One of the hot new topics in computer network consulting is virtualization. This is the process of running multiple “instances” of a computer on a single piece of hardware. It’s a step toward taking advantage of the unused power of our computers, particularly servers. The reality is that most computer spend most of their time waiting for something to do. If we use that time to run another function, we can avoid buying more hardware that will also spend its time waiting for something to do. Why not just run the additional applications and services on the current server? Well, you know how some programs don’t like to run together on a machine? You can avoid that problem if they run in separate machine instances.

This is a bigger benefit for larger organizations that have rooms full of servers. By virtualizing the servers, more can be done on the same hardware. The hardware reduction leads to real savings in power, air conditioning, and floor space. In a small business, this is less of an advantage since they generally run a single server.

Once server virtualization became hot, it was only a matter of time until someone thought about using it for desktop applications as well. This is the next step toward centralized computing again. Terminal services and remote control have been gaining in popularity as a way to connect from external locations. Virtualization is another option for making that happen.

For the small businesses for whom we provide computer support, we’ve found that the savings from moving to virtualization is small compared to the inconvenience it provides for the staff. With the exception of remote access, it makes more sense to use your computer as a computer and avoid the added complexity of virtualization. Of course, this is subject to change as the features improve.