1.2.1 Studying Server Consolidation
Server consolidation is an approach to the proficient usage of computer server resources in order to decrease the total number of servers or server locations that an organization requires. The practice was developed in response to the problem of “server sprawl,” a position in which multiple under-utilized servers take up more space and consume more resources than can be justified by their workload.
SERVER PRODUCT ARCHITECTURE
A few definitions provide a good starting point. Three terms are critical to VMware:
Virtual Machine
Guest OS
Host OS.
Most central is the “virtual machine.” A virtual machine is a way of representing a real machine using software to control the implementation of an operating system. The operating system that is being…show more content… GSX Server runs as an application on the “host operating system (OS)” that is running on the host machine. Various versions of Windows or Linux can serve as a host OS. The guest OS runs in a virtual machine. Many operating systems available on Intel chips can serve as guest operating systems. In fact, even DOS is supported in this mode. VMware GSX Server allows virtual machines to be remotely managed, automatically provisioned, and standardized on a secure, uniform platform. VMware GSX Server transforms physical computers into a pool of virtual machines. Operating systems and applications are isolated in several virtual machines that are located in on a single piece of hardware. VMware GSX Server provides broad hardware support by inheriting device support from the host.
The product’s robust architecture and ability to incorporate easily into Windows and Linux host environments make VMware GSX Server simple to deploy and manage. VMware GSX Server runs as an appli¬cation on a host operating system to deploy, manage, and remotely control multiple servers running in virtual
