Virtualization

Virtualization

Virtualization | BlueKey IT

The Benefits of Server Virtualization

Server virtualization is a great way to take full advantage of your computer’s processing power, storage, and memory.  At BlueKey IT we have worked with and supported server virtualization since it’s inception.  Our trained technicians can support your VMware or Hyper-V environment.  Or if you have a physical server in place we can assist you in virtualizing it.

In today’s era of modern computing, often times a server’s hardware capabilities far exceed the requirements of the task that it’s been chosen to do.  For example, you may have two physical servers in your office.  One server is used as a file server and the other is used as a print server.  These two servers do not require much processing power or memory to do their job.  These two physical servers could be virtualized in to one physical box.  This not only saves space but it also saves electricity, in turn saving your company money.

There are other benefits to virtualization.  Virtualized servers have a lot more options when it comes to things like disaster recover, backups, replication, and redundancy.   A “snapshot” can be taken of a virtualized server to offer a quick copy of all the settings on that machine.  This can provide for an easy way to recover from a failed update or other misconfiguration.

At BlueKey IT Services we can also help setup a redundant server infrastructure to reduce the likelihood of downtime from a hardware failure.  Virtual machines can easily be setup in a clustered environment where multiple physical servers share their resources in a pool.  This enables virtual machines to be migrated on the fly between them. This also provides a convenient way to upgrade physical hardware as the virtual machines do not have to be taken offline for the technicians to replace parts.

Virtual machines can also be configure to replicate to off-site locations providing even more redundancy should a primary site ever go offline.