Peer to Peer Magazine

BEST PRACTICES SERVER VIRTUALIZATION FOR THE SMALL LAW FIRMBEST PRACTICES SERVER VIRTUALIZATION FOR THE SMALL LAW FIRM more capabilities than if the power were to go down before server virtualization. Be prepared to up your investment in RAM as well; a virtualized single host will now support more applications than it would have before virtualization, and all of that computing demands RAM. Many IT managers who have completed server virtualization projects say that they wish they had bought more RAM, expanded their hardware or even added more for overhead. With server virtualization, a good rule of thumb is you can never have too much RAM. TAKE YOUR TIME TAKE YOUR TIME more capabilities than if the power were to go down before server virtualization. Be prepared to up your investment in RAM as well; a virtualized single host will now support more applications than it would have before virtualization, and all of that computing demands RAM. Many IT managers who have completed server virtualization projects say that they wish they had bought more RAM, expanded their hardware or even added more for overhead. With server virtualization, a good rule of thumb is you can never have too much RAM. LET THEIR CHALLENGES BE YOUR GUIDE Taking a look at the challenges reported by small firms who have already walked the path to virtualization, you can identify where you might want to focus your efforts when your firm decides to embark on this project. Server virtualization is important, but that doesn't mean you should rush the project or cut corners to get it done sooner. It is more important to get it right. If you need to implement server virtualization slowly over time — for financial reasons, timing reasons or anything else — that's fine. Spreading the project over time will not add any risk to your IT operations, but rushing it may. PROVE THE INVESTMENT Once your firm has completed its server virtualization PROVE THE INVESTMENT Once your firm has completed its server virtualization project, it is important to show the firm that the investment was worth it. Look for and calculate your savings in smaller physical footprints for servers, shrinking hardware costs, more efficient IT administration, reduced software licensing costs and improved power and cooling efficiency. Share the savings information with your management team. CDW's "Small Business Server Virtualization Roadmap" found that firms that have implemented server virtualization say they are saving an average of 18 percent of their IT budget, or approximately $19,400 a year for the average respondent to the survey. Of those that have virtualized, 65 percent report that virtualization has significantly improved their organization's return on investment in IT. Following these best practices, your firm can shrink its data center and see all of the benefits of virtualization, without experiencing all of the bumps in the road. ILTA project, it is important to show the firm that the investment was worth it. Look for and calculate your savings in smaller physical footprints for servers, shrinking hardware costs, more efficient IT administration, reduced software licensing costs and improved power and cooling efficiency. Share the savings information with your management team. CDW's "Small Business Server Virtualization Roadmap" found that firms that have implemented server virtualization say they are saving an average of 18 percent of their IT budget, or approximately $19,400 a year for the average respondent to the survey. Of those that have virtualized, 65 percent report that virtualization has significantly improved their organization's return on investment in IT. Following these best practices, your firm can shrink its data center and see all of the benefits of virtualization, without experiencing all of the bumps in the road. ILTA Pat Thiel is a Virtualization Product Specialist at CDW, where he serves as a team leader for virtualization solutions, provides technical overviews and designs demonstrations of virtualization products. With over 20 years of experience, he has worked in server, desktop and data center operations. Pat is a certified VMware licensing expert and VMware sales professional. He can be reached at patthie@cdw.com. Server virtualization is important, but that doesn't mean you should rush the project or cut corners to get it done sooner. It is more important to get it right. If you need to implement server virtualization slowly over time — for financial reasons, timing reasons or anything else — that's fine. Spreading the project over time will not add any risk to your IT operations, but rushing it may. Which of the following challenges did your organization face? Compatibility issues Time required to implement Funding Technical support requirements Training requirements 41% 37% 34% 31% 30% Uncertainty of ROI 14% Security concerns Perception that virtualization is not beneficial for small businesses 13% 9% Pat Thiel is a Virtualization Product Specialist at CDW, where he serves as a team leader for virtualization solutions, provides technical overviews and designs demonstrations of virtualization products. With over 20 years of experience, he has worked in server, desktop and data center operations. Pat is a certified VMware licensing expert and VMware sales professional. He can be reached at patthie@cdw.com. Based on survey data from 214 respondents whose small businesses have implemented server virtualization. Respondents asked to select all that apply. Small businesses that have not yet virtualized also express concerns about funding and time required to implement, but see training requirements as a bigger hurdle than compatibility issues. Peer to Peer Peer to Peer the quarterly magazine of ILTA the quarterly magazine of ILTA 17 15

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