Virtualization
A modern IT infrastructure is hardly conceivable without the use of virtualization solutions. Even if the need for physical hardware resources will continue to exist in certain use cases in the future, the use of virtualization solutions enables companies to make effective use of their available physical IT resources in order to reduce idle capacity in their own IT infrastructures.
At first glance, the basic principle behind virtualization sounds simple. Instead of using physical resources for only a single use case or mixing services and applications without further isolation, virtualization logically partitions physical resources so that multiple different applications and services can be operated on the same hardware in isolation from one another. This increases system utilization through greater use of hardware resources and, at the same time, logical separation also increases security in an organization’s IT infrastructure. High investments in hardware should always be aligned with their benefits.
“High investments in hardware should always be aligned with their benefits.”
The intention behind using virtualization technologies is therefore easy to explain. However, quite a few companies fail when it comes to correct implementation. The most common sources of error are faulty planning, implementation, or operation of the respective technologies, which are reflected in costly restructurings or operating costs. High licensing costs—triggered by poor planning or the use of proprietary solutions that could have been replaced by open-source technologies at the same level of quality—place an additional burden on companies.
At this point, we are happy to support our customers as a service provider. Our employees’ expertise ranges from professional planning, implementation, and integration of virtualization technologies through to active participation in the open-source projects themselves. This means our employees not only leverage knowledge from previous customer projects, but can also incorporate their insider knowledge and experience directly into customer projects.
Examples
The following examples are intended to give you an overview of the scope of our activities in the area of virtualization:
VMware’s acquisition by Broadcom has significantly changed the IT world. The change of ownership has not only altered the framework conditions for customers; the newly designed pricing policy is also leading to a far-reaching realignment in the area of virtualization within companies’ IT departments and executive management.
As an alternative to VMware vSphere, the open-source solution Proxmox VE from Proxmox Server Solutions GmbH has become established. While there is a company behind Proxmox VE that is committed to further developing the software, Proxmox VE is nevertheless an open-source technology, meaning that using the software does not necessarily incur licensing costs. Gone are the days when simply using it meant having to pay for each additional node. A broad network of partners supports Proxmox in providing support for the software. For this reason, it is no surprise that we are also among the Proxmox partners in the DACH region.
Support for migration for our customers can look very different. Depending on the customer’s requirements, we tailor our services to their needs.
In workshops, for example, our colleagues sit down with customers, capture requirements and framework conditions, and work with the customer to develop tailored architectures and migration plans that enable as seamless a transition as possible from proprietary solutions to, for example, Proxmox VE. As a service provider, we can support the actual migration or, depending on requirements, leave the migration to the administrators and employees on the customer side. If desired, we are always available to support your employees with training or specialist expertise and advise them on the respective implementation.
Topics such as shared storage, software-defined networking, distributed resource scheduling, live migration, and backup/restore are familiar to our employees. In this way, our employees support the entire lifecycle, from planning through implementation, integration, and operation of the virtualization solution. Not all phases always have to be completed together. With pre-built architectures, we can also provide our customers with established standard architectures in order to keep implementation costs aligned with requirements. Especially for small and mid-sized companies, these are attractive ways to enter the world of Proxmox VE. And if you need more, we also offer 24/7 support with our employees—so we can keep the nights short together and let your employees enjoy their well-deserved sleep.
One of the core principles in the open-source world is not only to use open-source projects, but also to actively contribute to the respective projects and participate in the communities. This principle not only ensures that knowledge can flow back into the projects, but also helps you build insider knowledge that can benefit customers, partners, or the respective communities. Especially in cases where there is no company behind a software project, this can make a major difference for adoption, support, and ultimately your organization.
For example, our employees contribute to the following projects:
ProxLB – (Re)Balance VM Workloads in Proxmox Clusters
Software / Technologies
Our portfolio also covers many other technologies in the area of virtualization, so please do not hesitate to contact us and learn more about our expertise in a personal conversation.
Below you will find a small selection of the software and technologies with which we typically already support our customers in this area.
