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It’s cost effective.
It’s easier on the environment.
It’s efficient.
Yada, yada, yada.
There’s no doubt about it. Virtualization IS changing our IT environments, mostly for the better.
But virtualization is not perfect - in fact, far from it. There are potential problems to consider when deciding to go virtual, like security and ROI.
In light of those pitfalls, Computer World has published a very realistic list of 7 ‘half-truths’ about virtualization - and what could happen if deployment isn’t planned properly.
1. Virtualization will make life easier
Virtualization simultaneously introduces management challenges that can’t be ignored. IT shops need strict policies and perhaps third-party automation tools to prevent virtual server sprawl, the unchecked spread of VMs. Even if you end up with fewer physical servers, Burton Group analyst Chris Wolf says the overall number of managed objects can increase, because of the hypervisors and sheer number of VMs.
Many users also assume administrative time will be lessened, but in reality the virtual infrastructure itself has to be managed and may require a new centralized storage system, says Martijn Lohmeijer, managing consultant with TriNext, an IT outsourcing and consulting firm.
Frustratingly, many software vendors don’t offer the same levels of support for applications running in VMs as they do for applications running on bare metal. Microsoft eased up on some licensing restrictions last year, but analysts are still criticizing Oracle and other vendors for restrictive policies related to support in virtualized environments. The calculation of software licensing fees can also be more complicated in a virtual data center.
2. Consolidating onto fewer servers will be simple
The first goal of a server virtualization project is often consolidation. If you can run the same number of workloads on 10 servers that you were running on 100, why not consolidate as fast as possible? Unfortunately, many IT shops that plan to consolidate end up doing so much slower than they expect, says George Pradel, director of strategic alliances for virtualization management vendor Vizioncore. It’s easy to say “every new workload has to go on a virtual machine,” but moving old workloads from a physical box to a virtual one is not always a simple task, he says.
3. Virtualization automatically reduces power use
While you now have fewer servers using up watts, each server is running at a higher CPU capacity and has greater power needs. At Brandeis University in Massachusetts, a virtualization project has actually increased overall power use, reports network and systems director John Turner. Although Brandeis dramatically reduced its number of servers, it is now offering more services to users because spinning up new VMs is so easy. Each new workload increases power use.
Another issue to consider: If you’re shutting off lots of servers, a data center has to be reconfigured to prevent cooling from being directed to empty space, explains APC CTO Jim Simonelli. ”The need to consider power and cooling alongside virtualization is becoming more and more important,” he says. “If you just virtualize, but don’t alter your infrastructure, you tend to be less efficient than you could be.”
4. Virtualization makes me safer
If you’re suffering from virtual server sprawl, it may be difficult to keep track of all your VMs, and it may thus be difficult to ensure that all of them are properly patched. Also, hypervisors do not perform encryption, leaving open the possibility of man-in-the-middle attacks such as Xensploit, which intercepts unencrypted data when VMs are migrated between physical servers. That doesn’t mean you should avoid virtualization altogether, but it’s often best to start with minor systems and work your way up to mission-critical applications.
5. Desktop virtualization will save me money instantly
Virtualization should make it easier to deploy new desktops to users, apply patches and perform other management tasks. Desktop virtualization can also save money in the long run. But IT shops have to remember desktop virtualization requires significant upfront costs, from purchasing user devices such as thin clients to back-end infrastructure such as servers, PC blades and networked storage to support VMs.
6. Virtualization is the same as cloud computing
Virtualization is a key enabler of cloud computing. But installing VMware on a few servers doesn’t mean you’ve built a private cloud. In addition to virtualization, a private cloud requires service automation technologies and a self-service interface for provisioning new resources, says IBM cloud software chief Kristof Kloeckner.
A cloud doesn’t necessarily even need virtualization. This has been proven by none other than Google officials, who have said they do not virtualize production hardware and instead use a job scheduling system of Google’s own design to manage its many thousands of servers.
7. Virtualization is all about technology
Even if your virtualization project is a hit, you might become a victim of your own success. Once users might realize how easy it is to spin up a VM, they may become more demanding, making it harder for IT to focus on other tasks. Conversely, there may be resistance from users who prefer to stick with physical servers.
Pradel likes to call politics the “eighth layer” of the network stack.
“The political layer is the most difficult thing you have to deal with as far as virtualization goes,” Pradel says. “You have members of your business community who I like to call serer huggers. They do not want to get rid of their physical machines, even though they will benefit from going to virtual.”
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| Around the ’sphere:
Three Virtualization Management Myths : The Akorri blog - It was after watching an episode (my husband’s choice, not mine) that it occurred to me that there are a few virtualization management myths that have surfaced. So the three I came up with are: Virtualization Guarantees Performance … Myths & Facts about Desktop Virtualization - help you pick the … - There are three myths that exist about Citrix’s desktop virtualization or virtual desktop offering. Unfortunately, most of these have been propagated via misinformation being packaged as customer education by Citrix’s competition! … MS Hyper-V Virtualization Myths Busting - MS Hyper-V Virtualization Myths Busting. Posted by virtualized1970 on May 31, 2009. I have just came across a video of Microsoft trying to bust VMware top Myths, but what is funny to me it seems Microsoft had just busted them selfes in … Three Virtualization Management Myths Busted | Virtualization Journal - 3rd International Virtualization Conference & Expo Call For Papers and Sponsorship Opportunities Now Open! June 23-24, 2008 New York City. |
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