Server virtualization & virtual server monitoring

Server virtualization

Server virtualization is the process of partitioning a single physical server into multiple virtual servers. Server virtualization has been a rising trend in the IT industry over the past decade and for good reason. It helps you make the most of your server resources. Moreover, it simplifies server maintenance and reduces costs. Virtual devices are generally more efficient than their physical counterparts.

Role of virtual servers in a network

Virtual servers aren't different from physical servers from the perspective of the users. A virtual server acts like an independent physical device, its hypervisor pulls systems resources from the host devices and allocates them to the virtual devices based on their needs. When users request IT services like websites or open web-based applications, the virtual server provides the necessary information or hosts applications. For the most part, the customers can't differentiate between physical and virtual servers.

For the IT organization, virtual servers offer innumerable advantages. Virtual servers are used as redundancies along with physical servers to ensure that services remain operational in case of an emergency.

Advantages of virtual servers

• Efficient resource utilization: Physical servers are designed to accommodate peak network activity periods when more system resources, like CPU and memory, are required. However, these resources are underutilized the majority of the time when networks are operating normally. In contrast, many VMs share one system, so systems are more efficiently used whether in peak or non-peak network activity periods.
• Ability to take device snapshots: Snapshots are complete copies of the virtual machine taken at a point of time. You can take snapshots before you perform some operations. In case things go wrong, or if you want a do-over, you can restore your configurations easily. You can also clone your system and migrate it elsewhere.
• Reduced risks due to isolated operations: Virtual devices are like a sandbox. Whatever you do in the guest system does not affect the host system or any other guests. Whether you want to change system configurations, handle suspicious files, or simply partition network devices to control access, you can perform it hassle-free with VMs.
• Support for diverse OSs and software in one device: Your organization might offer different services that are best suited to run in different environments. For instance, you might need a Linux server for one website, and a Windows server to run a separate software. You can do this from a single device. You can even run very old OSs or software which isn't supported anywhere else.
• Minimal overhead costs: This is the most obvious advantage of virtual servers. A cluster of virtual servers running in a host device occupies less space, consumes less power, and utilizes fewer resources compared to a server rack. This results in less overhead costs for the organization.

Virtual server monitoring

Virtual server monitoring is an integral part of broader virtual server management. In many organizations, virtual servers run critical services and host websites, and applications. When virtual servers run into problems, the potential risks are threefold. They can affect your customer satisfaction. They can overtax other network components and indirectly affect their performance. Finally, they represent a single point of failure that can take down multiple services at once.

This is particularly true for VMs handling websites and applications. If left unmonitored, the reputation and revenue of your company are left to chance, which is not recommended. Creating virtual machines is known as "spinning up a VM" and it's a relatively easy task. Deleting them is also easy. Network admins can create snapshots of VMs and tinker with them because the previous version can be restored anytime. But this convenience might cause more harm than good. Let's see some of the problems caused by an overabundance of VMs.

VM sprawl: This is a commonly encountered problem with virtual servers. The number of useless VMs in a host is too high and they compete for host resources which often results in a drop in performance for the useful virtual servers and the host device. It's difficult to track redundant VMs and they can run for years undetected utilizing valuable disk space, memory, and CPU, leading to VM sprawl.

Single point of failure: Multiple virtual servers are hosted on a single physical host device in virtualized server clusters. This can be a single point of failure. If the host device goes down, the entire virtual installation is affected, disrupting all critical operations at once.

You can guarantee optimal performance from your virtual servers by tracking every VM in your network and monitoring its performance. This is what network monitoring tools accomplish.

ManageEngine OpManager: Virtual server monitoring software

A comprehensive network monitor like ManageEngine OpManager goes a long way to safeguard virtual server performance. OpManager can monitor key network components like switches, routers, servers, and wireless devices along with virtual servers. With this solution, you only need one tool to monitor your whole network. OpManager can also scale up to monitor thousands of devices effortlessly, basically ensuring constant and continuous monitoring of your network infrastructure. Here are some of the reasons why OpManager is ideal for monitoring your virtual servers:

Monitoring virtual servers with OpManager