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Data centres are becoming more complex every day. The need to improve asset utilisation has led architects to create more dynamic environments which has subsequently led to the need for increased use of automation for administration, provisioning and ongoing management. The result of implementing virtualisation solutions is a more streamlined and efficient environment improving key business metrics such as return on invested capital.
Virtualisation technologies have been introduced in many data centre environments to enable better resource utilisation and further simplify IT management and operations.
Server Virtualisation technology enables the creation of multiple virtual instances of a server on a single physical server. Alternatively, it enables using clusters of industry-standard servers to aggregate capacity instead of using costly high-end mainframe machines.
Storage Virtualisation instantiates multiple virtual storage elements on single physical storage system or aggregates multiple physical storage devices to form a single, logical storage volume.
Networks can be virtualised using technologies such as Virtual LANs (VLAN) and Virtual Private Networks (VPN).
In addition to addressing flexible resource allocation and scale-out architectures, the virtualisation technologies create an abstraction layer that can provide easier management and isolate users from physical failures.
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