Sidebar: Virtual Machines Come to Blade Servers

Robert L. Scheier   Today’s Top Stories   or  Other Servers Stories  

HP StorageWorks EVA4400 & Oracle HP StorageWorks EVA4400 & VMWare Take Control! Managing Your Application Library The Trend from Unix to Linux in SAP Data Centers Go Green with Webroot® Perimeter Security SaaS! Improving Correspondence Management for Financial Services Firms with Adobe LifeCycle ES SaaS Solutions for Remote Systems Management Virtual Reality SaaS Solutions for Remote Systems Management Sign up to receive Software Resource Alerts

August 4, 2003 (Computerworld) -- Virtual machines have been common in mainframes for decades. Now they're gaining ground as a way to more efficiently configure Windows and Linux blade servers.
A virtual machine is software that lets a single microprocessor in a blade server run multiple operating systems. For example, using the $2,500 VMware GSX Server from VMware Inc. in Palo Alto, Calif., systems administrators can run multiple instances of Windows, NetWare or Linux in their own "containers" on the same server, says Michael Mullany, VMware's senior director of product management.
As a result, customers can move virtual machines "from one system to another just as easily as if you were copying a file," says Mullany. The configuration options change dramatically when you can boost the percentage of a server's capacity from as little as 5% to 80%, he says. Consolidating virtual machines on one server blade also cuts hardware and systems management costs.
However, server costs aren't necessarily a big problem. "[Server] hardware is cheap," says George Geddis, a business analyst at Stamford, Conn.-based Time Warner Cable Inc. "But the space to house them and the people to manage them are not," he adds. So Geddis is evaluating VMware as a quick way to build test servers to try out new patches. In the long run, he says, he hopes multiple applications running on virtual machines will reduce the clutter in his data center, where each application currently requires its own server.
Scheier is a freelance writer in Boylston, Mass. He can be reached at rscheier@charter.net.

Print this Story

Send Us Feedback

E-mail this Story

Digg this Story

Slashdot this Story

Sidebar: Virtual Machines Come to Blade Servers

Avoid Config Policy Potholes

"Ubuntu's always been popular with users, but not so much with server managers. Now, with Wikipedia moving from a hodge-podge..." Read more... "In Thursday's IT Blogwatch, Richi Jennings watches Sarah Palin's alleged email nemesis be indicted, arraigned, released, and fed to the..." Read more... Read more Servers & Data Center posts or See all Blogs

Feds considering changes to H-1B application process in wake of report Exploit code loose for six-month-old Windows bug With market meltdown, which tech firms become predator or prey? More top stories...

The Grill: Privacy is a thing of the past, says private investigator Report: World Bank servers breached repeatedly Apple asks judge to make iPhone lawsuit moot

Health hazards for IT workers -- how that desk job wears your body down Too much junk food, too little exercise and a 24/7 tether to technology? Your body ain't happy, friend. Let us count the pains. NASA robot sends back evidence it's snowing on Mars Instruments on the surface of Mars have detected falling snow that is likely evaporating before it reaches the planet. Wall Street's collapse may be computer science's gain One positive development stemming from the collapse of Wall Street may be a boost in interest in computer science and IT careers among students who were previously interested in financial services jobs. Installing Linux apps: A few good tips Getting new software installed on Linux doesn't have to be hard, but it can differ depending on what you're installing. Windows Vista A to Z Reviews, analyses, how-tos, visual tours, hot issues and predictions about Microsoft's new OS. More Continuing Coverage After 9/11: Homeland Security Apple's iPhone Ask a Premier 100 IT Leader Bill Gates steps down BlackBerry Legal Battle Data Security Breaches Electronic Voting Firefox H-1B Visas HP's Boardroom Scandal Handheld Devices Hurricane Katrina Aftermath Microsoft Legal Issues Microsoft's Vista Open Source RFID Technology SCO's Linux Fight Sarbanes-Oxley Act Spam Voice Over IP Wi-Fi Windows Meta File Vulnerability Windows XP Service Pack 3 IT Careers 2010 Four years from now, the IT field will be a vastly different place. Will you be ready? More Special Reports Premier 100 IT Leaders 2007 Best in Class 2006 Computerworld Horizon Awards 2006 Premier 100 IT Leaders 2006 Salary Survey 2007 Best Places to Work in IT 2007 IT Forecast 2007 Premier 100 IT Leaders 40 Years of Computerworld ASPs, Take Two Best Places to Work in IT 2003 Best Places to Work in IT 2004 Best Places to Work in IT 2005 Best Places to Work in IT 2006 Business Intelligence Home Runs Business Intelligence: Smarter BI Business Intelligence: The Future of BI CRM Goes Vertical CRM: Sober CRM Career Planning Guide 2005 Careers: IT Profession 2010 Computerworld Horizon Awards 2005 Data Management: Mining for Gems Data Management: Taming Data Chaos Development: Hard-Workin' Web Sites Development: New Tools New Choices Development: The New World of Application Development Development: The Web Services Tsunami Development: Web Services Hurdles Disaster Recovery: Preparing for the Worst E-commerce Grows Up E-mail/Groupware: Big Decisions Faces of Mobile IT Forecast 2006 Global Mobile Hardware: Multiple Cores, Multiple Challenges Hardware: On-Demand Un-Hyped Hardware: The Shape of Things to Come Horizon Awards: 10 Cool Cutting Edge Technologies IT Management: Guide to Managing Vendors IT Management: Navigating Global IT IT Management: Recovery Ahead IT Management: The Future of IT IT Management: The Resourceful Project Manager Innovative Technology Awards 2004 Management: Reinventing IT Microsoft in Transition Mobile/Wireless Leaders and Laggards Mobile/Wireless: The Untethered Worker Mobile/Wireless: Tiny Gadgets, Huge Costs Network Management: Taking Control Networking: Turbulence Ahead! Networking: VoIP Goes Mainstream Operating Systems: In the Slow Lane Operating Systems: Linux Goes Global Operating Systems: Should You Nix Unix? Outsourcing: Offshore Buyer's Guide Outsourcing: Outsourcing Dangers Premier 100 IT Leaders 2004 Best in Class Premier 100 IT Leaders 2005 Best in Class ROI: Do the Math! Salary Survey 2003 Salary Survey 2004 Salary Survey 2005 Security Action Plan Security: Compliance Headaches Security: Proactive Security Security: Risk and Reward Security: Tips From Security Pros Souped-up Security Storage: Battling Complexity Storage: Cheap & Secure Data Stores Storage: Stretching Your Storage Dollars Storage: The Lean Storage Machine Storage: The New Rules of Storage Storage: The Ultimate Backup Guide Supply Chain: Missing Links Supply Chain: RFID Reality Check The Business of Security Web 2.0 Security Wireless: Wireless At Work All Zones Application Performance Zone Business Continuity Zone The File Data Management Zone Security Management Zone The SAS Zone Business Intelligence and Analytics Zone Windows Protection Zone The Enterprise Search Zone Software as a Service Zone The Security Zone See your link here

SaaS Solutions for Remote Systems Management Download this Technology Briefing, free, compliments of Dell. (Source: Dell) The benefits of Software as a Service (SaaS) are extending their reach into systems management. So in addition to the more obvious cost control and rapid application deployment benefits, SaaS can be instrumental in filling needs for compliance, security and business continuity - all the while reducing costly infrastructure. Learn more in this brand new Technology Briefing. Download this executive briefing  Virtualization: Simplify. Automate. Lower Costs. Virtualization: Simplify. Automate. Lower Costs. Watch this complimentary webcast today! Go to the webcast  White Papers Read up on the latest ideas and technologies from companies that sell hardware, software and services. Business Transaction Management: Facilitating the Management of Virtual Environments Quick Sizing Guide for SAS Grid Running on HP BladeSystems and EVA Storage Prudential Financial protects its brand with Symantec Data Loss Prevention solutions View more whitepapers

• Sidebar: Virtual Machines Come to Blade Servers
• Avoid Config Policy Potholes

• Feds considering changes to H-1B application process in wake of report
• The Grill: Privacy is a thing of the past, says private investigator
• Exploit code loose for six-month-old Windows bug
• More top stories 

"Enabling Virtualization Across the Enterprise" Attend this online-only virtual event to discover: How other IT executives are using virtualization to transform their server and desktop infrastructures Tips and advice from real world implementations and case studies Unparalleled access to influential industry experts And the opportunity to network with peers and visit with vendors. This exciting event happens on October 22, 2008 from 10am - 6 pm ET / 7am - 3pm PT. Visit the show floor now

"Turning information into a Competitive Advantage" Companies today are realizing that competitive advantage is harder to sustain when based solely on gains in productivity and cost efficiency. The focus is shifting to invest more in business optimization initiatives which rely on trusted information to develop new insights that deliver better business results. But how can this be done efficiently in a business environment across multiple applications and processes. The answer is an Information Agenda - an innovative approach to transforming business information into a strategic asset for competitive advantage. View this webcast now!  See more Webcasts

Best Places to Work in IT Where can you earn top dollar, get the best benefits, the latest IT and more? Find out in our 14th annual survey.