Virtualization Overview 
by Jane Cage, COO, HTS

We live in a world that constantly forces us to “do more with less”. Employees are expected to be more efficient. Multi-function devices are becoming the standard on many desktops. We multi-task by answering email, talking on the phone and reviewing a spreadsheet – all at the same time.

We shouldn’t be surprised then that IT departments are asking the same of their fileservers. When server utilization gets measured, we find that many servers have much more capacity than they actually use for the majority of the time. With so much excess capacity – why not run more than one server on a single machine? That’s what virtualization is all about -- one physical machine running more than one server operating system.

Virtualization is a “hot” technology right now and here are some of the reasons why:

• Cost Savings – virtualization may allow you to consolidate multiple servers down to one. Not every server is a candidate to be virtualized but many can make the move successfully.

• Ease of Deployment – An IT person can build a “standard” server in a virtual environment. Any time a new server is needed, a copy of the standard server can be deployed in minutes rather than hours.

• Test Bench – If you are not sure if your existing software will run in a new operating system, why not use a virtual server for testing?

• Disaster Recovery – When the unthinkable happens, recovery of a virtual machine may speed your time back to operations.

VMWare has been the leader in virtualization technology. This year, Microsoft is introducing Server 2008 which promises a wealth of features that will raise the bar. You’re sure to hear more about this exploding technology in the months to come. If you’re interested, contact your account rep for more information.