TAG | Recession proof your enterprise with Linux-based virtualisation |
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| by David M Williams | |
| Sunday, 23 November 2008 | |
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Page 3 of 3 You will find that the more RAM you can add to the server the better. It also goes without saying that you would want RAID 5 SCSI hard drives – as any server should have – for maximum performance.Featured Whitepaper
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Best of all, it is a snap to move any virtual server from one physical machine to any other. Each consists of basically two files on disk – a configuration file that defines the server’s parameters such as connected devices and amount of visible RAM, and the virtual hard drive which is itself just a disk file. These can be copied onto any other server and the virtual machine re-mounted there. It doesn’t matter if the hardware is of a different architecture to the original server; the virtual machines do not require any hardware-specific device drivers. You will also find that virtual servers in this way are more disaster-resistant than the original machines. It is a trivial exercise to stop a virtual machine, backup its virtual hard drive, then restart and perform a change. If something goes wrong, it is equally trivial to stop the virtual machine and restore the virtual hard drive. This can be performed in a fraction of the time it would take to do the same level of backup and restore on a real disk on a real server. Sure, products like Symantec LiveState or most good backup software can achieve this but firstly, they cost money if you don’t already have them, and secondly, how often do company’s go to the extent of using these for anything but the most drastic of changes? This is particularly true if your data centre is off site, like in a co-location facility. Instead, with virtualisation you’re effectively able to implement more stringent processes than you would realistically follow on physical servers. This is a compelling argument in addition to the fact you are slashing expenditure. Let’s get back to the Linux aspect: by deploying this free open-source operating system you are not spending a cent on software to provide the virtualisation platform and that in itself is impressive. Additionally, you’re not imposing any burden or requirement on your servers that have been virtualised. No matter if you are a Microsoft shop or not, you have not altered the way any of these servers behave or work. You can join the Linux host system to your Active Directory domain if you wish, using Samba, or not at all. In one sense, you could consider the host system to be much like ILO – or “integrated lights out” as implemented in Hewlett Packard servers which permits you to control a server through a dedicated console which has no relationship to your domain. Check it out; with a Linux-based virtualisation solution you can decrease the amount of money your business spends on its existing server hosting as well as new hardware and maybe the job you save could be your own. |
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