Virtualization planning…with a little help

Planning your virtual environment is critically important – and should not be taken on without the proper resources.  Sure you have IT colleagues that are giving you ideas and making you wish your virtual environment was where they are now, but make sure you select the correct solution.  And if you are new to virtualization, chances are you will need help in doing that.  Take, for example,  VMWare’s Plan and Design Services for the planning and design phases of your virtualization implementation.  It is not a free service, but you will have a VMWare certified professional (VCP) available to assist in your pre-implementation decisions.  This can be nothing in comparison to the costs of a solution that is undersized, oversized, or otherwise unable to deliver your performance and functionality expectations.

As the other virtualization platforms mature, these services will become more avialable there as well.  As virtualization technology is moving towards a commodity — and management tools lead the way in value — the planning and design phases will become more important going forward.