Six Options for Business Virtualization

How does your business use virtualization? We guarantee you that at least part of your infrastructure is virtualized to some degree, even if you don’t realize it. From hardware infrastructure to your desktop infrastructure, there are plenty of options for how your business can leverage virtualization for considerable impact.

Breaking Down Virtualization

To illustrate what virtualization is, it’s best to use a solid example.

Imagine your server infrastructure—usually dependent on an operating system and specialized software installed on a physical server unit—but without all the limitations that are normally in place, specifically regarding compatibility. Virtualization is basically an abstraction; you separate the resource from the hardware it’s installed on. In essence, you’re emulating a copy that’s hosted in a layer of software called a hypervisor. This lets a single server perform various tasks that aren’t actually reliant on the hardware itself.

Thus, you’re running multiple independent virtual devices on one physical device. Pretty neat, huh?

How Virtualization Benefits Businesses

Prior to the popularization of virtualization, there was a finite limit on how much software a piece of hardware could run on its own. It was more difficult to configure software, and especially difficult to move one solution to another piece of hardware. Thanks to virtualization, it’s easier than ever to do so, and you can do it without impacting the performance of your network.

How Businesses Use Virtualization

There are a ton of options for virtualization available, and you can use them to build out an infrastructure that serves your business’ needs. Here is what they do:

• Server virtualization - Your virtual server is more flexible than a physical device, and you’ll find it’s easier to make changes to resources, thus allowing your business to scale resources alongside your business as it grows.
• Desktop virtualization - You can virtualize a desktop to simulate it on a hosted server, which helps you get around hardware requirements. You can host a workstation in a virtual environment to make it more accessible.
• Network virtualization - A virtual network is segmented into smaller pieces that can be managed and adjusted more easily than the full one. These are great if you want to assign resources to specific networks, which can be helpful for more resource-intensive parts of your infrastructure.
• Storage virtualization - You can even virtualize your data storage to make it easier to access on any approved device. If you wanted to, you could make one, single centralized location for all your data.
• Application virtualization - Application virtualization gives you the power to run software without the restrictions or limitations of your device’s operating system, thereby allowing you to run it on any device.
• Data virtualization - With data virtualization, you abstract the location, format, and performance of data to allow for more broad access.

The best use of virtualization for your business will depend on your particular needs, but don’t worry! We can help you figure those out. To get started, give us a call at (205) 208-0340.