Innovations in Cloud Computing and Virtualization
Modern data centers rely heavily on virtualization technology to improve productivity. As a result of the immense pressure on its performance, the technology itself has stepped up and evolved drastically since its inception. Virtualization is a concept wherein a virtual version of a hardware, software, operating system or storage space is created in order to centralize administrative tasks and enhance scalability and performance of the component that has been subjected to virtualization.
Virtualization ensures optimal resource utilization. With the aid of this technology, one can run multiple operating systems simultaneously on a single platform/CPU. It’s a perfect example of enhanced multitasking or hierarchical multitasking. In multitasking, you are allowed to run multiple applications on a single operating system, whereas in virtualization, you are simultaneously running several operating systems on a single CPU; on each operating system, you can simultaneously run several applications. This reduces the overhead cost of the data center as you are making full use of the available CPUs, thus bringing down the need for more.
The latest innovation in the virtualization technology is the Converged Network Adapter. It is a server card that is meant to serve the purpose of a Fibre Channel Host Bus Adapter and Ethernet Network Interface Card in one card. It connects the storage network and the computer network. For companies struggling with complex physical and virtual networking, CNAs are a boon to have. Once the CNA is connected and routed properly, it can pass both TCP/IP networking and storage traffic simultaneously.
The main advantage of CNAs is the reduction in the number of adapters required to connect the servers to the ports.
After understanding the importance and hype around cloud computing, it becomes more or less important to strategically adopt cloud computing into the enterprise. The hype around cloud computing keeps growing as the number of cloud service offerings evolve.
Cloud computing should not just be an alternative to expansion of an enterprise. Maximizing the effects of cloud computing on an enterprise should be on the grounds of being able to leverage the technology to its full capacity. At this stage it is important to understand the needs of an enterprise, and its end-user requirements. There are several strategic plans for the successful adoption of cloud computing.
- Understanding the requirements and demands of the enterprise, and the end-user
- Frame the right team of professionals
- Create a definite strategic plan
- Deploy the right measures to achieve the objective
Cloud computing services have the obligation to abide by the standards of certain regulatory bodies. They are required to pass all the compliance audits. At the end of the day, all that matters for the successful adoption of cloud computing is a series of right decisions.
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