Specialized IT hardware such as servers, routers, and the like can be quite expensive, but their virtualized software counterparts are way more affordable and are faster to deploy, too. As of this writing, though, it takes specialists to successfully implement these on IT systems. To give you a better idea, here are three considerations they have to keep in mind.
Backing up data can be such a hassle
Incorporating a robust backup system in a virtualized setting can become a huge challenge. This is because you have to determine which data you want to store and how often it should be backed up, then you have to decide whether you should back up all your virtual machines or just some vital ones that have important apps and data.
In short, the amount of data that needs to be backed up can be overwhelming. The only way to overcome this is to integrate a powerful virtual backup solution offered by a reputable managed services provider (MSP).
Ensuring security complicates the virtualization process
Security concerns are more complicated in a virtualized setting since you have to monitor security on a couple of tiers: virtual machine security and physical host security.
If a physical host server is compromised, let us say by someone plugging in an infected USB drive into one of its ports, it will affect every virtual machine running on it. In a similar way, a compromised virtual machine may disrupt the physical server and may affect other virtual machines residing on the same host.
To address this, you need to set up strong network defenses, including firewalls, intrusion prevention systems, antivirus software, and virtual machine security tools. Beyond these, you also need a hardened physical security system comprised of surveillance cameras, locks, biometric scans, and security guards. Of course, if you don’t have the funds to set these up, it may make more sense to leave it to a security-conscious MSP.
Monitoring your systems is resource-intensive
Since your team has to oversee both virtual machines and physical servers to ensure you have a fully operational environment, they’ll experience a couple of pain points.
First, running monitoring software on a physical host server is likely to impede the performance of the virtual machines on that server since the former takes up precious processing power and memory. You’ll practically have to monitor your monitoring system to ensure that it’s not hogging the resources of your servers.
Second, keeping tabs on your virtual machines and making sure they’re secure and running at all times is a full-time job. So unless you have a team of professionals in-house, you’ll definitely need some help from the outside.
Without a doubt, virtualization brings a lot of benefits to the table, but you have to know how it affects every aspect of your business. Let us show you how you can use it to its full potential. Just give us a call today!
