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Virtualization in computing

by

{your name}

Submitted to

{your audience}

{where your audience is}

{date}

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ABSTRACT

This composition details the use of virtualization and its application in the business

world. Evolving technology shapes business development continually streamlining processes

making business more effective to the world market. Virtualization brings simplicity to most

computer applications ultimately aiding developers, programmers, and end users. To a business

entity, virtualization is a powerful tool which provides the world of business with more effective

solutions saving excessive hardware cost, more efficient time management, and overall

improvement of system reliability.

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TABLE OF CONTENTS

LIST OF ILLUSTRATIONS.......................................................................................................iv

GLOSSARY..............................................................................................................................v

I - INTRODUCTION..................................................................................................................1

II - SAVING EXCESSIVE HARDWARE COSTHardware cost in general................................................................................................1Cooling systems.............................................................................................................1Data storage...................................................................................................................1

III - MORE EFFICIENT TIME MANAGEMENTRoutine Maintenance......................................................................................................2Security..........................................................................................................................2Disaster Recovery..........................................................................................................3

IV - IMPROVEMENT OF SYSTEM RELIABILITYHardware and Software......................................................................................................3Multitasking...................................................................................................................3

V - CONCLUSION........................................................................................................................3

WORKS CITED.............................................................................................................................4

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LIST OF ILLISTRATIONS

Figure 1. Electricity usage comparison and savings..................................................................2

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GLOSSARY

Virtualization Virtualization is the creation of a virtual (rather than actual) version of something, such as an operating system, a server, a storage device or network resources.

ROI Return on Investment (ROI) A measure of a corporation's profitability, equal to a fiscal year's income divided by common stock and preferred stock equity plus long-term debt. ROI measures how effectively the firm uses its capital to generate profit; the higher the ROI, the better.

IT Information Technology (IT) the branch of engineering that deals with the use of computers and telecommunications to retrieve and store and transmit information

GUI A graphical user interface (GUI) is a human-computer interface (i.e., a way for humans to interact with computers) that uses windows, icons and menus and which can be manipulated by a mouse (and often to a limited extent by a keyboard as well).

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I - INTRODUCTION

Success in the business world relies on the ability to overcome the competition on all levels. A highly competitive business will continually seek the best value for dollar weighed option available. Technology drives business entities to become more efficient and to compete on a world market. Compatibility and resources needed to interact on a global scale is why a company must sustain the cutting edge of the technical realm. This is possibly truer today; with dwindling investments because of poor economic conditions, then ever before as a company pursues on. Without this essential competitive knowhow, any business will often fold under the pressures of a tough market. Today, one such aspect companies have found is the reliability and performance of utilizing virtualization of hardware/server, storage and desktop platforms. Today the use of virtualization allows businesses anywhere in the world to become a key player regardless of location. Virtualization allows a company to maintain all aspects a IT infrastructure with less resources than ever before. As specified by Clark Scheffy (2007) (1), "virtualization is a technical innovation design to increase the level of system abstraction and enable IT users to harness ever-increasing levels of computer performance". The assets and attributes of virtualization are what a company must take full advantage of to maintain constancy and effectiveness in the world market. Virtualization, a powerful tool in the arsenal of the modern technology, provides the world of business with more effective solutions saving excessive hardware cost, more efficient time management, and overall improvement of system reliability.

II - SAVING EXCESSIVE HARDWARE COST

A business entity has no more responsibility then the process of controlling cost. Controlling cost leads to more profitable business growth. Virtualization plays a key role in this process bringing aspects of hardware cost to a more manageable percentage. Virtualization cost is generally more to implement, but significant monetary savings advantages can be seen in the long run. Even such disadvantaging expenses as the cost of licensing can be absorbed when implementing the right proportions of specifically needed and advantageous software packages. From server hardware, power supply consumption, cooling systems, to safety protocols such as fire suppression equipment can become evasive to any yearly budget. Efficiency is the key to maintain cost and accomplish mission goals with less. For such aspects of server implementation, virtualization on medium to even large scale networks, allows companies to easily realize large energy costs savings and can dramatically reduce the size of their data centers.

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Figure 1. Energy savings per year (Source: MSDN blogs. "Virtualization and "Green IT""

The use of virtualization, in respect to these elements, consolidation can reduce cost which in turn increases Return on Investment (ROI) because you can run multiple workloads on a single server all without any reduction in performance. No longer do you have to purchase, maintain, and supply power to multiple servers. With virtualization, a business can run up to 8 virtual servers and up to 64 virtual desktop environments on one physical server while only having to maintain and supply power to that single physical server.

Modern business expectations are becoming more demanding. Technology is, of course, a key part of the solution for improving productivity, but higher productivity should not simply mean employees working under more pressure for longer hours. To deliver lasting productivity improvements requires access to people, information and IT that allows key employees to excel and staff to work together better. (Glick, 2010)(2).For those elements such as power supplies, cooling, and storage can also take on their

own cost eating ability rather rapidly to a sensitive budget. Space, for instance, in a data center is also at a premium and storage can be a major controlling factor when it comes to the accumulation of data. Virtualization, through the use of network shares can permit these items to be significantly scaled back to reduce not only IT real estate but the noteworthy maintenance cost activities of a typical data center.

III - MORE EFFICIENT TIME MANAGEMENT

In the past, thousands of man hours were needed to operate and maintain server and desktop platforms within a respective business environment. With virtualization technology, processes in the past can be reduced to fewer hours, lower costs, faster responses, and less down time. The complex task of assigning group policies and security measures would typically consume many man hours because the IT personnel had to physically touch each user's machine in able to implement the changes. With virtualization, the IT person can easily assign users to groups and then implement the same policies and security measures in fraction of the time from the comforts of his own office by simply logging in to the relevant servers. Response times for a help request would also be cut down dramatically. All virtual desktops can be managed from one central GUI within the IT department. Also, no longer does a company have to spend countless hours building and imaging new or replacement desktops for in the field, now you would simply put out a thin client and then create a desktop environment at the push of a few buttons for the user. These virtual desktops can be easily replicated on as many machines as needed. Even if a user

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literally makes the desktop environment unusable, it can easily be replaced by the most recent full backup and the worker can resume daily activities with minimal downtime.

Technology is definitely on our side when it comes to time management. Most of the programs out there are paperless so one can eliminate paperwork to a large degree. You can save money due to the reduction of paper and you will need less room to store it. A person can keep all of their information for tasks to complete and scheduled appointments in one location. Those two things alone are going to help most people get the most out of their time each day, (3).

Overall the advancement of technology allows businesses to perform on a new level with effective swiftness to accommodate the consumer with the convenience they have become accustom to. Without the use of tools like virtualization, processes can be tremendously slow hindering not only day-to-day activities but positive communication and delivery of services to consumers.

V - IMPROVEMENT OF SYSTEM RELIABILITY

There may be no more important aspect to the business process then the reliability of system hardware and software. Unreliable tools and equipment can cause businesses additional time and money cutting not only into profit margins, but also can cause unexpected delays impacting positive customer relations. Virtualization allows business entities to streamline hardware by running multiple applications through virtual desktops environments. This functional use of hardware multitasking simplifies scheduled maintenance procedures, snapshots for backups, and routine performance upgrade requirements. The utilization of virtualization positively impacts all business applications saving businesses time and most importantly money.

VI - CONCLUSION

Today the use of virtualization aids businesses anywhere in the world to become a key player in the global market regardless of location. Virtualization allows a company to maintain all aspects a IT infrastructure with less resources than ever before. Virtualization sets the standard marrying old fashion business processes to modern conveniences and real time customer support. Virtualization gives companies the advantage of controlling such aspects in the technology hemisphere such as the necessity for excessive hardware bringing savings from power consumption to floor space. In aspects of time management, virtualization permits businesses to accomplish more with fewer man hours and fewer disruptions. This also holds true in areas of under complex tasking conditions, disaster recovery, and faster customer response times. Virtualization also provides companies with improvements in all aspects of system reliability. System reliability allows an entity to focus more on corporate needs as well as the needs of the market. Virtualization, a powerful tool in the arsenal of the modern technology, provides the world of business with more effective solutions saving excessive hardware cost, more efficient time management, and overall improvement of system reliability.

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WORKS CITED

Scheffy, Clark. "Virtualization for Dummies" 2007: 1

Computer Weekly. "Productivity that works: A Computer Weekly content programme in association with Microsoft"<http://www.computerweekly.com/static-pages/productivity-that-works/>

Orr, Alan. "Technology and Time Management" Sept. 2008 <http://jobfunctions.bnet.com/abstract.aspx?docid=389363>