Technology advances so quickly that systems bought five years ago are now pretty much obsolete. If you want to upgrade these older systems you will likely have to upgrade everything. This can be expensive, so many businesses turn to virtualization for cost savings and to extend the lives of their systems. One of the popular forms of virtualization is servers. However, while many companies find this a viable option with many benefits, they often stumble in the execution.
Here’s five tips on better server virtualization for small to medium businesses.
1. Reality is key – It’s easy, when reading about tech, to get caught up in all the new devices, ideas, etc. and maybe begin to lose site of your situation. It’s not uncommon to have a small business owner want to virtualize all servers at once. This is often not feasible – budget and technology wise.
Instead, you should take the time to assess your servers and identify which servers are best suited to virtualization. For example, if the server that handles your email is starting to show its age, this may be a prime candidate. After identifying potential servers to virtualize, you can begin to develop a better plan.
2. Check compatibility – After you have picked servers for virtualization, you should look at the software the servers handle, to see if they are compatible with the virtualization software you plan to use. Should the software not be compatible you will either have to look for another solution, or upgrade the software. Fail to do this and you could face setbacks and compatibility issues which will likely cause a drop in efficiency, or even negate the savings arising from virtualization.
It is also a good idea to look at whether the server itself is capable of supporting virtualization. Each virtualization solution has different requirements and this is a good thing to keep in mind. Virtualization solutions are always advancing, so the server that can just about handle a solution now may not be able to handle it in a year or two.
3. Don’t forget about your data backup solutions – Interestingly, many virtualization providers also provide data backup solutions. It may be a good idea to look at your existing backup and if it is compatible with the systems you plan to use. If not, this could prove costly for your business if something should happen where you need this.
4. R.S.S. – Reduce. Sell. Save. Server virtualization allows for many servers to be run on one physical unit. This means you will be able to reduce the number of servers, sell them, and finally reap bigger savings through decreased maintenance and operational costs.
5. Work with and IT expert – The above steps can be daunting, even to those in the IT field. There’s just so much to focus on that business owners and managers often don’t have this kind of time. That’s why we highly recommend that in order to get the most out of virtualization, you work with a virtualization expert who can focus on helping you stay realistic, ensure the compatibility of your systems and orient your backup systems.
Looking for an IT expert to help you virtualize your systems? Why not contact us? We may have a solution to help you get even more out of your systems.
