18 Dec 2008

Server virtualisation 'eases management'

Virtual servers offer more benefits that some businesses might realise, an expert has said.

Industry expert David Lynch, writing at ITWorld, commented that life-span, power use and mobility are among the areas where virtual servers offer advantages compared to physical alternatives.

Some firms might believe the two types of servers require the same management requirements because configuration, updating and performance optimisation are tasks common to both, Mr Lynch noted.

"At first glance, these differences may not look very significant, but when they all have an impact when it comes to management, control and auditability," he said.

Mr Lynch noted that server virtualisation can affect almost all aspects of a data centre management.

In one example, he explained that whereas physical servers are almost always powered on except during maintenance, virtual servers can be managed more according to a company's requirements.

According to the National Computing Centre's Benchmark of IT Strategy 2008 survey, more than 70 per cent of organisations view server virtualisation as technology of "major significance".