Table of Contents
- Applications using intensive Disk I/O
- Applications using intensive network I/O
- Applications using intensive RAM resources
Today, virtualization has become a part of every IT infrastructure. Right from server virtualization to desktop virtualization, every resource can be virtually created to leverage available resources. While data centers are first things that are virtualized, companies have a second thought when it comes to virtualized business-critical applications. Today, the internet is full of praises for this innovative concept. However, the question here is whether virtualization is for everyone. When should you go for virtualization and when you should not? This question arises especially when you think about virtualizing resource-intense applications.
Applications using intensive Disk I/O
There are certain applications that involve intensive disk I/O operations. For instance, large graphical images, rich streaming media or large volumes of data management systems require high-speed network connectivity. Virtualization was not considered as the right choice for these tasks as the performance of most hypervisors comes down during intense I/O operations.
However, VMWare vSphere has an answer to this issue. VMWare vSphere 4 and above is designed to deliver efficient performance while running extreme I/O operations. According to the performance study on VMWare vSphere 4, each vSphere host running 3 virtual machines delivered 350,000 I/O operations. Moreover, I/O latency was under 2ms. vSphere 5 is even more better. For each vSphere host running 6 virtual machines, 1 million I/O operations were recorded at a latency of 1ms.
Applications using intensive network I/O
Another area wherein virtualization is not recommended is applications that use intensive network I/O operations. In addition, network paths that contain multiple interruptions can hamper the performance of virtual servers. VMWare vSphere 4.1 and above comes with an innovative feature called NetIOC that offers the flexibility to monitor and operate bandwidths using 10 GigE. With NetIOC, you can control specific network traffics like FT Logging, iSCSI, NFS or vMotion for guaranteed service levels.
Applications using intensive RAM resources
For several years, network experts opined that virtualization is not good idea for applications that use intensive RAM resources. When servers are loaded with extreme volumes, the performance gets affected. In certain segments like finance wherein load time and response rate is critical, virtual machines have to compete with the performance of native networks. Today, VMWare vSphere offers highly scalable virtual solutions for resource-intensive applications.
To prove this point, Intel, SAP and VMWare teamed up to run a proof of concept. As everyone knows SAP applications require intensive RAM resources. Virtualization of these applications is a tough challenge. Intel used Xeon 5500 series on VMWare vSphere Hypervisor to virtualize SAP applications. The result was that the network scaled up to 6-7 direct instances (DIs). The performance was almost equal to native applications.
Another important aspect to consider is the operational expense. When business critical applications are virtualized, unanticipated costs often creep up. As the complexity of the network infrastructure increases, expertise staff is required to efficiently handle the innovative technology. Companies have to compare the costs before and after the migration towards virtualization products. However, this transition surely offers huge benefits to the organization on the long run.
VMWare is constantly adding new and innovative features to its virtualization products which keeps it ahead of competition. In areas wherein people thought virtualization can be failure, VMWare proved them wrong. Â These results certainly prove that VMWare leaves no stone unturned when it comes to virtualization of resources.
