New virtualization management tools take on VM sprawl

As server virtualization technology makes its way from test environments into production, IT organizations are struggling to keep up with the inherent management challenges involved in dealing with virtual environments.

The ease with which VMs are created makes it that much easier for VMs to be launched and moved willy-nilly regardless of the security and software licensing cost issues, just to name two common problems. Vendors of course have been hip to these challenges. This month, Embotics Corp. released version 2.0 of its V-Commander management software designed to automatically nip virtual sprawl in the bud. One way the software does this is by automatically enforcing policy dictating such things as VM expiration dates and through role-based security access that defines just who can do what in terms of VM creation and migration.

Also this month, Netuitive Inc. revamped its Service Analyzer business service management (BSM) software to include virtualization management capabilities. Nick Sanna, Netuitive’s president and CEO, said the company’s self-learning correlation software can monitor the status of applications across the environment, whether they are physical or virtual. “The idea [behind Service Analyzer],” said Sanna, is to eliminate IT management silos by automating performance management and providing end-to-end visibility into business services.”