Virtualization Life, The Universe and Everything. Tony Lock Freeform Dynamics Ltd

Transcription

1 Virtualization Life, The Universe and Everything Tony Lock Freeform Dynamics Ltd

2 What you said > Understanding Virtualization > The case for Server and Storage Virtualization > The case for Desk Top / Laptop Virtualization > Of Platforms and Tweaks > The Management of Virtualization > Summary

3 What is your current level of knowledge and experience of Virtualization? 0% 10% 20% 30% 40% 50% 60% 70% 80% 90% 100% Tier 1: > 5000 emps Tier 2: emps Tier 3: < 250 emps Still a lot of people interested in Virtualization, but with little knowledge or experience Expert level across all facets of virtualization Significant practical experience in many areas Have read up or been trained, but limited practical experience Not answered Expert level in some areas of virtualization Significant practical experience in some areas Limited knowledge only

4 How much has your organization adopted Virtualization in the following areas? (>5000 employees) No real differences across scale of organization except that the Adoption of Storage virtualization is significantly lower in SMBs

5 In your own mind, how clear is the rationale for adopting Virtualization? ( employees) 0% 10% 20% 30% 40% 50% 60% 70% 80% 90% 100% Broad deployment of business applications on x86 servers Broad deployment of business applications on other servers Desktop / notebook PCs Storage The arguments for Storage and Desktop virtualization are less well developed or understood Very clear Partially clear Not clear at all

6 In your own mind, how clear is the rationale for adopting Virtualization? (<250 employees) 0% 10% 20% 30% 40% 50% 60% 70% 80% 90% 100% Broad deployment of business applications on x86 servers Broad deployment of business applications on other servers Desktop / notebook PCs Storage Very clear Partially clear Not clear at all The rationale for Storage virtualization is far less clear for SMBs

7 And which people / groups are driving or likely to drive Virtualization activity? (>5000 employees) 0% 10% 20% 30% 40% 50% 60% 70% 80% Board level CIO / head of IT Operational IT management IT architects Business units / lines of business

9 Which of the following do you regard as significant drivers for implementing Virtualization For broad deployment on x86 servers? ( employees) 0% 10% 20% 30% 40% 50% 60% 70% 80% 90% Improving response to changing business requirements Increasing IT service reliability Improving operational service levels Internal cost reduction, resource & space optimisation Scale and geography did not factor in replies Reducing operational risk Support for IT governance Support for regulatory compliance Perhaps the only area of IT today where compliance is not a leading driver. Power consumption reduction / optimization Green issues

10 Which of the following do you regard as significant drivers for implementing Virtualization - For broad deployment on other servers? servers? 0% 20% 40% 60% 80% Improving response to changing business requirements Increasing IT service reliability Improving operational service levels Internal cost reduction, resource & space optimisation Reducing operational risk Support for IT governance Not that different from x86 Support for regulatory compliance Power consumption reduction / optimization Green issues Tier1: >5000 emps Tier2: emps Tier3: <250 emps

11 Which Server Virtualization Platforms do you currently use? (>5000 employees) 0% 10% 20% 30% 40% 50% 60% 70% 80% 90% 100% VMware Microsoft XenSource Solaris Containers SWsoft Unix Virtualization Other Virtualization Standard Whenever possible When we have to Do not use Not answered

12 Which of the following do you regard as significant drivers for implementing Virtualization - For Virtualized storage? ( employees) 0% 10% 20% 30% 40% Improving response to changing business requirements Increasing IT service reliability Improving operational service levels Internal cost reduction, resource & space optimisation Reducing operational risk Support for IT governance Support for regulatory compliance And storage follows a similar storyline to servers Power consumption reduction / optimization Green issues

14 Which of the following do you regard as significant drivers for implementing Virtualization - For desktop or notebook PC deployment? (>5000 employees) 0% 10% 20% 30% 40% Improving response to changing business requirements Increasing IT service reliability Improving operational service levels Internal cost reduction, resource & space optimisation Reducing operational risk Support for IT governance Support for regulatory compliance Power consumption reduction / optimization No real lead business driver! Either every one is valid or this area is too new to have registered yet Green issues

15 In addition to the more general drivers discussed above, which of the following specific benefits have you achieved or do you anticipate from desktop/ notebook PC Virtualization? 0% 20% 40% 60% 80% Better use of existing hardware Reduce operational challenges and capital costs of traditional PC management Enable corporate management of employee owned PCs Enabling employees to use non-business related software on corporate machines IT Drivers - Something for everyone? Improve security and protection of corporate data Simplify PC deployment and management for temporary / contract employees Higher availability of PC environments (disaster recovery, universal device access, etc.) Tier1: >5000 emps Tier2: emps Tier3: <250 emps

16 Which approaches to desktop Virtualization/delivery are you adopting or considering? ( employees) 0% 10% 20% 30% 40% 50% 60% 70% 80% VMware VDI / ACE Citrix / XenSource Microsoft Standard Thin Client approach SaaS (Software as a Service) Other Only major difference of scale are that SMBs are generally around 10% lower in each area except Microsoft and Other where they rate 10% higher

17 Which of the following would you regard as significant challenges or barriers to the adoption of Desktop Virtualization in your organization? (<250 employees) Main barriers are where to use, uncertain business case and more pressing priorities SMBs are more license cost sensitive than larger organizations

19 Has Virtualization had an effect on your hardware acquisition strategy? 0% 10% 20% 30% 40% 50% 60% 70% 80% 90% 100% Tier 1: >5000 emps Tier 2: emps Virtualization Virtualization is is changing changing spending spending plans plans Tier 3: < 250 emps Yes - we now buy all IT hardware with virtualization requirements in mind Yes - but only in specific cases Not yet - but it might No

20 Do you expect that modifications in processor technologies will influence your future supplier selections? 0% 10% 20% 30% 40% 50% 60% 70% 80% 90% 100% Tier 1: > 5000 emps Tier 2: emps Tier 3: < 250 emps Especially Especially on on Chipset Chipset selection! selection! Yes - we will proactively seek to use systems with the chipsets best optimized for Virtual systems Server selection is based on server manufacturer rather than processor type/supplier No - we really don't care about chipsets or vendor brand as long as the system does the work required

21 Will OS tweaks to optimise for Virtualization affect your future operating system selection? 0% 10% 20% 30% 40% 50% 60% 70% 80% 90% 100% Tier 1: > 5000 emps Tier 2: emps No one buys an OS because they want to buy an OS. Virtualization has yet to really change this. Tier 3: < 250 emps Yes - it is a major selection factor No - OS selection is based on other factors Not yet - but it might

22 Will such OS tweaks make you more likely to use any of the following operating systems? 0% 20% 40% 60% Microsoft Windows Novell SuSE Linux Traditional Unix is being impacted. Linux and Windows are still fighting it out. Red Hat Linux Other Linux Sun Solaris HPUX IBM AIX zos (Mainframe) No - Operating System Selection is based on other factors Tier1: <5000 emps Tier2 : emps Tier3: <250 emps

24 How much impact do you see Virtualization having on management and support processes? 0% 10% 20% 30% 40% 50% 60% 70% 80% 90% 100% Tier 1: >5000 emps Support and Management need to change Tier 2: emps Tier 3 : < 250 emps Major impact Some impact, but no major changes required None Haven't worked it out yet

25 What is your predominant approach to managing Virtualized server environments? 0% 10% 20% 30% 40% 50% 60% 70% 80% 90% 100% Tier 1: > 5000 emps Tier 2: emps IT Staff and platform vendor supplied tools used to tackle virtual server administration Tier 3: < 250 emps Predominantly use standard enterprise management tools (Tivoli, UniCenter, OpenView, MSC etc.) Use standard enterprise management solution augmented with additional specialised tools Predominantly specialist virtual machine management tools Emphasis on the tools available from the virtual platform supplier We rely on our IT staff to keep things going rather than specialist management tools Unsure / NA

26 How important to you is the ability to Virtualized and manage servers from multiple suppliers (i.e. manage heterogeneous setups)? 0% 10% 20% 30% 40% 50% 60% 70% 80% 90% 100% Tier 1: >5000 emps Virtualized management across heterogeneous servers is desirable Tier 2: emps Tier 3: < 250 emps Extremely valuable to us Some value to us Not at all Have not yet looked at this

27 How well do you think that vendors support heterogeneous Virtualized server setups? 0% 10% 20% 30% 40% 50% 60% 70% 80% 90% 100% Tier 1: > 5000 emps But the solutions are found wanting Tier 2: emps Tier 3: < 250 emps Very well indeed OK, but needs to be better Not well at all Dont know

28 How much impact on management and support processes do you see from the move to the use of Virtualized storage systems? 0% 10% 20% 30% 40% 50% 60% 70% 80% 90% 100% Tier 1: > 5000 emps Tier 2: emps Tier 3: < 250 emps Similar story for the management of virtual storage systems, except that there is even more uncertainty Major impact Some impact, but no major changes required None Haven't worked it out yet

29 What is your predominant approach to managing Virtualized storage environments? 0% 10% 20% 30% 40% 50% 60% 70% 80% 90% 100% Tier 1: > 5000 emps Tier 2: emps Tier 3: < 250 emps Again, IT Staff and platform vendor supplied tools used in virtual storage admin, but there are a lot of unknowns Predominantly use standard enterprise management tools (Tivoli, UniCenter, OpenView, MSC etc.) Use standard enterprise management solution augmented with additional specialised tools Predominantly specialist virtual machine management tools Emphasis on the tools available from the virtual platform supplier We rely on our IT staff to keep things going rather than specialist management tools Unsure / NA

30 How important to you is the ability to Virtualize and manage storage systems from multiple suppliers (i.e. to support heterogeneous Virtualized storage environments)? 0% 10% 20% 30% 40% 50% 60% 70% 80% 90% 100% Tier 1: >5000 emps Tier 2: emps An area waiting to be addressed by organizations Tier 3: < 250 emps Extremely valuable to us Some value to us Not at all Have not yet looked at this

31 How well do you think vendors support heterogeneous Virtualized storage? 0% 10% 20% 30% 40% 50% 60% 70% 80% 90% 100% Tier 1: > 5000 emps Tier 2: emps And vendors Tier 3: < 250 emps Very well indeed OK, but needs to be better Not well at all Don't know

33 How does your organization generally feel about Virtualization? (Company size) 0% 10% 20% 30% 40% 50% 60% 70% 80% 90% 100% Tier emps Virtualization Virtualization has has a feel feel good good factor factor for for most, most, if if Tier emps not not all all Tier 3 < 250 emps Very positive Positive on balance Neutral Negative on balance Very negative Unsure

34 How aligned is Virtualization with Green Initiatives in your Organization? 0% 10% 20% 30% 40% 50% 60% 70% 80% 90% 100% Tier 1: 5000 emps Tier 2: emps Tier 3: < 250 emps Green Green hype hype yet yet to to really really take take root root in in Virtualization, Virtualization, or or will will it it be be spared? spared? Over Over 1 in in 4 either either see see no no link link or or have have no no green green initiatives initiatives Very well indeed There is some recognition of a link, but nothing is formally in place None at all We have not thought about the link Green initiatives are not on our agenda

35 Your wishes Want Affordable tools to manage both the virtualization hosts and the VMs themselves Better Management Affordable tools to manage both the virtualization hosts and the VMs themselves Better ability to manage guest OSs. The Guests require nearly as much management time as a physical server. Better coordination of hardware allocation and software licensing Backup integration could be improved Better Documentation Common virtual machine format / Make virtual machines portable between different vendors Better security Being able to simulate performance on virtual as opposed to physical systems / Ability to compare performance stats with physicals Better Microsoft support of VMware / Better support from ISVs Business cases that work

36 Your complaints OS and Application Licensing Cost of virtualization software Cost analysis does not show benefit Application suppliers won't support us Complexity A solution in search of a problem. Some niche things it seems well suited for, but not a blanket panacea. Insight into total machine resources used and accounting is also light for most VM environments Budget owner wants to see 'their' servers Difficult to start on virtualization... Can't virtulize Sparc

37 But is everyone convinced? As mentioned before, couldn't care less about it at the moment. Just not relevant. Dead slow Database servers don't work well in the virtual server environment. Cost versus Use - How to bring the idea to management without being dumped into the alligator pit, doormat included. Desktop: Crap performance and graphics I recently had to set up an AIX virtual server and was amazed at how hard it was. Doesn't always work as advertised. Doesn't work, *very* flaky, causes far more problems than it solves. waste of time. waste of money.

38 To conclude.. Users want vendors to be more realistic, open and honest about their abilities and limits. The Case for Desktop Virtualization has yet to be made Or at least be understood Almost no one likes the current Licensing models The software offered to manage virtual systems needs work Green initiatives appearing, but by no means everywhere When it comes to the adoption of virtualization there are few differences between organizations in terms of scale and geography

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