Shifting
physical machines on virtual servers and then consolidating them in something
that can help organizations curb their electricity and power consumption to a
large extent. The presence of few physical servers means less energy
expenditure and dissipation which will also have a direct impact in enhancing
the efficiency of the entire process.
Greater scope
for Quality Assurance
With the concept
and application of the virtualization environment greater time, resources and
efforts can be dedicated to the ways through which can carry out their own
experiments in their own virtually created lab environments (Marshall, 2011).
This will have a positive impact on exploring new and experimental ways that
can be useful and beneficial for carrying out and testing their own products by
passing them through various stages of quality assurance before they can
actually be released in the market or can be used on a greater level as a
service.
Reduce hardware
vendor dependence
The
virtualization concept, since it relies on the replacement of physical hardware
to virtual one, it provide data centre managers and owners a whole lot of
flexibility when it comes to purchasing server equipment that they have to
choose from. Moreover, relying on a single vendor and following the same server
model can sometimes be frustrating for users. In that case the application and
use of server virtualization is always beneficial.
Issues
Backup recovery
issues
When it comes to
virtualization there are frequent issues and problems that are encountered in
terms of retrieving data, and hence proper backup mechanism is often a
pre-requisite in cases of companies using virtualization techniques and
methods. Even though many services offering virtualization offer proper backup
services to their clients, they need to be updated on regular basis and come up
with subscription fees that needs to be paid depending on the package being
purchased and the scale of services accompanying it.
VM Sprawl
There is no
doubt about the fact that the technology of data and information virtualization
comes with features such as being cheap, effective and convenient to use, three
qualities that you rarely find together. However, with the presence of these
features we cannot sideline the fact that its easiness in terms of usage
sometimes creates problems for users.
The provision of VMs or Virtual Machines is
just a click of a button and this can get out of control many times with many
VMs popping all around the data centre making the management of the entire
technical infrastructure and data centre difficult (Posey, 2010). This is
mainly a factor that does not take place in a physical environment, but is
commonly found and detected as a prominent issue when the systems and data
management is switched from traditional to virtual means.
Non-supportive
of many applications
It may come as a
surprise for many but there are many applications that are not supported or are
not compatible with the virtual environment and servers on which they are
placed and deployed. A common example of one such application is in the form of
Exchange Server which is only supported on physical servers and cannot be run
of virtual platforms and data centers.
Secondly there are many other applications
that are only compatible on certain virtual servers and not all. Hence, when
planning the switch from physical to virtual data centre and management it is
important to consider these factors in the planning phase so that any problems
that may occur or emerge in the future can easily be averted and avoided.
Identifying
servers not functional in virtual environment
There are some
servers that are simply not good and do not have the compatibility do work in a
virtual environment (Search Networking, 2011). For example some applications
such as those related to enterprise require special hardware along with other
features in order to work in a virtual environment. In many of the cases such
applications work through the usage of dongle which are never supportive or
functional in a virtual environment.
Technology
Position Within Industry
There remains no
doubt in stating and understanding the fact that with the passage of time it is
mainly the virtualization technology and usage that is going to take over the
world. In its most prominent form it is the desktop virtualization that is
being used widely and its applications and benefits are being manifested in
various fields and sectors such as education, service sector and even
manufacturing sectors.
Equipped with features such as convenience in
terms of usage, efficiency and cost cutting the technology of virtualization
surely has a long way to go. However, in this discussion it is important to
keep in mind that the technology of virtualization has to be considered from
educational perspective and the advancements that it can introduce in the
industry with time (IBM, 2012). In this context the usage of desktop
virtualization has already gained immense momentum by providing students the
accessibility and the facility through which they can make use of their data
even if they are not physically present on their original computer, hence
making data availability possible through the establishment of virtual
communication channels and platforms. Nevertheless, the prospects and the
opportunities being offered by this virtual environment are far more widespread
and effective in terms of implementation as well as usage if they are
highlighted and provided due attention.
This can be done
through the employment of a concept that is known as application virtualization
and through which the entire concept of virtualization and the ways through
which it is applied in schools will change forever (Dell, 2010). First and
foremost it is important to understand that even though desktop virtualization
has created in providing students with a new environment in terms of education,
there are some limitations involved in it when planning the technology on a
higher level. It is precisely here when the entire model needs to be amended and
requires further modification. This can be done through employing ways that
make use of the state of art technology and gadgets.
We are well
aware of the fact that students whether they are in high school, college or
university are very well aware acquainted with the use and the techniques that
are employed in handling modern day gadgets such as tablets and smartphones. It
will be through the use of these devices through which virtual platforms will
be established. Each class will be provided with either a smartphone or a
tablet device that they can use for this purpose. The gadget being provided
will be equipped with applications that are considered appropriate for the
grade of students who are being provided with the device as Evernote, Paper and
Goodreader (Shah, 2012).
Students will be
required to use these applications and the data that they download using the
device and other purposes that they use the device for will automatically
record and store data in a virtual environment with the help of virtual servers
that will have established connections with each of the device being used. In
case if any student is unable to finish a task that is assigned to him due to
the battery exhausting of the device, his or her data can easily be retrieved
from the specified server with which his device is connected to.
At the same
time, it is also important to state here that with the presence of such mobile
and portable devices and their usage in schools and other like organizations it
is important that the virtual servers being set up for connecting with each
device and gadget have a greater range of data transmission since with the use
of such devices in educational institutions the scope of mobility among
students will definitely increase (Centre for digital education, 2012). Also,
it will also be beneficial in providing students a permanent space for their
data storage. In that case even if a severe case or incident such as fire or
any other disaster takes place the data will still be stored within the virtual
space.
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