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VMware...continued from page 1.
Explaining VirtualisationSo let's take a closer look at challenges in the datacenter for x86 computers that virtualization was designed to help.The x86 server has a physical piece of hardware that installs an operating system as an interface between the applications that run on the machine and the hardware. Each x86 system can run only one operating system at a time. As for the applications, x86 systems can run multiple software applications that are compatible with the operating system, but the various software applications may not function properly when other applications are running alongside it, often causing unexpected and undesirable results. Running multiple applications on the same server introduces additional risks. Should there be downtime from a server with multiple applications, all of the applications on the server are affected. To manage these risks, datacenters typically run a single application per server. Inefficient UtilisationRunning applications on separate servers makes sense in terms of managing downtime risks, but it becomes wasteful as server hardware becomes more powerful and software becomes more distributed. Hardware for servers is now fortified with 64-bit technology, multicore processing, and greater clock speeds. On the software side, the growth of applications designed for use in a Web browser has increased the distribution of application components across different servers.Low Utilisation NormalThese trends dramatically decrease the efficiency of your customer's hardware purchases. Studies show that the normal utilization rate of x86 servers is only 5-15 percent of capacity. And, if anything, utilization rates are likely to decrease over time. Continuing a pattern that has prevailed since the dawn of computing, an entry-level server today has a superior CPU and more memory than the same system a year ago. While over the same period, the resource requirements of many typical server workloads, such as print, e-mail, internal Web servers, and domain controllers has not changed significantly. As a result, the average utilization has decreased over time. And this under-utilization problem is only going to get worse if datacenter managers do not do something about it.Low utilization rates of x86 servers increases the complexity of managing the hardware and decreases your customer's return on investment (ROI). Paying for new hardware when existing hardware is barely utilized, managing an increasingly large IT infrastructure, and provisioning that hardware leads to unnecessary challenges for your customers. VMware has developed virtualization for x86 computers to address these utilization issues. VMware's virtualization technology embeds a thin layer of software directly on the server hardware, separating the hardware from the operating system. The Virtualisation LayerThe virtualization layer supports the management of multiple virtual machines that reside on the same physical server. These virtual machines, which separate the hardware from the operating system and applications, can be thought of as tightly isolated containers. Each virtual machine has its own operating system and applications. A customer can now run a Windows, Linux, Netware, and Solaris operating system on the same physical machine at the same time. |
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