Sun Microsystems White Paper Sample

One problem with many traditional data center set-ups is that the old one application/one-server rule is not cost-efficient. Today’s new high-performance servers, coupled with virtualization technology, can replace older servers at a dramatically reduced rate. With virtualization, each hardware unit can host several virtual servers, each with its own OS, and access to memory, connectivity, and processing resources. By cutting the actual hardware by a factor of five, 10, or even more, companies are realizing tremendous savings in electricity and cooling costs. In addition, by running five or more virtual servers on a single hardware unit, companies are ensuring that the server’s processing and memory capacity is leveraged more fully, thereby reducing waste and increasing value.

Management burdens are also simplified, with server deployment becoming a matter of software commands, not physical setup. Standard templates or configurations for application servers can be applied to multiple instances simultaneously, and management tasks can be carried out centrally and applied to all the servers in the department or company. This can reduce server rollout time from weeks to hours, and save thousands of dollars with each deployment.

This is where best practices come in. The centralized management and flexibility of virtualized data centers enable companies to implement and reap the benefits of best practices for business processes and IT services.