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Server

Data De-Duplication for Virtualization: Too Much of a Good Thing?
James E. Geis, Director, Integrated Solutions Development
SearchServerVirtualization.com 04.13.2008
What are the data de-duplication options in server virtualization?

Virtualizing Streaming Video Servers
James E. Geis, Director, Integrated Solutions Development
SearchServerVirtualization.com 04.13.2008
My company uses video streaming technologies a great deal. Are there any options for virtualization here?

Four Rules for Virtual Machine Migration
James e. Geis, Director, Integrated Solutions Development
SearchServerVirtualization.com 04.07.2008
What are some of the risks of moving from client/server computing to virtual machines (VMs) and virtual servers? What do you recommend as a best practice to minimize the risks of a physical-to-virtual migration?

Good Tools, Practices for VM Change Management
James E. Geis, Director, Integrated Solutions Development
SearchServerVirtualization.com 04.07.2008
We've started using virtual machines in an effort to reduce the number of servers in our data center. Because virtual machines (VMs) are easy to move, we are running into change management issues. Are there automated change management tools we can use? What are good practices for documenting or limiting permissions for changes?

Implementing VDI Solutions in Complex Infrastructures
James E. Geis, Director, Integrated Solutions Development
SearchServerVirtualization.com 03.06.2008
Our organization is thinking about implementing a VDI solution with approximately 200 desktops. We currently have an infrastructure consisting of SQL servers, Active Directory servers and Web servers . What are the benefits of deduplication in a virtualized environment? Will this help optimize the entire infrastructure?

Using VDI Images to Stream Applications
James E. Geis, Director, Integrated Solutions Development
SearchServerVirtualization.com 03.06.2008
It looks like people can save lot of space by streaming applications into VDI images instead of installing all the applications. Yet I do not see talk about this on any of the discussion boards I use. What do you think? Is it worth exploring? Would it save space?

How Virtualization Impacts HBA Drivers and Zoning Switches
James E. Geis, Director, Integrated Solutions Development
SearchServerVirtualization.com 12.13.2007
How much does virtualizing a server environment impact zoning switches and upgrading HBA drivers?

How Virtualization Impacts HBA Drivers and Zoning Switches
James E. Geis, Director, Integrated Solutions Development
SearchServerVirtualization.com 12.13.2007
How much does virtualizing a server environment impact zoning switches and upgrading HBA drivers?

Migrating to a Virtual Server: The Effect on Storage
James E. Geis, Director, Integrated Solutions Development
SearchServerVirtualization.com 12.12.2007
When you migrate a physical server to a virtual server, what do you have to do about the storage?

Virtualization and ISCSI: Match Made in Heaven?
James E. Geis, Director, Integrated Solutions Development
SearchServerVirtualization.com 12.01.2007
In the second half of this interview on virtualization, iSCSI and blade servers, a Virtual Iron rep says that iSCSI and virtualization are a great match, because iSCSI technology allows for quick integration of production and development servers. Do you agree? Can you suggest some ways to use iSCSI in our data center, in which we have consolidated a couple of dozen servers down to six servers running VMware Server-based virtual machines?

Should I Use Two Non- Synchronized/Distinctive Servers for Redundancy?
James E. Geis, Director, Integrated Solutions Development
SearchServer Virtualization.com 09.21.2007
Would you consider the use of two non-synchronized/distinctive servers an efficient means to provide redundancy? I have a vendor who claims that such a configuration represents most optimal solution. As far as I can see, it causes an administrative nightmare. It adds field equipment.

ISCSI, Fibre Channels and Virtualization
SearchServerVirtualization.com 06.18.2007
Is iSCSI ready for virtualization deployments? What are the deciding factors between using iSCSI over fibre channel, and vice-versa?

What is NPIV and Why Is It Important?
James E. Geis, Director, Integrated Solutions Development
SearchServerVirtualization.com 05.29.2007
NPIV is an extension to a standard already defined in the fibre channel protocols that allows one to get past single initiator/single target design limitations. In order for you to take advantage of this...

Virtual Machines and Fibre Channel LUNs
James E. Geis, Director, Integrated Solutions Development
SearchServerVirtualization.com 05.09.2007
How do virtual machines connect to fibre channel devices?

The Best Way to Back Up a Virtual Machine
James E. Geis, Director, Integrated Solutions Development
SearchServerVirtualization.com 03.27.2007
There is no single “best” method of backing up a VM, so the best way to determine the answer to your question is to thoroughly review the restore requirements of the data; i.e. what file-level granularity and file-restore speed do you need?

How Do I Convince My Business Unit to Virtualize a Server?
James E. Geis, Director, Integrated Solutions Development
SearchServerVirtualization.com 03.27.2007
This question is coming up more often than not. I would first ask do you use a chargeback to that business unit and does it include wide encompassing data resources?

How Do I Know If a Server Can Be Virtualized?
James E. Geis, Director, Integrated Solutions Development
SearchServerVirtualization.com 03.27.2007
While a significant portion of your x86 servers can be virtualized, not every server or application can or should be. If an application requires large amounts of memory, access to a lot of processing power (CPU), or specialized hardware that cannot or should not be managed by the virtual machine software, it should not be virtualized.

Vendor Won’t Support Virtualized Software
James E. Geis, Director, Integrated Solutions Development
SearchServerVirtualization.com 03.27.2007
Ouch. First of all, in most cases, this is hogwash. Second, they most likely haven’t thought too far into the future if they are telling a paying customer that they won’t support their own software. Third, ask if they would prefer that you go to their competitor for the software.

Why Shouldn’t I Use Freeware Virtual Servers?
James E. Geis, Director, Integrated Solutions Development
SearchServerVirtualization.com 03.27.2007
As the adage goes, you get what you pay for! Many of the free software versions don’t have: integration with storage; management software integration; 24x7x365 support; or the growing number of main, third party and application support.