Introduction to the HP Virtual Server Environment

Virtualization Reduces Deployment Time
Another advantage of virtualization is that new workloads or applications can be deployed very
quickly on the existing spare capacity. Customers have been able to reduce the time it takes to roll
out new services by as much as a factor of 10.
The current process of acquiring a new server looks something like this:
1. Perform capacity planning to determine the size of the server.
2. Get funding approval for the new server.
3. Order the server.
4. Wait for the server to be delivered.
5. Install the server, the OS, any support software, and the applications that will run.
6. Test the new server/software stack to ensure that it will function correctly in the production
environment.
7. Roll the server into production.
A virtualized environment still requires most of these steps, but many of the most time-consuming ones
either take much less time or are unnecessary. For instance:
1. Capacity planning is still required, but it can be less exacting and, therefore, less time
consuming.
2. Funding approval takes less time because the resources are already available. Little or no
additional outlay of cash is needed to add the new workload.
3. You do not need to order a new server because you can use existing server resources. This
requirement is replaced by the creation a new virtual environment to run the application – a
process that typically can be completed in minutes.
4. You do not need to wait for the new server to arrive. This is the most significant time savings
in the process.
5. You still need to install the OS, any support software, and the applications that will run in the
virtualized environment, but you do not need to find space in the data center for a new server
and bring it on line. Also, if the new application can run on an existing server or partition
that already has the software installed, this process can be very short.
6. You still need to test the new server/software stack to ensure it functions correctly in the
production environment.
7. You still need to roll the new service into production.
Because new virtualized servers can be deployed quickly, used for a short project, and then
“destroyed” or “recycled,” they can also be useful in development or test environments. Resources
can be used for these short projects and then released for use in a subsequent project. It is also much
easier to test a number of different OS, application, and patch versions with the same set of
resources.
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