Microsoft IT Whitepaper on Virtualization
I'm sure many of you have seen this, and though I linked to it in response to one of my TechNet emails, I thought it should warrant a separate post. The whitepaper is an interesting read on how MSIT has done planning and deployment of virtual servers using Virtual Server 2005. Many businesses are now grasping the concept of virtualization and how it can reduce their IT costs. Something that was only previously deployable with a large IT staff can now be done in a single room on a few boxes. When I think of virtualization, I am reminded of that hilarious IBM ad with the guy who says, "the servers are our friends!" If only their products were as easy to like as their messaging. The point of that commerical is that as IT needs grow, it is logical to add more appliances and servers to meet those needs--but somewhere along the line, many IT departments forget about efficiency. This is not surprising considering senior IT administrators are routinely tasked with putting out fires rather than being an active layer of overall business strategy. As small and mid-size business managers wise up to the cost savings that virtualization can provide now and in the near future with Longhorn, it is important for professionals in the industry learn from best practices from corporations that have gone through the hurdles of deployment using alpha and beta builds. Now, some two years later, explore how a mature solution like Virtual Server 2005 R2 can impact your business today.
