Virtualization, the next Shake Weight?
Are technology trends such as Virtualization, Cloud Computing and Open Source Software the Shake Weights of the IT Industry? Are IT professionals relying on them to be the magic bullet/quick fix for solving software efficiency?
That’s the question that Jason Corey, U.S. Navy Client Executive at Red Hat proposes in the Red Hat Enterprise Virtualization for the Navy Webcast.
So is Virtualization a magic bullet? It offers layers of flexibility - the ability move a virtual machine from one physical host to another with zero down time, increase utilization of a single server and save power by stacking multiple virtual machines, but there are still many challenges to overcome. Specifically to the DoD, they include:
- A steep learning curve - learning how to administer a hypervisor in addition to an operating system
- Long and expensive platform certification process
- Long information assurance process
- The need for Need for Mandatory Access Control
James Labocki, Red Hat Solutions Architect, proposes that KVM (Kernel-based Virtualization Machine) can solve the DoD challenges Jason mentioned. KVM is a module inside the Linux Kernel and therefore inside Red Hat Enterprise Virtualization.
The points James brings up are solid but ultimately it’s up to you to figure out which solution is best for your organization. Watch the webcast and see for yourself.
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