With the ever-changing business conditions, organizations are swiftly steering towards data center virtualization, wondering why? Virtualization is changing market dynamics and profoundly impacting on how data centers operate.
Data center virtualization is a powerful remedy that relieves the typical worries of most mid-market organizations. Its perks ranging from server consolidation to maximize ROI and efficient business continuity practices. It’s a precarious and dangerous situation to sit on the fence and fail to adopt virtualized technology.
With markets changing and belts tightening, competition is no longer lurking at your back but directly blowing in your face.
What is a data center?
A data center is a physical establishment that houses an organization’s computing infrastructure. The repository stores, processes, manage and disseminate shared data and applications.
The facility acts as a library for an organization’s critical systems and applications, which is usually managed by an IT provider such as PCM Canada managed it services Toronto. And it relies on for its day to day operations and survival.
Why do you need a data center?
In the modern era of ever-changing business IT conditions, data centers form the basis of a smooth running company. Having a data center is vital for several functions including:
- Emails, files and application sharing
- Productivity tracking
- Customer relationship management (CRM) and enterprise resource planning (ERP)
- Collaboration and communication solutions
- Artificial intelligence (AI), machine learning and data management
What are the Components of a Data Center?
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The establishment
The location of your data center is crucial. Optimize on design and white space-the available space for storing IT equipment and allowing free access to the entire facility and the IT infrastructure.
Data centers are energy consuming resources. You need to comply with environmental management standards. To optimize productivity, take into account the manufacturer’s specific temperature/humidity range.
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Infrastructure
Covers the equipment that ensures you meet the maximum level of efficient operations and includes three key elements:
- Uninterrupted power supply (UPS) – generators, redundant power sources, battery banks, backup generators.
- Physical security systems- video surveillance equipment and biometrics
- Environmental control systems- includes the following components:
- exhaust systems.
- fire suppressers/smoke detectors.
- computer room air conditioners (CRAC).
- heating, ventilation and air conditioning (HVAC) systems.
IT equipment encompasses the machine suitable for day-to-day operations and storage of the company’s data including storage hardware, servers, racks, routers cables, switches and several information security components such as firewalls.
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IT equipment
IT equipment encompasses the machine suitable for day-to-day operations and storage of the company’s data including storage hardware, servers, racks, routers cables, switches and several information security components such as firewalls.
What is data center virtualization?
Virtualization means possessing similar attributes to another in entirety without sharing its physical form. Hardware is the physical IT equipment including monitors, servers, keyboards, switches or firewalls among others. The software is a code that runs a program. For instance, Microsoft Office Suite is software that runs excel, word, outlook and PowerPoint.
Picture this, your favourite music band is in town, and you’ve got tickets to the show. On the D-day, you have a splitting and numbing migraine you can’t possibly make it to the show. But lucky you!! This time the show will be on live broadcast, and you can tune in and watch on your television.
You get to watch your favourite artists rocking the crowd and experience every bit of the richness of the concert and amazing performances as if you attended the show. But you didn’t.
Data center virtualization captures the exact working of servers and IT equipment in a data center to other remote servers and applications without sharing the physical form. Virtualized data centers rely on a virtual server known as a hypervisor, installed directly on the server without the need of an operating system.
So the hypervisor acts as the operating system, and the virtual machine (integrated hardware and software systems) is the application. A hypervisor works like your TV. It enables servers to function normally without the necessary hardware.
The hypervisor syncs all programs, operating systems, and software and runs it through a simulated hardware environment via multiple virtual machines from a physical device all at the same time. A virtual data center works like the way you were able to watch the performance without being at the concert.
A single data center can host multiple virtualized systems which can be used by various applications and organizations. This ensures reasonable resource utilization regarding IT infrastructure and minimal operating costs.
Data center virtualization benefits
Some key reasons why you need to adopt virtualization for your data centers include:
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Cut back on costs
Consolidate your entire IT infrastructure with virtualization. You can effectively build backup systems and create recovery plans without incurring extra costs. Hardware is the priciest equipment in a data center.
Collapse your physical hardware into virtual servers and cut back on your costs. You get to experience minimal power consumption, low key maintenance, and limited downtimes.
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Slow down heat build up
65% of equipment break down in IT are linked to a lack of proper temperature control systems in place. Data centers generate a lot of heat. When servers overheat, they stop working. Your network slows down, and repairs are quite costly. To avoid heat contamination, consider using a few servers. This is the point where virtualization comes in. Virtualization of data centers relies on less hardware. You then generate minimal heat
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Snappy & efficient Snapshot technology
Disaster recovery is efficient with virtualization. Backing up and restoring your virtual server is a rocket speed process. Snapshot backups make the recovery process much smoother. Thanks to snapshot technology, you can take images all day long and stay up to date.
Capturing a snapshot is relatively quicker than rebooting a dead server. This cuts back on downtime.
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Take me to the cloud
Virtualized servers are portable making them easy to relocate to and from the data center. The virtual technology makes it possible to create a powerful cloud-based infrastructure — data virtualization to a cloud-based environment secure and efficient.
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Hassle-free data migration
When your server shuts down, the time needed to redeploy it depends on several factors. Do you have an alternative backup server? Do you have an up-to-date snapshot of your server? Is your backup data current? With virtualization, you can redeploy your server in minutes. The virtual machine takes snapshots with a few clicks. Backup tools like Veeam restore your images in no time.
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Seamless data recovery
Data center virtualization ensures you fully back up your virtual server and images of your virtual machines. The redeployment of these machines is easier and faster. Updates can be made at any time of the day giving you the most recent data. Capturing data is super fast dramatically and lowers the downtime.
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Zero boundaries for vendors
The virtual machines can run on any hardware or software. They are not specific to the type of hardware or software needed to run operations. They are not dependent on a particular vendor based on its generalization. You are free to settle for any vendor, type of server and a platform of your choice.
Summary
The market space is ever evolving. It is crucial that you keep up with the pace if you want to stay competitive and run a thriving business. Virtualized technology is a game-changing trend. This technology presents many benefits and changes in the IT landscape. Data center virtualization is fundamental to seize the market share away from your competitors.
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