It is often said we only use 10 percent of our brains. When it comes to humans, that old saying is just a myth. But for computer servers, it turns out to be true – at least it was before virtualization, a method of dramatically increasing server capacity that is quickly catching on.
Todd Knapp is the CEO and co-founder of Envision Technology Advisors, a 10-year-old Providence-based consulting firm that specializes in virtualization and storage strategies and is one of Rhode Island’s top providers of visualization services. Knapp talked with Providence Business News recently about what virtualization is, how it works, and which big player is poised shake up the industry.
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PBN: What exactly is virtualization? Could you explain how it works?
KNAPP: Simply put, virtualization is about doing more with less. As you know, every business has servers. They sit in the back room and make it possible for us all to work. Small companies might have three to five servers, while larger companies can have hundreds.
What you may not know is that in almost every case, those servers are only servicing 5 to 10 percent of their potential utilization. That’s because individual tasks and software applications have to be isolated to avoid incompatibilities. As a result, the hardware is underutilized. When you think of it, that’s a lot of wasted investment.
Virtualization takes the physical resources of a single server and partitions it so that you can install more than one operating system on that physical box. By doing that, we can leverage much more of the physical resources, and ultimately use less equipment. With virtualization, a company that might normally have 20 servers, which all run at 5 to 10 percent utilization, can have just 4 or 5 servers, because they will be running at 80 to 90 percent utilization.
PBN: What kinds of benefits can businesses see from embracing virtualization?
KNAPP: Clearly there is a strong financial case for embracing virtualization. Less equipment means a lower entry cost, and less long-term expense. Most companies see a 100 percent return on their investment within nine months. However, decreased equipment cost is only part of the equation. Virtualization means less electricity, less cooling, less real estate dedicated to servers and less e-waste.
That being said, the biggest benefit (especially to small businesses) is in how virtualization can make a business more competitive. Virtualized servers share a pool of physical resources. That means that if one piece of equipment stops running, the servers automatically move over to a box that is still functional and business continues as normal. Furthermore, it is much easier to manage and scale a virtual environment. Small businesses often can’t afford multiple servers; virtualization provides them with the benefits of a large server environment for a fraction of the cost. Additionally, this means that IT resources can be more focused on providing solutions to business challenges, rather than spending their time supporting equipment. Less downtime, simple scalability and easier management allow a small business to compete with larger competitors that aren’t as strapped for resources.
PBN: How difficult is it to get a system set up for virtualization?
KNAPP: There are some prerequisites in order to virtualize. However, I can tell you that we have virtualized large for-profit companies, small businesses with just one server and even several nonprofits. Every one of them has seen benefits from virtualizing. In the end, most businesses find that the costs are recovered within a year, and the long-term expenses are considerably smaller. I think that the primary providers of the technology, like VMWare Inc., have done a good job of making it easy to get started.
PBN: Many people have been surprised to hear that Cisco Systems plans to make a big push into the server market, and virtualization is said to be the key reason for Cisco’s decision. What impact could you see this having?
KNAPP: I believe that Cisco’s move into server technology could force vendors like IBM, HP and Dell to reconsider their offerings. Cisco is obviously a strong player in the infrastructure community and so most IT people will at least take a look at what Cisco will offer.
Server technology has been commoditized over the last five to 10 years. If Cisco can bring some differentiators into the market, it may force competitors to do the same, and we could see a less homogenous set of offerings out there. That will make it increasingly important to have good technical resources involved in the design of a network.
PBN: Could you see Cisco helping to push virtualization innovation?
KNAPP: Absolutely. Cisco has already pushed the technology forward with some products that bridge the physical and virtual worlds. I am sure that their foray into servers will continue to strengthen the case for virtualization.
At the end of the day, most major vendors – Microsoft, Citrix, IBM, Dell, HP, etc. – are on board. Virtualization represents a fundamental shift in the way that we think about technology. Every additional vendor that moves their focus to this technology adds something new to the equation and forces everyone else to increase the pace of innovation. The last time that the technology community experienced this type of change was when we all went from mainframes and green screens to computers on the desk. Now, we are shifting to a technology that leverages the best of both models. It’s an exciting time to be in technology.
