Going virtual with Windows Server 2008
Among other benefits, virtualization technology can make some of those unpleasant hardware costs disappear. Learn how Windows Server 2008 helps.
In summary:
| • | Windows Server 2008 features a built-in virtualization program offering faster performance and easier manageability. |
| • | Application and hardware support are two issues to consider before adopting virtualization. |
| • | Managing a virtual environment requires new tools and skills. |
Virtualization is sweeping the IT world. Indeed, the global population of virtual servers will grow a torrid 40.6 percent annually through 2010, according to Framingham, Massachusetts-based research firm IDC.
 | We're implementing virtualization in companies with as few as 120 employees. |  | | Mark Lorenzini
vice president of information technology services, SymQuest Group Inc.
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It's easy to see what all the excitement is about. Traditionally, a server's hardware, operating system, and application software have been tightly coupled in one-to-one relationships. Virtualization loosens those bonds, enabling a single physical server to host several "virtual machines," each with its own operating system and application software. That simple architectural change aids IT organizations in a variety of powerful ways:
| • | Server consolidation: By enabling multiple applications to share space on fewer, more powerful servers, virtualization saves organizations on hardware acquisition and maintenance. |
| • | Disaster recovery: You can also consolidate backup servers. That makes maintaining a disaster recovery site more affordable. |
| • | Software development: Virtualization lets developers simulate multiple server environments simultaneously on a single piece of hardware. This saves both time and money on testing. |
| • | Dynamic network management: Setting up a virtual machine typically takes minutes, versus the hours required to configure a new physical server. Thus, in a virtualized environment you can add new servers in response to rising network traffic or recover from hardware outages faster. |
Best of all, with prudent planning, almost any business can capitalize on such opportunities. "We're implementing virtualization in companies with as few as 120 employees," says Mark Lorenzini, vice president of information technology services at SymQuest Group Inc., a Microsoft Gold Certified solution provider in South Burlington, Vermont.
Windows Server 2008 offers built-in support for virtualization
New features in Microsoft Windows Server 2008, the latest version of Microsoft's server operating system, can help you implement virtualization more easily. The most significant enhancement is a built-in virtualization "hypervisor" called Hyper-V that will ship roughly 180 days after Windows Server 2008 releases to market. Hypervisors are lightweight virtualization programs that communicate directly with a server's hardware, by-passing the operating system. That generally makes them more efficient than systems that interact with the operating system.
"The benefit for most customers is better performance [and] more scale," says Eric Schott, senior director of product management at EqualLogic Inc., a Nashua, New Hampshire-based Microsoft Gold Certified partner that develops virtualized storage solutions. Moreover, since Hyper-V is an integrated component of Windows Server 2008, you can use a single set of familiar tools to manage both your operating system and your virtualization software.
Windows Server 2008 also comes with new "presentation virtualization" features called Terminal Services RemoteApp and Terminal Services Web Access. These tools enable a centrally-stored client application to run simultaneously on multiple PCs. "[People] think they're running the application on their local machine but they're actually running it on a remote server," says Steven Black, a principal technologist at Charteris plc, an IT consultancy and Microsoft Gold Certified Partner based in London. Centralizing desktop applications this way makes deploying updates and securing data easier, Black says, especially for companies with mobile employees.
How to plan and manage a virtual environment
Experts caution against jumping into virtualization too hastily. "You have to do your homework," Lorenzini says. Here are a few important initial steps:
1. | Build a list of applications on the servers you plan to virtualize and make sure they'll run properly in a virtual environment. Most software vendors can provide that information, but perform your own testing as well. |
2. | Confirm with your application vendors that they offer technical support to customers that run their products on virtual machines. Some software makers don't. |
3. | Replace aging or unreliable servers with newer, more dependable ones. "If a host server fails it could take down 10, 20, or even 50 [virtual] machines," Black notes. In addition, the latest server processors are designed to handle virtualized workloads more efficiently. |
4. | Create a standard virtual machine image, much like the standard disk images most companies use on new PCs. That will help you deploy new virtual machines faster. |
Additionally, plan on acquiring some new server management skills. "Managing a virtual infrastructure is a little different than managing a physical infrastructure," says John Sloan, a senior research analyst at Info-Tech Research Group, of London, Ontario, Canada. In a conventional data center, you can physically see and access your servers. Virtual machines exist only digitally, which makes monitoring and administering them more challenging.
A Microsoft Certified Partner for Learning Solutions can lend a hand with virtualization training. Specialized tools such as Microsoft System Center Virtual Machine Manager 2007 can help as well, by allowing you to deploy, view, and tune virtual machines through a centralized console. Microsoft System Center Data Protection Manager 2007 can create complete backup images of your virtual and physical machines, including both data and configuration settings. That can help you restore virtual machines rapidly after a hardware failure.
Additionally, by using both of these Microsoft programs in combination with integrated offerings such as Microsoft System Center Operations Manager 2007 and Microsoft System Center Configuration Manager 2007, you can administer both your physical and virtual environment through a single set of tools.
Virtualization offers many significant benefits: reducing your IT staffing, unfortunately, isn't likely one of them. Virtual machines require just as much administration as physical servers. "All of the same software management issues are still there, and you still need server administrators to handle those," Sloan observes.
Which Microsoft virtualization technology is right for you?
In addition to Hyper-V, the integrated virtualization technology in Windows Server 2008, Microsoft offers two other virtualization products:
| • | Microsoft Hyper-V Server is a stand-alone hypervisor-based server virtualization product that's a good option for customers who need only basic virtualization capabilities. |
| • | Microsoft Virtual Server is a "host-based" virtualization system that performs many of the same functions as Hyper-V, but runs in tandem with the operating system, rather than independently of it. If you wish to host virtual machines on a server running Microsoft Windows Server 2003, use Microsoft Virtual Server, as neither Hyper-V nor Hyper-V Server supports that operating system. Similarly, Hyper-V and Hyper-V Server work only on machines with 64-bit processors, so companies with 32-bit server hardware should also use Microsoft Virtual Server. |
 | Rich Freeman is a Seattle, Washington-based freelance writer specializing in business and technology. He has more than 14 years of strategic marketing and communications experience in the IT industry. |
