1

Virtualization
in computing

by

{your name}

Submitted to

{your audience}

{where your audience is}

{date}
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ABSTRACT

This composition details the use of virtualization and its application in the business

world. Evolving technology shapes business development continually streamlining processes

making business more effective to the world market. Virtualization brings simplicity to most

computer applications ultimately aiding developers, programmers, and end users. To a business

entity, virtualization is a powerful tool which provides the world of business with more effective

solutions saving excessive hardware cost, more efficient time management, and overall

improvement of system reliability.

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TABLE OF CONTENTS

LIST OF ILLUSTRATIONS.......................................................................................................iv

GLOSSARY..............................................................................................................................v

I - INTRODUCTION..................................................................................................................1

II - SAVING EXCESSIVE HARDWARE COST

Hardware cost in general................................................................................................1
Cooling systems.............................................................................................................1
Data storage...................................................................................................................1

III - MORE EFFICIENT TIME MANAGEMENT

Routine Maintenance......................................................................................................2
Security..........................................................................................................................2
Disaster Recovery..........................................................................................................3

IV - IMPROVEMENT OF SYSTEM RELIABILITY

Hardware and Software......................................................................................................3
Multitasking...................................................................................................................3

V - CONCLUSION........................................................................................................................3

WORKS CITED.............................................................................................................................4
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LIST OF ILLISTRATIONS

Figure 1. Electricity usage comparison and savings..................................................................2

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GLOSSARY

Virtualization Virtualization is the creation of a virtual (rather than actual)

version of something, such as an operating system, a server,
a storage device or network resources.

ROI Return on Investment (ROI) A measure of a corporation's profitability, equal to a fiscal

year's income divided by common stock and
preferred stock equity plus long-term debt. ROI measures
how effectively the firm uses its capital to generate profit;
the higher the ROI, the better.

IT Information Technology (IT) the branch of engineering that deals with the use of
computers and telecommunications to retrieve and store
and transmit information

GUI A graphical user interface (GUI) is a human-computer interface (i.e., a way for humans
to interact with computers) that uses windows, icons and
menus and which can be manipulated by a mouse (and
often to a limited extent by a keyboard as well).
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I - INTRODUCTION

Success in the business world relies on the ability to overcome the competition on all
levels. A highly competitive business will continually seek the best value for dollar weighed
option available. Technology drives business entities to become more efficient and to compete
on a world market. Compatibility and resources needed to interact on a global scale is why a
company must sustain the cutting edge of the technical realm. This is possibly truer today; with
dwindling investments because of poor economic conditions, then ever before as a company
pursues on. Without this essential competitive knowhow, any business will often fold under the
pressures of a tough market. Today, one such aspect companies have found is the reliability and
performance of utilizing virtualization of hardware/server, storage and desktop platforms. Today
the use of virtualization allows businesses anywhere in the world to become a key player
regardless of location. Virtualization allows a company to maintain all aspects a IT
infrastructure with less resources than ever before. As specified by Clark Scheffy (2007) (1),
"virtualization is a technical innovation design to increase the level of system abstraction and
enable IT users to harness ever-increasing levels of computer performance". The assets and
attributes of virtualization are what a company must take full advantage of to maintain constancy
and effectiveness in the world market. Virtualization, a powerful tool in the arsenal of the
modern technology, provides the world of business with more effective solutions saving
excessive hardware cost, more efficient time management, and overall improvement of system
reliability.

II - SAVING EXCESSIVE HARDWARE COST

A business entity has no more responsibility then the process of controlling cost.
Controlling cost leads to more profitable business growth. Virtualization plays a key role in this
process bringing aspects of hardware cost to a more manageable percentage. Virtualization cost
is generally more to implement, but significant monetary savings advantages can be seen in the
long run. Even such disadvantaging expenses as the cost of licensing can be absorbed when
implementing the right proportions of specifically needed and advantageous software packages.
From server hardware, power supply consumption, cooling systems, to safety protocols such as
fire suppression equipment can become evasive to any yearly budget. Efficiency is the key to
maintain cost and accomplish mission goals with less. For such aspects of server
implementation, virtualization on medium to even large scale networks, allows companies to
easily realize large energy costs savings and can dramatically reduce the size of their data
centers.
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Figure 1. Energy savings per year (Source: MSDN blogs. "Virtualization and "Green IT""

The use of virtualization, in respect to these elements, consolidation can reduce cost which in
turn increases Return on Investment (ROI) because you can run multiple workloads on a single
server all without any reduction in performance. No longer do you have to purchase, maintain,
and supply power to multiple servers. With virtualization, a business can run up to 8 virtual
servers and up to 64 virtual desktop environments on one physical server while only having to
maintain and supply power to that single physical server.
Modern business expectations are becoming more demanding. Technology is, of course,
a key part of the solution for improving productivity, but higher productivity should not
simply mean employees working under more pressure for longer hours. To deliver lasting
productivity improvements requires access to people, information and IT that allows key
employees to excel and staff to work together better. (Glick, 2010)(2).
For those elements such as power supplies, cooling, and storage can also take on their
own cost eating ability rather rapidly to a sensitive budget. Space, for instance, in a data center is
also at a premium and storage can be a major controlling factor when it comes to the
accumulation of data. Virtualization, through the use of network shares can permit these items to
be significantly scaled back to reduce not only IT real estate but the noteworthy maintenance
cost activities of a typical data center.

III - MORE EFFICIENT TIME MANAGEMENT

In the past, thousands of man hours were needed to operate and maintain server and desktop
platforms within a respective business environment. With virtualization technology, processes in
the past can be reduced to fewer hours, lower costs, faster responses, and less down time. The
complex task of assigning group policies and security measures would typically consume many
man hours because the IT personnel had to physically touch each user's machine in able to
implement the changes. With virtualization, the IT person can easily assign users to groups and
then implement the same policies and security measures in fraction of the time from the comforts
of his own office by simply logging in to the relevant servers. Response times for a help request
would also be cut down dramatically. All virtual desktops can be managed from one central GUI
within the IT department. Also, no longer does a company have to spend countless hours
building and imaging new or replacement desktops for in the field, now you would simply put
out a thin client and then create a desktop environment at the push of a few buttons for the user.
These virtual desktops can be easily replicated on as many machines as needed. Even if a user
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literally makes the desktop environment unusable, it can easily be replaced by the most recent
full backup and the worker can resume daily activities with minimal downtime.
Technology is definitely on our side when it comes to time management. Most of the
programs out there are paperless so one can eliminate paperwork to a large degree. You
can save money due to the reduction of paper and you will need less room to store it. A
person can keep all of their information for tasks to complete and scheduled
appointments in one location. Those two things alone are going to help most people get
the most out of their time each day, (3).
Overall the advancement of technology allows businesses to perform on a new level with
effective swiftness to accommodate the consumer with the convenience they have become
accustom to. Without the use of tools like virtualization, processes can be tremendously slow
hindering not only day-to-day activities but positive communication and delivery of services to
consumers.

V - IMPROVEMENT OF SYSTEM RELIABILITY

There may be no more important aspect to the business process then the reliability of system
hardware and software. Unreliable tools and equipment can cause businesses additional time and
money cutting not only into profit margins, but also can cause unexpected delays impacting
positive customer relations. Virtualization allows business entities to streamline hardware by
running multiple applications through virtual desktops environments. This functional use of
hardware multitasking simplifies scheduled maintenance procedures, snapshots for backups, and
routine performance upgrade requirements. The utilization of virtualization positively impacts all
business applications saving businesses time and most importantly money.

VI - CONCLUSION

Today the use of virtualization aids businesses anywhere in the world to become a key
player in the global market regardless of location. Virtualization allows a company to maintain
all aspects a IT infrastructure with less resources than ever before. Virtualization sets the
standard marrying old fashion business processes to modern conveniences and real time
customer support. Virtualization gives companies the advantage of controlling such aspects in
the technology hemisphere such as the necessity for excessive hardware bringing savings from
power consumption to floor space. In aspects of time management, virtualization permits
businesses to accomplish more with fewer man hours and fewer disruptions. This also holds true
in areas of under complex tasking conditions, disaster recovery, and faster customer response
times. Virtualization also provides companies with improvements in all aspects of system
reliability. System reliability allows an entity to focus more on corporate needs as well as the
needs of the market. Virtualization, a powerful tool in the arsenal of the modern technology,
provides the world of business with more effective solutions saving excessive hardware cost,
more efficient time management, and overall improvement of system reliability.
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WORKS CITED

Scheffy, Clark. "Virtualization for Dummies" 2007: 1

Computer Weekly. "Productivity that works: A Computer Weekly content programme in

association with Microsoft"
<http://www.computerweekly.com/static-pages/productivity-that-works/>

Orr, Alan. "Technology and Time Management" Sept. 2008

<http://jobfunctions.bnet.com/abstract.aspx?docid=389363>