Virtualization Question

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nosbigekim

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Jul 22, 2004
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Let's say you have multiple servers performing different Windows based functions and want to consolidate them. For example, File server, print server, sql server, and web server.

What are the advantages 1 physical machine with 4 virtual servers compared to 1 windows server just performing all 4 functions?
 
I'd say theres not.

Unless you need to separate certain functions like web server or sql server due to some software compatibility issue just run them all on the same installation.
 
Actually, the advantages are numerous. With one server performing all those functions you loose the ability to reboot the server or make changes to it without losing all the services that server provides. In other words, if Exchange screws up, and I need to reboot the Exchange server, all I lose is E-Mail functionality during the reboot. I don't lose print services, file services, SQL and web services. I would lose all those services if they were all on one physical machine. The other advantage is isolation for security purposes. If your Webserver is just a webserver and connects to nothing else, in the event the server becomes compromised it will have minimal impact on the overall envriroment.

And as we all should be well aware, the more services you stuff onto a server, the more complicated troubleshooting can end up being. You have more chances of breaking stuff with patches or additional software installs. Further more, a VM is actually easier to backup and transfer to new hardware in the event you need to upgrade the server's hardware or move it to another physical box. To back them up, all you do is backup the virtual machine images and you are all set. You also have the ability to make the VM's read-only. You don't really have to worry about drivers very much either as all of the hardware is virtual and all the emulation is for very simple devices.

Virtualization is the most exciting thing to hit the IT industry and business computing in at least a decade. There are very good reasons why people are so excited about it.
 
upgrades with no downtime, server patch testing before go live, the amount of things vm's let you do are quite awesome.
 
I was speaking from a performance view. If you have one box running all 4 services vs. one box running 4 VM's.

Yes those are all advantages to using VM's in general.
 
nitrobass24 said:
I was speaking from a performance view. If you have one box running all 4 services vs. one box running 4 VM's.

Yes those are all advantages to using VM's in general.
Click to expand...

Probably none, in fact, you'll have a bit more overhead.
 
I am trying to push my company into testing our software on virtual servers and maybe even consolidating our own servers, e-mail, file, etc to one or two physical machines.

And I'm not the IT Guy! :p I think this stuff is going to be serious business. In fact, I predict it will be serious business about one year ago, haha.
 
I would also agree. Being able to convert the VM from running to a template, then fire the VM back up, do your planned patch/ugrade/config change, and still have non-altered backup copy from 10 minutes ago is an extremely useful "graceful" backout solution.
 
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