Virtualization Strategies for the CIOWe're trying to improve our documentation, and we're looking for advice on
the best ways to create and maintain documentation templates for organizing our virtual environment
for enhanced support. Could you offer some suggestions?
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Margie Semilof, Editorial Director
First off, I commend you on deciding to undertake the painful (but valuable) process of
documentation! There are several approaches that can be useful. If you want to track custom
information, you can develop a simple Web-based application that stores configuration information
in XML files or in a database. You can use scripting or automation techniques to collect the
necessary information. If that sounds like too much work, I'd highly recommend looking into
enterprise management software that has automatic discovery capabilities. These tools can scan the
network and query virtualization hosts to generate reports of what's out there in your environment.
This area is still quickly evolving, but some solutions to consider include PlateSpin's PowerRecon, Vizioncore's
vCharter, and products from companies such as Computer
Associates, Embotics, NetIQ, Opsware, and BMC.
This was first published in December 2007