Understanding The Many Faces Of Server Virtualisation

As with the term cloud computing, server virtualisation can mean different things to different people but the important issue to realise is that there are a number of solutions in the marketplace, many of which take slightly different approaches to the issue.

Fujitsu, for example, offers an application called ServerView Resource Co-ordinator VE that allows organisations to draw together all of their physical and virtual IT server resources - including those in the cloud - under an umbrella control environment.

The nett result of this solution is that enterprises can keep a careful control over their physical (conventional) servers, as well as virtual servers in their own network, and cloud-based virtual servers.

By ensuring that optimal system resources are automatically allocated at all times - drawing on cloud resources as and when required - the enterprise can use its resources as efficiently as is possible.

This is important for many enterprises, as it means that the possibility of partially - or even completely empty - drive arrays spinning in servers in an air-conditioned data centre is significantly reduced.

So what flavours of virtualisation are best for your organisation? CSA Waverley, a health sector IT specialist, has taken an innovative approach to this issue by using a mobile Blade server running a VMware suite of software, to take free of charge virtualisation test-drives to the desks of NHS IT professionals across the UK.