Virtualisation is a proven software technology that is rapidly transforming the IT landscape and fundamentally changing the way that organisations manage their infrastructure.
Basically, it lets you transform hardware into software and can benefit anyone who uses a computer. It enables you to virtualise the hardware resources of an x86-based computer - including the CPU, RAM, hard disk and network controller - to create a fully functional virtual machine that can run its own operating system and applications just like a “real” computer. However, virtualising a single physical computer is just the beginning.
Multiple virtual machines share hardware resources without interfering with each other so that you can safely run several operating systems and applications at the same time on a single computer.
The VMware approach to virtualisation inserts a thin layer of software directly on the computer hardware or on a host operating system.
This software layer creates virtual machines so that multiple operating systems can run concurrently on a single physical computer.
VMware offers a robust virtualisation platform that can scale across hundreds of interconnected physical computers and storage devices to form an entire virtual infrastructure.
How virtualisation can help disaster recovery
Business continuity and disaster recovery (DR) planning are critical to managing risks in a successful business. According to the Definitive handbook for Business Management, between 60-90% of companies that do not have a proactive disaster plan find themselves out of business within 24 months of experiencing a major disaster.
However, implementation of a reliable recovery strategy with fast time to recovery is expensive largely because it involves maintaining recovery equipment that mirrors the equipment in the primary data centre. Virtualisation can overcome this problem and help your Business Continuity and DR plans in a number of ways:
Built-in continuous availability - provides inherent high availability at several levels
Hardware Independence - virtual machines encapsulate the complete environment, so applications can be restored to any hardware with a virtualisation platform without concern for the differences in underlying hardware
Find out more
We believe that virtualisation is the way forward and are keen to introduce the benefits of this technology to as many organisations as possible. To this end we are running a series of free-of-chrage breakfast briefings during 2008 at which you can find out more.
We except demand for these events to be high, so to reserve your place, click here.
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