Virtualization in the IT world is a concept that allows for multiple instances of an operating system on a single (or group) of physical machines. As an IT firm we manage many clusters of virtual servers in complex cloud environments to ensure that clients can run their businesses more optimally.
“THIS IS ALL SOUNDS GREAT AS A CONCEPT, BUT THE FACT THAT HARDWARE IS BEING REPLACED
WHILE IT CAN STILL PROVIDE SOME VALUE, JUST DOES NOT SEEM ECONOMICALLY ‘OPTIMIZED’.”
When converting hardware from a physical to a virtualized environment, a new robust server typically replaces the existing hardware that may not have adequate resources to run the applications the business needs to operate. This is all sounds great as a concept, but the fact that hardware is being replaced while it can still provide some value, just does not seem economically “optimized”.
SHOULD WE BE THROWING AWAY SOMETHING THAT STILL “MOSTLY” WORKS?
THEN THERE’S THE T-SHIRTS….
To promote our business, as many other firms do, we decided to print some t-shirts with our logo and cool graphics. We agonized for weeks to come up with a concept for the graphics. We reviewed, debated, rejected, and short-listed multiple ideas presented by our digital marketing partners. Finally, after several informal focus groups and a loose voting system, we settled on a concept that we all liked. We took our designs and gave them to a printer, went through another round of reviews, changes, and proofs and gave the “final okay” for printing, what can best be described as, “lots and lots of t-shirts”.
After weeks the long awaited shirts arrived. They were beautiful, a tri-blend material that had a comfortable feel and modern sleek fit. They arrived in a variety of sizes and colors with our logo proudly emblazoned on the back.
There was just one problem… The word “Virtualization” was mistakenly spelled as “Virtulization”. One letter was the difference between team affirming pride, and disbelief steadily changing to a rising feeling of despair, summarized very succinctly by a member of our team with the remark, “Well, that sucks”.
Through all the reviews, debates, discussions, iterations, and considerations between our team, the digital marketing team, t-shirt vendor, graphic designers and executives, we had ALL missed a minor detail that rendered the idea of wearing the shirts counter-productive to the very intent of their existence. As we racked our brains for a solution to our problem in a gradually rising panic, no idea immediately resonated. The simple and accepted solution to the problem is to donate or dispose of the t-shirts and get new ones. Eat the cost, learn from our mistakes, and move on right? Well, this is all great in concept, but the fact that the t-shirts are being replaced while they can still provide some value, just does not seem economically “optimized”.
“THIS IS ALL SOUNDS GREAT AS A CONCEPT, BUT THE FACT THAT HARDWARE IS BEING REPLACED WHILE IT CAN STILL PROVIDE
SOME VALUE, JUST DOES NOT SEEM ECONOMICALLY ‘OPTIMIZED’.”
VIRTUALIZATION
WITHOUT THE WASTE…
Instead of disposing of the old hardware, what if we could find some use for it? Surely,
something can be done to make use of an those old workhorses that have dutifully aided in operations over the years? The answer instantly dawned on our misspelled t-shirt wearing team.
ENTER “VIRTULIZATION”
We can use the existing hardware to store backups and run applications in the event that the new hardware failed! The environment wouldn’t run very well in this situation, but it would be a better scenario than having a total outage.
THIS IS WHERE THE IDEA OF VIRTULIZATION” WAS BORN.
From here on, we define Virtulization (no quotes needed) as the concept of finding a use of for hardware that has been prematurely labeled as obsolete, in order to optimize resources not only from an IT perspective but from a business and economic perspective.
WHAT EVER HAPPENED TO THE T-SHIRTS?
We ordered new ones, wear them with pride alongside the old ones, learned from our mistake, and moved on. Most importantly we always remember to put effort into finding value in all things old and new.