Virtualization Options for SMBs (Part I)

To virtualize or not to virtualize? That is the question… Whether it is better in the minds of small businesses to suffer the unending challenges of solo consultants, physical servers and conventional application delivery, or to take control of their IT infrastructures through virtualization and by doing so ending the cycle of rebuilds, installs and complicated business continuity strategies. To be ridged, to be wasteful, no more.

Small businesses today are starting to pick up on this thing known as “virtualization”, however they struggle with the path they should take and the products to use. So much so that they jump in with both feet without the proper planning required to fully benefit or they shy away from it completely due to a lack of understanding. There appears to be no happy medium at this point within the SMB. There is however a light at the end of the tunnel. Vendors are beginning to focus more on the SMB space by providing the tools and programs to organizations responsible for providing the support that small businesses require.

What does Virtualization mean to your Small Business?

Ask five small business owners and you may get five different answers. In Part 1 of “Virtualization Options for Small Businesses”, I will discuss two aspects of IT that are most often associated with virtualization.

Server and Desktop Infrastructure

Servers and workstations are seen as the most common candidates for virtualization in the workplace. For good reason, amazing products are now available to greatly reduce the number of servers found in the server room and provide for a more efficient desktop experience.

Most small businesses benefit not from reducing server sprawl, but through the implementation of flexible systems not reliant upon physical server hardware. By reducing the servers down to files running on a lightweight software layer known as a hypervisor, universal hardware resources can be provided masking the actual hardware installed within the physical system. If the actual physical host fails, administrators simply copy the file to a new physical system with a hypervisor and start the virtual machine. This can be automated or performed manually. Either way, it will greatly reduce the time to recover from a failure.

As for desktops, many companies could benefit from virtualization by leveraging thin-client devices to access desktops based on a common shared image. We have come full circle where the idea of using terminals to conduct business instead of complete computer systems is very appealing and practical in many cases. Businesses can now centralize computer systems through virtualization and provide employees with the tools needed to complete their tasks without the distractions found on complete computer systems. This model also allows for greater security, keeping company information within the walls of the organization and not on individual desktops or laptops that can easily be stolen.

Application Virtualization

Applications have been virtualized for years through trusted technologies provided by companies like Citrix (XenApp) and Microsoft (Terminal Services).  These technologies continue to be improved keeping them relevant as a secure remote access methods or primary application delivery systems.

Click here to read “Virtualization Options for SMBs (Part II)

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