSM on Wednesday morning, this means that I will update this blog tomorrow, but I am out on the road Wednesday and Thursday, so updates may not be possible.
I am also working on planning the Virtualisation events for the company, which means sorting out the content, picking the speakers and putting the agenda together, and writing the material the sales team can use to sell the events.
ITSM and the increasing role of BSM
The significance of ITIL® v3.0 is that it begins the process of externalising IT Service Management (ITSM), which it could be argued is what Business Service Management (BSM) has been doing since 2001. However, the difference is that although both are making the connection with critical business processes, ITIL® v3.0 has been developed over time in-line with the technology that can support and deliver its capabilities. BSM on the other hand was developed as a concept that although sound lacked the technology to drive increased adoption.
Today, the growth of x86 virtualisation is a catalyst for both concepts to be able to deliver real business benefit, the advantage that each has is clear:
ITIL® has strong connections with IT processes and procedures, whereas BSM has strong links to Business Process Modelling (BPM). The two disciplines are coming at the same problem from different aspects, but I believe BSM will be used for the business face, and ITIL® v3.0 for the IT face. That way combining them an organisation can exploit IT for business benefit.
I am also working on planning the Virtualisation events for the company, which means sorting out the content, picking the speakers and putting the agenda together, and writing the material the sales team can use to sell the events.
ITSM and the increasing role of BSM
The significance of ITIL® v3.0 is that it begins the process of externalising IT Service Management (ITSM), which it could be argued is what Business Service Management (BSM) has been doing since 2001. However, the difference is that although both are making the connection with critical business processes, ITIL® v3.0 has been developed over time in-line with the technology that can support and deliver its capabilities. BSM on the other hand was developed as a concept that although sound lacked the technology to drive increased adoption.
Today, the growth of x86 virtualisation is a catalyst for both concepts to be able to deliver real business benefit, the advantage that each has is clear:
ITIL® has strong connections with IT processes and procedures, whereas BSM has strong links to Business Process Modelling (BPM). The two disciplines are coming at the same problem from different aspects, but I believe BSM will be used for the business face, and ITIL® v3.0 for the IT face. That way combining them an organisation can exploit IT for business benefit.
Thursday, 29 May 2008
VMware continues to broaden its capabilities
Day 2 of preparation on my key note speak next on ITSM, today will be all about putting the deck together, and doing a run-through. I generally find that I speak longer while practicing so for a 30 min key note at home it should be 40 min. We get three days prep and the last day will be Monday, see what I do then.
The weather has picked up and we are looking set for a dry day, the first for about a week. This helps as I find walking and running through my presentation very helpful, so if you see some chap who appears to be talking to himself, just listen a little closer, it could be me practicing. The reason I do it, is it is better to speak out loud as you hear what you are saying, and it gets your vocal chords ready for projecting your voice.
VMware acquires another company
VMware announced it has entered into a definitive agreement to acquire B-hive Networks, Inc., a privately-held application performance management software company with headquarters in San Mateo, California and principal R&D facilities in Herzliya, Israel. With this acquisition, VMware will leverage the B-hive team and technology to offer proactive performance management and service level reporting for applications running within VMware virtual machines - on both servers and desktops. In addition, B-hive’s R&D facility and team will form the core of VMware’s new development center in Israel. The terms of the acquisition, which is expected to be completed during the third quarter of 2008, subject to customary closing conditions, were not disclosed.
This is just another move by Vmware as they expand its capability in the virtual market-place: because as the Hypervisor becomes more available and is less differentiated the value-add capabilities will be in the management space, but this requires a broad coverage and a new thinking on how organisations will get value from a virtualised data centre.
The weather has picked up and we are looking set for a dry day, the first for about a week. This helps as I find walking and running through my presentation very helpful, so if you see some chap who appears to be talking to himself, just listen a little closer, it could be me practicing. The reason I do it, is it is better to speak out loud as you hear what you are saying, and it gets your vocal chords ready for projecting your voice.
VMware acquires another company
VMware announced it has entered into a definitive agreement to acquire B-hive Networks, Inc., a privately-held application performance management software company with headquarters in San Mateo, California and principal R&D facilities in Herzliya, Israel. With this acquisition, VMware will leverage the B-hive team and technology to offer proactive performance management and service level reporting for applications running within VMware virtual machines - on both servers and desktops. In addition, B-hive’s R&D facility and team will form the core of VMware’s new development center in Israel. The terms of the acquisition, which is expected to be completed during the third quarter of 2008, subject to customary closing conditions, were not disclosed.
This is just another move by Vmware as they expand its capability in the virtual market-place: because as the Hypervisor becomes more available and is less differentiated the value-add capabilities will be in the management space, but this requires a broad coverage and a new thinking on how organisations will get value from a virtualised data centre.
Tuesday, 27 May 2008
Virtualisation does not take bank holidays
The return to work is helped by a wet and windy day, which means working is the lesser of two evils, gardening being the other. Today will be sort out e-mail, as the rest of the world does not share the same bank holidays as us, and then doing my article for the company blog. This will be an update from my recent trip to Orlando to IBM Pulse.
Where are the big deployments of Desktop Virtualisation?
As an analyst I have been talking and writing about virtualisation for some time, and in fact desktop virtualisation, server hosted format that is, has been promising large benefits for over a year now. However, the uptake in the user community remains low, and this has prompted me to do some investigation.
The first issue appears to be that organisations are struggling to get the server side virtualisation projects working and bedded in, and this experience has made them more cautious than they were 12 months ago.
Secondly, the emotional attachment employees have to their desktop/laptop computer is proving to be harder to break than most observers first thought. This in its self will not stop any determined organisation, but does require some ground work to be conducted before these beloved items are removed.
Finally, the problems of getting power in to data centres is causing a re-think, because if all the desktop computing power is to be housed in the data centre then this will require significantly more space and power. Currently, data centres are finding it difficult to increase their power supply, and must first reduce consumption before they can accommodate this new centralised demand.
I believe that server hosted desktop virtualisation will become the de facto standard approach, but it will take another three – five years before it gains sufficient momentum to overtake the deployments of PCs.
Where are the big deployments of Desktop Virtualisation?
As an analyst I have been talking and writing about virtualisation for some time, and in fact desktop virtualisation, server hosted format that is, has been promising large benefits for over a year now. However, the uptake in the user community remains low, and this has prompted me to do some investigation.
The first issue appears to be that organisations are struggling to get the server side virtualisation projects working and bedded in, and this experience has made them more cautious than they were 12 months ago.
Secondly, the emotional attachment employees have to their desktop/laptop computer is proving to be harder to break than most observers first thought. This in its self will not stop any determined organisation, but does require some ground work to be conducted before these beloved items are removed.
Finally, the problems of getting power in to data centres is causing a re-think, because if all the desktop computing power is to be housed in the data centre then this will require significantly more space and power. Currently, data centres are finding it difficult to increase their power supply, and must first reduce consumption before they can accommodate this new centralised demand.
I believe that server hosted desktop virtualisation will become the de facto standard approach, but it will take another three – five years before it gains sufficient momentum to overtake the deployments of PCs.
Friday, 16 May 2008
Virtualisation can help with the green debate
It is a Friday, which in terms of doing this job has no special significance, except I must do my time-sheet and submit it. Anyway, today is a tidy up day, by that I mean get those small outstanding things complete, sort out my e-mail and plan the next week. Because next week will start early for me, I am flying out of Manchester at 10.00 am to Orlando so that I can attend IBM Pulse analyst sessions. So expect my posts next week to be a different times. I have no intention of getting up at 4 am just to post for UK readers at 9 am.
The Green debate is still rumbling on
According to recent scientific reports there is now an added urgency for a more comprehensive international climate agreement post-2012. According to the most stringent scenario outlined by the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC), the global average surface temperature can still be limited to an increase of 2 degrees C above the pre-industrial level. Staying within this limit means a reduction in global greenhouse gas emissions of at least 50% below the 1990 level by 2050.
Currently all the media attention is focused on the aviation and transportation sector as the villains, however, the IT data centre, and the computer in general, wastes a significant amount of energy every day. UK Government figures quote that an organisation can save UK£50 per PC per year in energy costs by simply ensuring PCs are switched off after work and at weekends. The data centre represents an even bigger prize for organisations that address the issue of under-utilisation of servers.
In fact rumours from the Parliamentary Renewable and Sustainable Energy Group (PRSEG) report that post 2012 the EU Emissions Trading Scheme will be extended, and this extension will inevitably affect more organisations than the current scheme. One possible approach will be for a carbon emissions cap on organisations, which will force organisations to look at its energy consumption, and I believe that IT can offer solutions that will enable a reduction in energy consumption. In fact I have been advocating the need for organisations to consider the power and cooling impact that IT data centres represent, and to adopt new technologies that can significantly reduce their energy consumption, and hence an organisation’s carbon footprint. I am a firm believer that virtualisation is one such technology that organisations should be actively investigating: because as the United Nations Climate Change Conference in Bali stated, action is needed now; therefore I recommend that organisations assess the impact that IT computing resources contribute to the overall organisational energy consumption, and that this should be addressed before legislation is introduced forcing organisations to report on and then reduce its energy consumption, or face penalty charges.
The Green debate is still rumbling on
According to recent scientific reports there is now an added urgency for a more comprehensive international climate agreement post-2012. According to the most stringent scenario outlined by the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC), the global average surface temperature can still be limited to an increase of 2 degrees C above the pre-industrial level. Staying within this limit means a reduction in global greenhouse gas emissions of at least 50% below the 1990 level by 2050.
Currently all the media attention is focused on the aviation and transportation sector as the villains, however, the IT data centre, and the computer in general, wastes a significant amount of energy every day. UK Government figures quote that an organisation can save UK£50 per PC per year in energy costs by simply ensuring PCs are switched off after work and at weekends. The data centre represents an even bigger prize for organisations that address the issue of under-utilisation of servers.
In fact rumours from the Parliamentary Renewable and Sustainable Energy Group (PRSEG) report that post 2012 the EU Emissions Trading Scheme will be extended, and this extension will inevitably affect more organisations than the current scheme. One possible approach will be for a carbon emissions cap on organisations, which will force organisations to look at its energy consumption, and I believe that IT can offer solutions that will enable a reduction in energy consumption. In fact I have been advocating the need for organisations to consider the power and cooling impact that IT data centres represent, and to adopt new technologies that can significantly reduce their energy consumption, and hence an organisation’s carbon footprint. I am a firm believer that virtualisation is one such technology that organisations should be actively investigating: because as the United Nations Climate Change Conference in Bali stated, action is needed now; therefore I recommend that organisations assess the impact that IT computing resources contribute to the overall organisational energy consumption, and that this should be addressed before legislation is introduced forcing organisations to report on and then reduce its energy consumption, or face penalty charges.
Friday, 9 May 2008
A world of virtual things
Today is mainly taken up with researching the material for my magazine article on server and storage virtualisation. The point is that these two areas are connected and have a symbiotic relationship, that is if you have one you need the other to obtain the real value from your investment. That will take about 4 hours, and then i will lay the article out, plan the flow of my argument and submit it to the editor for approval.
I also have only one vendor briefing today, VMware, which you will hear about on Monday. Have a nice weekend, and i have decided to write this blog in two parts, a diary for anybody interested, and an analyst comment on technologies i follow.
Virtualisation
The idea of infrastructure virtualisation is to increase the utilisation figures of servers and storage; however, it can also increase agility and delay capital expenditure, but server virtualisation will also need more storage, and increases your license costs. Therefore, before you leap do the maths, does it make sense for your organisation, or are there other solutions such as enterprise-class server or mainframes.
I also have only one vendor briefing today, VMware, which you will hear about on Monday. Have a nice weekend, and i have decided to write this blog in two parts, a diary for anybody interested, and an analyst comment on technologies i follow.
Virtualisation
The idea of infrastructure virtualisation is to increase the utilisation figures of servers and storage; however, it can also increase agility and delay capital expenditure, but server virtualisation will also need more storage, and increases your license costs. Therefore, before you leap do the maths, does it make sense for your organisation, or are there other solutions such as enterprise-class server or mainframes.
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