Virtualisation seems like the solution to managing IT systems, but what are its faults?
- Article 18 of 33
- SC Magazine, October 2009
In a complex security world, virtualisation seems to be a brilliant solution. But the VM path is strewn with pitfalls, says Rob Buckley
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Five questions to ask before you embark on the virtual path
1. What are you going to virtualise?
If your aim is consolidation, you'll need to make sure your remaining servers will be able to cope with peak demand and that storage access will be fast enough. In some cases, it may be easier to virtualise legacy applications first, so you simply don't have to run older hardware any more.
2. Have you got the necessary expertise?
While consultants will need to help set up more complex infrastructures, ongoing management also needs to be considered. The aim is for as much as possible to be automated, something consultants can certainly help with. However, trained staff will still be needed for maintenance and managing accidents such as hardware failures and the like.
3. How will duties be separated?
With so much more riding on virtualisation, you need to have rock solid stability, with security as tight as possible. While allowing the same people who managed the servers before to manage virtual machines (VMs) may seem logical, it can lead to too much power being vested in one group. Consider how you will separate duties.
4. Will you need extra technology to secure it?
In most virtualised environments, the security concerns will be the same as before. However, security tools that are unaware of the nuances of virtualisation may use up too many resources; and managing them may be harder if they don't tie into VM management tools.
5. Where are your points of failure going to be?
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