The Real End Game of Virtualization is Automated IT Operations

In conversations that I have with other analysts, end users and vendors, it seems to me that many are either missing the point or failing to grasp what the end game of virtualization is. Some seem to think that virtualization for the sake of virtualization is the proper business objective because of how it helps reduce server and storage footprints, utilize physical resources more effectively or ultimately lower costs. Certainly these are proper short term goals but the real end game of virtualization is not simply to create a virtualized data center environment. It is to create one that fully automates IT operations.

It is clear that many who were in attendance at the recent VMworld are looking to implement virtualization for the first time and are still looking for solutions in how to do that. It was also clear that a growing number and maybe even a majority of those in attendance have already virtualized a sizable percentage of their infrastructure and are looking to go the final mile.

By going the final mile, they are looking to virtualize business critical applications such as Microsoft Exchange, SQL Server, SharePoint and Oracle as these have specific availability and recoverability features that VMware does not always do a good job of addressing. In these circumstances, they are looking to implement specific solutions such as Symantec's new ApplicationHA that addresses some of VMware's shortcomings.

But at VMworld there were also a small but growing number of attendees who have gone this final mile. They have virtualized all of their application servers to include their mission critical applications so they are starting to ponder what to do next?

It is a valid question and one that IT departments better have a good answer for as the work required to implement virtualization is not going to last forever. If anything, once the work is done, businesses are going to take a hard look at how small their data centers have become and ask, "Why do we need all of these people managing such a small data center footprint?"

I know that is something I certainly saw time and time again when I worked in corporate America. This was probably no more evident than when the company I worked for went through and replaced all of its physical tape libraries with virtual tape libraries back in 2005/2006.

The IT staff worked day and night for 6 - 9 months to make the shift from one technology to the other but once the transition was complete, everyone involved with managing the physical tape libraries on a day-to-day basis was let go.

So why was that? Simple. Suddenly all of the work associated with labeling, erasing, buying, selling, moving and storing tape cartridges disappeared and was automated. Now instead of telling a group of people to do it, all the company had to do was push a button and data was backed up, replicated and recovered at an alternative site with the company saving millions of dollars every year.

This is likely a microcosm of what is going to occur on a much grander scale in the years to come. Once servers and storage are virtualized and 3rd party data centers are in place that can handle the reception of this data, everything is going to be automated from backup to recovery to testing to you name it.

Further, it will not take most organizations long to realize - why build out a physical data center for tasks like offsite disaster recovery when you can pick up the phone and hire someone to do the same task more efficiently and at a lower cost than you can do it yourself? The answer is you won't.

For example, one company called vBC Cloud is already pretty far down the path of providing exactly this type of service for companies looking for a turnkey disaster recovery provider. Essentially all an organization has to do is call vBC Cloud, have vBC Cloud install its appliance in its data center, put in place a WAN connection that connects to vBC Cloud and, voila, within a day or two you can start recovering your applications at their site to include failing applications (or your entire data center) over and back.

But making this type of automation possible is the different forms of virtualization that are being put into place right now.

Many organizations are still focused on the here and now in regards to the benefits of virtualization as they look to transform their physical infrastructure into a virtual one. But for those few that have already fully transitioned to a virtual data center, they are recognizing that virtualization is only a stepping stone to making their IT operations automated. It is those organizations and individuals that recognize virtualization's end game and automating what they have virtualized that stand to prosper the most in the months and years to come.