Visualize the virtual network: virtualization uses dedicated infrastructure solutions managed as a single resource

Communications News, April, 2004 by James Leach

One of the biggest, and most often overlooked, cost elements in an IT shop is underutilization of server, storage and network resources. The root cause of this over-capacity is that, until recently, most IT infrastructure was designed to be dedicated to individual workloads or user groups, not dynamically allocated to meet demand. Worse, this underutilized infrastructure requires armies of operators and multiple management platforms, which can cause an IT shop to be mired in maintaining legacy systems and slow to deliver new applications. For example, a recent survey by IDG Research of 120 IT executives concluded that 70% of IT resources are allocated to maintaining legacy systems and infrastructure technology is underutilized by up to 60%.

Virtualization uses dedicated infrastructure solutions drawn from a pool of resources that includes processors, storage, bandwidth and specialized services. There is no underutilization because the entire pool is managed as a single resource that can be dynamically scaled. Reliability improves through an integrated management system and carrier-class equipment, designed for 100% uptime.

How much of this vision is available today? Virtualized processors. The old silicon cards that were slid into a PC are now supercharged "blades" that contain one or more CPUs and can be combined with dozens of other blades in a standard rack. Each blade receives power and cooling via the rack, which makes cabling easier and improves reliability. The collection of blades is managed as a single resource, from which "slices" are allocated to individual applications. Blades can act as backups for each other, and can be removed of added without taking down the system.

Virtualized storage. Traditional disk drives are often fully allocated but underutilized. Virtualized storage devices can tap into that unused capacity. High-performance disk drives are added or removed non-disruptively from a rack, and receive power and cooling from a single, fault-tolerant backplane. The management software dynamically assigns unused storage to other users and tailors service levels to individual applications.

Virtualized networks. For years, businesses used private circuits to connect their offices, or to their customers and suppliers. These private circuits were reliable and secure, but inflexible, and provided only site-to-site connectivity. New virtual private networks (VPNs) offer the performance and security of private networks, with fully meshed, any-to-any connectivity. Some VPNs allow the assignment of quality of service to each application.

Virtualized appliances. Most IT shops have dozens, if not hundreds, of appliances that deliver specialized services. Firewalls are the most common example. Every time a new server is purchased, so is a firewall. Today, new integrated switches offer virtualized firewall services to any application or site on the network. These same switches also offer intrusion detection, SSL acceleration and load balancing.

Until now, business had two choices: build or outsource. The challenge with the build strategy is that it can require significant up-front capital expense, and an even larger investment to recruit and retain the expertise needed to implement and run a virtualized infrastructure.

The traditional outsourcing approach also may not be a good option for many businesses. Large-scale outsourcers may be able to integrate virtualized technology and expertise in their solutions, but, in most cases, they ate looking for big-dollar, long-term contracts that many businesses cannot justify.

Virtualized utility services offer businesses of all sizes a way to leverage the benefits of virtualization. Simply plug into a service provider's virtualized private network that delivers connectivity and, most importantly, the dedicated processor, storage and specialized services your applications need. Implementation time is reduced through dynamic allocation of infrastructure services, utilization improves using virtualized technology, and availability increases through carrier-class equipment and a unified management system.

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