Virtualisation

Our Overview to Virtualisation

Virtualisation involves, in the simplest terms, making something that is physical, virtual. More specifically, in the world of IT management, it allows one server to do the job of several computers by sharing a single computer’s resources across multiple environments. Traditionally, there has been a one-on-one relationship between a server and its role, with one, separate server being required for each role (i.e. one for Exchange, one for file & print and one for active directory). In the case of virtualisation, however, physical servers can be reduced in number in favour of virtual servers that do not require as much physical hardware.

We offer a fully consultative approach to virtualisation implementation and will assign experienced IT special project managers for cradle to grave execution. We follow industry best practice at all stages and will perform a full analysis of your present IT systems, before suggesting a turnkey solution. You can be confident that our service will be transparent, robust and delivered on time and on budget.

Strategic capacity planning is at the heart of our design. When you choose The Internet Group as your virtualisation and IT outsourcing partner, you don’t just get a solution that fits today but a best fit solution for future expansion. A comprehensive design and planning service helps to future proof our IT solutions. It is critical that virtual environments are not just sized to move existing servers but take into account likely expansion requirements. You can be confident your virtualisation solution will provide your business IT functions with ample room to grow.

Our Virtualisation Approach Includes:

• Consultative Approach – Full analysis, planning, stakeholder interviews, design and professional services implementation


• Virtualisation Design and Planning Services – Virtual environments not just sized to move existing services, they are future proofed


• Virtualisation Sizing and Capacity Planning – Capacity Planning to ensure best fit solution is put into place


• Server Virtualisation and Consolidation Work – Generic server virtualisation projects


• Hosted and on Premise Virtualisation Solutions (Private Cloud) – Get cloud availability and flexibility without using 3rd parties such as Microsoft or Amazon to host your business critical data

The Technology Behind Virtualisation

Server virtualisation involves encapsulating server operating systems and the applications that accompany them within a host server’s virtualised environment. A virtualisation layer separates the virtual servers from their physical hardware, making it possible for the host server to allocate resources such as memory and disk space between the virtual servers.

It also means that complete virtual machines (VMs) can be migrated between physical servers and that the host server can be protected from any malicious applications or crashes suffered by the virtual server.

Above all, virtualisation means using software to create a VM that functions much like a physical computer. Many VMs can be used at once, allowing several applications and operating systems to be operated on just one physical machine. This has significant cost saving implications and can make your IT procurement processes much easier to manage.

Recovering a failed system is usually much simpler as a result of virtualisation, as VMs are stored as files – meaning that the recovery process may consist of little more than copying a file onto another machine. This reduces down time and contributes to more efficient disaster recovery, scaling up usable time and reducing wasted time. With almost constant access to their desktop possible, employees can work at maximum productivity, free from IT hardware and software failures.

The Advantages of Virtualisation for Your Business

Does your server room need almost as much space as your entire team? Do you worry about the cost of expansion and matching company growth with scalable IT support? Does you disaster recovery plan keep you cold? If you can answer ‘yes’ to any of these questions, Virtualisation could hold the key to significant time, energy, money and space savings.

In a nutshell, Virtualisation allows your organisation to operate more efficiently. You don’t need as many physical machines, which saves costs not just in terms of your initial expense but also ongoing maintenance.

Your energy costs are also reduced as a result of virtualisation, which allows your company to demonstrate its commitment to more environmentally friendly practices.

The scalability of virtualisation platforms allows for the easy growth of your IT infrastructure, married to the growth of your company as a whole. Your firm’s IT disaster recovery capabilities can also be enhanced by investment in virtualisation, given the ease and speed with which a replacement virtual server can be provisioned if one fails. This means that your firm can maintain its operational capacity and dramatically reduce downtime, introducing faster RTO (Recovery Time Objective) and lower RPO (Recovery Point Objective).

Finally, virtualisation allows your firm to benefit from lower migration costs given the lack of overheads involved in replacing a virtual rather than a physical server.

Overview of Virtualisation Business Benefits

• Faster RTO (Recovery Time Objective) – The time it takes to recover from a disaster


• Lower RPO (Recovery Point Objective) – The point in time to which you can recover


• Green IT – Less Hardware means less power and cooling requirement, which reduces energy bills and your carbon footprint


• Less Physical Space Used – Full server racks and limited space for IT are common. Virtualising your servers is significantly more cost effective than finding extra space to accommodate hardware.


• Lower Hardware Costs – You can use fewer servers while gaining in functionality.


• High Availability and DR – Some applications are costly or not able to be made highly available, virtualisation can remove this barrier and improve high availability and recovery capabilities.

Why Us?

As a full qualified VMware and with Microsoft Hyper-V certified engineers, a VMware enterprise partner status and Microsoft Gold Partner with Virtualisation Competencies, we can help you realise the world of opportunities virtualisation makes possible for your business.

Designing solutions that fit around your requirements and scaling to allow for further growth, we offer strategic consultation, end to end implementation management and London-based IT support for the lifetime of your project.

We have significant experience implementing and supporting various virtual environments and have saved customer money on Capex, management costs, power savings and delivered significantly improved DR capabilities.

All of our IT managed services and based on a strict performance without fail ethos. Working to internationally recognised ITIL and SDI best practice guidelines, we will manage your virtualisation project as if it were our own.

If you would like to find out more about our virtualisation services, please contact a member of our team on +44 (0)800 007 5797 or click the link below.