Server virtualization has quickly moved beyond its experimental phase and grown exponentially to become a standard business practice. The technology allows for a physical server to be divided into multiple unique and isolated virtual servers by means of software applications. In so doing, multiple operating systems and business applications can run on a single physical server which is crucial in enhancing data center efficiency, lowering costs, empowering scalability, and improving server reliability and availability. The widespread adoption of the server virtualization concept was inevitable. Afterall, virtual technologies have become integral part of modern IT systems. 

While the benefits of server virtualization are tremendous, realizing these benefits is not guaranteed. In this article, we’ll cover the tips for getting the most out of the technology and realize optimized performance, security, and disaster recovery. 

Five Server Virtualization Best Practices 

Proper Planning 

Before you decide to embark on the server virtualization journey, it’s a good idea to plan adequately for it. Firstly, understand why you want to virtualize your systems. Reasons for server virtualization are plenty and significant; understanding your reasons for virtualization will play a huge role in ensuring you choose the best software, hardware, and systems to implement the technology. Secondly, make sure you have all the requirements for virtualization. Some of these requirements include processing power, RAM, storage, software, and virtualization overhead. Thirdly, pay attention to software and hardware compatibility before you virtualize. 

Select The Right Virtualization Software 

Once you’ve understood server virtualization and are ready for the initiative, it’s time to decide what virtualization engine to use in achieving your goals. There are endless options of virtualization software and they are all not the same. Each has its own utilities, pros, and cons. Examine and compare all possible software before settling on one. 

Setup and Create 

Moving and manipulating machines in a server environment is easy. For instance, you can have multiple machines doing the same work or move a virtual machine from one physical server to another. for this reason, it’s crucial to define and adhere to a set of standards denoting what the server does, the resources it supplies, and who has access to it. Doing so prevents loss of access and confusion. In addition, it’s wise to build a virtual machine library for each server type you’ll need. This helps in saving you time in creating, installing, and configuring each virtual machine from scratch. Examples of server types to include in your virtual machine library include web servers, database servers, and file servers. 

Maintenance 

Proper maintenance is crucial part of virtualizing your systems. It ensures the virtualized systems perform as intended and do not cause downtimes. Without proper maintenance, monitoring, and reporting on your servers, you run the risk of losing control of your virtual environment. So, invest in automatic and real-time monitoring solutions, monitor the physical environment, schedule for regular and automatic system audits, know when to retire a machine, and track each machine’s life in your data center. 

Don’t Neglect Security 

Virtual environments are relatively safer, but they are not immune to security issues. Many make the mistake of failing to recognize the invulnerability of virtual systems and end up facing the effects of various cybersecurity threats. It is always a good idea to develop a sound cybersecurity strategy or invest in a robust solution. 

Bottom Line 

Understanding what makes up an efficient and optimized virtual system is the first step to getting the most out of server virtualization. Usually, virtualization is used as a means to reduce cost and improve efficiency by consolidating physical servers into fewer and more powerful virtual servers. However, with the best practices proposed above, you can take your server virtualization a notch higher and realize the benefits of a more optimized, secure, and efficient virtual environment that drives business growth. For more information on server virtualization or related issues, contact us today for a free consultation.