Three Important Questions To Ask Before Increasing Your Server Density

You’ve been wanting to virtualize your servers for a long time. But before you go ditching your physical machines in favor of virtualized solutions, however, stop and make sure that you’re doing it safely, and responsibly.

After all, increasing server density can come with many operational and environmental risks.

Here are three questions to ask before you start virtualizing your physical machines:

Are your licenses in order? One of the biggest things to keep in mind when virtualizing your machines is that you need to make sure to keep track of your software licenses. It’s very easy to create large numbers of virtualized machines, and in doing so violate your acceptable use policies. The last thing you want to do is to face an unexpected software audit, and realize that you’re using more software versions than you are allotted.

Are you aware of your current network capacity? The last thing you want to do is run out of computing resources, which can leave you in a pinch and have you overpaying for extra space.  It’s easy to lose track of your resource consumption when you stop using physical servers, and start creating abstract ones.

Can you keep track of your power draw? One of the biggest reasons IT administrators virtualize their servers is to increase energy efficiency. Keep in mind, however, that virtualization can actually lead to wasted power and higher costs if you’re not vigilant about your daily workloads.