Virtualization Management Brings the Ultimate in Efficiency

A funny thing happened on the way to virtualization: Many IT managers discovered that instead of bringing simplicity to their busy data centers, the technology actually made things more complicated. Sure, physical server counts were reduced, energy costs lowered and hardware footprints shrank—all thanks to virtualization.

However, complexity and confusion grew, and managing virtual environments became an almost unbearable challenge. The situation has left many with false assumptions, technology myths and, worst of all, a sense that virtualization can cost more than it’s worth.

After all, the goal for most IT shops has been to do more with less, not less with more, and virtualization platforms have come to represent increased management needs, as well as higher operational overhead. Even so, the adoption of virtualization solutions grows, as does the dissatisfaction with how much savings can be delivered.

The truth is that this is not a technological problem, but a management problem. Luckily, that problem can be solved with technology, specifically virtualization management technology. However, before diving into that that aspect of virtual environments, IT professionals need to learn what the facts and myths of virtualization are before taking a deep dive.

One of the first things an IT manager should learn is that deploying a virtualization solution is never a quick fix for other problems. 

Frank Marshall, director of global retail support for The Estée Lauder Companies, has seen firsthand that deploying virtualization solutions is not without its challenges.

“Virtualization can present as many challenges as it solves,” said Marshall. “Management becomes more complex, thanks to hypervisor issues, platform changes and all of the associated components needed to build a virtualization platform. It takes a holistic approach, where virtual machines are monitored, managed and maintained to truly benefit from everything virtualization has to offer.”

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