Server proliferation is a well known issue in today's IT world. Server virtualization offers hope at combating server proliferation. But which virtualization offering (or offerings) is optimial for a given set of discrete servers?
IBM has developed a methodology and companion tool (RACEv) that aspires to help customers analyze servers that are subject to virtualization and in so doing provide a total cost of ownership viewpoint of those servers virtualized onto one of the following virtualization platforms:
- System z, using PR/SM and z/VM
- x86, using VMware
- POWER, using PowerVM
- Sun, using LDOM (or Zones)
The analysis considers technical contraints on processors, memory, I/O, and hypervisors. Once a constraint-free target configuration is derived, the cost models run generating costing in the following categories:
- energy
- floorspace
- server acquisition and maintenance
- storage acquisition and maintenance
- connectivity acquisitions and maintenance
- software licenses and support
- administration
- disaster recovery acquisitions and maintenance
- disaster recovery annualized costs
- cost of outages
The analysis concludes with a 5 year total cost of ownership chart that even a manager can understand!!!