Cloudware Technologies - Guide to Cloud Computing for Business and Technology Managers - page 302

Virtualization—the process of using computer resources to imi-
tate other resources—is valued for its capability to increase IT
resource utilization, efficiency, and scalability. One obvious
application of virtualization is server virtualization, which helps
organizations to increase the utilization of physical servers and poten-
tially save on infrastructure costs; companies are increasingly finding
that virtualization is not limited only to servers but is valid and appli-
cable across the entire IT infrastructure, including networks, storage,
and software. For instance, one of the most important requirements for
success with big data is having the right level of performance to sup-
port the analysis of large volumes and varied types of data. If a com-
pany only virtualizes the servers, they may experience bottlenecks
from other infrastructure elements such as storage and networks; fur-
thermore, they are less likely to achieve the latency and efficiency that
they need and more likely to expose the company to higher costs and
increased security risks. As a result, a company's entire IT environment
needs to be optimized at every layer from the network to the databases,
storage, and servers—virtualization adds efficiency at every layer of
the IT infrastructure.
For a provider of IT services, the use of virtualization techniques has
a number of advantages:
1. Resource usage : Physical servers rarely work to capacity because
their operators usually allow for sufficient computing resources
to cover peak usage. If virtual machines are used, any load
requirement can be satisfied from the resource pool. In case the
demand increases, it is possible to delay or even avoid the pur-
chase of new capacities.
2. Management : It is possible to automate resource pool manage-
ment. Virtual machines can be created and configured auto-
matically as required.
3. Consolidation : Different application classes can be consolidated
to run on a smaller number of physical components. Besides
server or storage consolidation, it is also possible to include
entire system landscapes, data and databases, networks, and
desktops. Consolidation leads to increased efficiency and thus
to cost reduction.
4. Energy consumption : Supplying large data centers with electric
power has become increasingly difficult, and seen over its life-
time, the cost of energy required to operate a server is higher
than its purchase price. Consolidation reduces the number of
physical components. This, in turn, reduces the expenses for
energy supply.