Server virtualization: benefits and what to check before migrating

With virtualization, several virtual servers run on one physical server. The result is better use of resources, less space and power, and more flexibility in managing services.

Main benefits

• Fewer physical servers and lower maintenance costs.
• New servers up and running in minutes instead of days.
• Moving virtual machines between hosts for maintenance without service downtime.
• Simpler backup and recovery of whole machines.

Before migrating

Monitor the current load on your servers (CPU, memory, disk and network) for at least a few weeks so that host capacity is sized correctly. For high availability, plan for at least two hosts and shared storage (SAN or NAS) or a distributed storage solution.

Pay attention to software licensing too; some software is licensed differently in a virtual environment. Finally, separate the management, storage and user traffic networks to keep performance and security.