Virtualization: The need for a test lab

I have been on a search to learn more about virtualization. If you are not aware, this is one of the hottest topics in information technology. Virtualization is not new and I have been a fan of VmWare's products when their primary application was VmWare Desktop quite some years ago.

Virtualization History

Fast forward to the present, Vmware and Microsoft are competing to dominate in this market, especially for big businesses. Virtualization used to mean the ability to run another operating system on your desktop such as running Linux or Windows Server on your Windows or Linux desktop. This was great for developers and testers because you no longer needed to have a separate physical machine for each environment that you needed. Now, large businesses are able to consolidate hardware by having fewer super computers with plenty of (shared) diskspace and memory that can host several guest operating systems. Thus, businesses can save hundreds of thousands of dollars on hardware that becomes obsolete far quicker than the operating system and/or application. You can believe that if Microsoft has entered the picture, there is money to be made.

Challenges

Unfortunately, learning this technology can be challenging for a system administrator especially if you are not able to attend a certified class. The first obstacle is that the latest version of Vmware's and Microsoft's virtualization products only install on baremetal hardware that meet certain criteria such as a system that has Intel's Virtualization Technology (VT). Another obstacle, at least with Vmware, is certification is only available after attending a certified class and passing the certification tests. In a nutshell, you have to pay the piper regardless of how much knowledge you may have or whether or not you can pass the test. Are you sitting down? That can translate to $5500 USD or more, give or take approximately $1000, depending on which classes you need. Ouch. I do not know about you but I just do not have a spare $5500 plus hotel and travel expenses.

That does not leave many options for the system administrator, particularly if your employer cannot or will not pay for an authorized/certified class. I find it ironic and frustrating that businesses desire administrators to magically understand, implement and troubleshoot new technologies but do not provide the tools to obtain the knowledge whether it be a test lab and/or class.

Test Lab Justification

Hence, the hunt for the perfect test lab to learn visually. In the upcoming blog posts, I will outline my journey to setup my test lab as well as show the install process.

I hope you come along and provide some feedback. After all, we all need to stay current so stay tuned.