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How to choose the best hardware for virtualization
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How many cores per CPU should you have in your virtual servers?
You can't simply look at CPUs, as there are other key elements of server design. Take these factors into consideration to see if high core count CPUs could work for your virtual servers. Read Now
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Virtual GPUs enable complex graphics without performance degradation
The demand for hardware virtualization that can support high resource consumption increases with compute-intensive apps. Understand the different use cases of a GPU-assisted environment. Read Now
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New trends in RISC technology, ARM processors for server virtualization
The latest RISC processors support virtualization and change the way computing resources scale to meet workload demands. Read Now
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Right-size memory for workloads and use these management techniques
Allocating too little memory to VMs can cause performance issues. It's better to overcommit memory -- but do so carefully, and take advantage of different techniques to optimize memory. Read Now
Editor's note
There are several factors to consider when choosing virtualization hardware. Will you be an early adopter of emerging technology? Do you need the most up-to-date servers to meet your workload requirements? Are there certain features and functionalities that will ease resource management in your environment?
These are only a few of the questions you should ask yourself when reviewing hardware virtualization. There's a fine line between not having enough resources and spending too much on something you don't necessarily need.
After purchasing a hardware platform, you need to determine the best way to optimize it; otherwise, valuable processor, memory, networking and storage resources will go to waste. With so many options available to you when it comes to hardware specifications and features, it can be hard to know where to start. Luckily, this updated guide to choosing the best hardware for virtualization can help.
1Network hardware options
In terms of making the most of your networking resources, selecting the best server hardware for virtualization is only the first step in the process. Of course, using different technologies can help you in those efforts depending on your performance needs, but certain features and techniques can also ease network management. Learn more about emerging technologies, like SNMP, iSCSI and NFS, as well as specific networking best practices with these tips.
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Use SNMP technology to monitor your virtualization environment
Simple Network Management Protocol, the protocol that governs network management and monitors network devices, makes managing a large or complex environment easier. Read Now
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Author Q&A and book excerpt: Network function virtualization
Learn more about the advantages and disadvantages of NFV, how NFV affects VM performance and how NFV software has and will continue to evolve to meet data center needs. Read Now
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How to improve network performance via advanced NIC options
Ethernet networks often struggle with modern data center workloads, but emerging network interface card (NIC) technologies are here to help improve network performance. Read Now
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Understand Hyper-V NIC teaming and its limitations
Hyper-V NIC teaming enables admins to achieve greater network bandwidth and fault tolerance, and it can be managed with PowerShell, but this technology does have its limitations. Read Now
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The iSCSI versus NFS debate: Easing configuration in vSphere
For performance rivaling Fibre Channel, you can bet on iSCSI or Network File System. But one protocol has the edge when it comes to ease of configuration in vSphere. Read Now
2Storage hardware trends
Perhaps one of the most difficult decisions admins have to make when purchasing virtualization server hardware is how they want to approach storage in their environments. Aside from increasingly popular technologies, like storage I/O control (SIOC) and hypervisor-aware storage, you have hyper-converged infrastructure systems to consider. Thoroughly evaluate the storage features different vendors offer and your overall server design before choosing a server for virtualization.
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Prevent storage problems with SIOC and other features
First, place fewer VMs on the same LUN, use queue depth throttling and limit disk requests. Then, take advantage of storage I/O control features and monitor storage I/O latency. Read Now
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Use Windows Server 2016's Storage Replica to achieve scalability
Although Hyper-V replication might adequately meet your storage needs, consider switching to Storage Replica if you're looking for a feature that offers more flexibility. Read Now
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Evaluate VMware VVOL technology implementation
Manage storage in large VMware vSphere environments with Virtual Volumes. Storage allocation and management can be done on a per-VM basis with this feature. Read Now
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Compare the pros and cons of hyper-converged to rack servers
The rapid evolution of server design is worth considering. With HCI, pooling and tiering of storage in the cluster makes deployment easier, but performance might be a concern. Read Now