Server Farms and Virtualization

ICA 3/1/17

Paul Gudgel

BCIS 3610.003

Spring 2017

Dr. Lohr
 Server farms and virtualization are and will continue to be beneficial for large

organizations. By implementing virtualization techniques, organizations can reduce the needed

physical space and cost that comes with a traditional enterprise setup. By implementing a server

to handle the computing tasks of many workstations, an organization can reduce its physical

footprint tremendously. Less servers onsite translates to more space that is available for other

activities.

In a server farm, load is dynamically allocated to what process needs the most resources.

Demanding processes can be migrated to an underutilized server, leaving more headroom for less

intensive tasks on the primary server (Krishna, 2016). The inherent optimization of a server farm

makes sure that no energy is being wasted and all virtual machines are able to be independently

run, without bottlenecks.

However, if bottlenecks begin to appear, or other technical problems arise, staff can be

notified of issues immediately and can save time while implementing solutions. Traditionally,

changes to a workstation or server need to be handled physically and are generally time-

consuming (Ullman, 2009). With virtualization, IT staff can copy their desired changes from a

functional server and apply it to the server requiring modification. This reduces the overall

downtime of services and gets functionality back online almost immediately, opposed to hours or

days (Burger, 2012).

One of most important aspects of a business or organization, is the monetary sacrifice

necessary to keep the business running. Server farms and virtualization are not cheap. The

upfront cost is higher than a traditional one-to-one setup. However, the cost savings become
apparent once equipment requires servicing (discussed previously) and when the organization

continues to grow. The fixed cost allows the average cost of production to lower as the size of

the organization increases (Kroenke, 2017).

 Works Cited

Krishna, Padmini. "Amazing Advantages and Little-known Disadvantages of Server

Farms."Buzzle. Buzzle.com, 10 Sept. 2016. Web. 02 Mar. 2017.

Ullman, Ellen. "5 Reasons to Switch to Virtual Servers." University Business Magazine.

Professional Media Group, 1 Jan. 2009. Web. 02 Mar. 2017.

Burger, Thomas. "The Advantages of Using Virtualization Technology in the Enterprise."Intel®

Software. Intel, 5 Mar. 2012. Web. 02 Mar. 2017.

Kroenke, David M., and Randall Boyle. "The Cloud." Using MIS. 9th ed. Hoboken: Pearson,

2017. 207. Print.