Windows Server 2008 Hyper-V, is the latest generation virtualisation technology and allows you run multiple virtual machines; all running different operating systems.
Server virtualisation technologies enable multiple operating systems to run on a single physical machine as virtual machines (VM’s). This enables you to consolidate workloads of underutilized physical server machines onto a smaller number of fully utilized machines. Fewer physical machines can lead to reduced costs through lower hardware, energy and management overhead.
Advantages of Windows Server 2008 Hyper-V
· Reduced total cost of ownership - Hyper-V allows your business to lower its total cost of ownership, not just from reducing the number of physical server’s but also from lower power and cooling costs too.
· Broad OS Support – can run a wide variety of server operating systems such as Windows 2000, 2003 and Linux. It can also run both 32-bit and 64-bit versions.
· Quick Migration – enables you to rapidly migrate a VM from one physical host to another with minimal downtime.
· Snapshot – has the ability to take snapshots of a running VM so you can easily revert to a previous state.
Disadvantages of Windows Server 2008 Hyper-V
· I/O load - Virtualisation is not suitable for server’s which are under a heavy disk I/O load. Typically this would include Exchange servers and possibly SQL servers
· Eggs are all in one basket – Although virtualisation allows you to separate server roles by running multiple VM’s it should be remembered that these machines are all dependant on the hardware of the host physical machine. Therefore, this machine must have a high level of redundancy (i.e. RAID card, hot swap disk, redundant PSU’s etc) in order to reduce the risk of downtime should this machine suffer from a hardware failure. It is important to have a well thought out disaster recovery plan.
Virtualisation is not suitable for server’s which are under a heavy disk I/O load. Typically this would include Exchange Servers and possibly SQL servers.