Virtual Inception – a dream inside of a machine inside of a machine
If you do not have a Chief Technology Officer (CTO), investing in technology may not be a priority. To generate revenue, marketing and sales are treated as justified expenses, and technology is usually undervalued. However, if implemented correctly, technology will increase profit, through reducing costs and increasing productive output. As your technology connoisseur, one technology I recommend is virtualization. Whether you’re a small business owner or a residential user, virtualization has a lot of potential.
What is Virtualization and how it helped me?
In layman terms, virtualizing a computer, is when you use your computer to simulate a computer with a few clicks. That simulated computer is called a Virtual Machine (VM). Fortunately, you can install any operating system on a VM, so the end result is a computer within a computer (like the inception movie, but the cast is made up of computers). To create VMs, you need a special software called a hypervisor. The hypervisor can be installed on an operating system or it can be the operating system.
I purchased a MacBook pro in the fall of 2007, to learn more about MACs and hopefully be a better tech support professional. Unfortunately, it was several months before I realized the software needed for school only ran on Windows; and although I had Apple Boot Camp, I had to restart my mac to switch operating systems. I needed a better solution for the long-term, where my research eventually leads me to virtualization and VMWare Fusion, a wonderful hypervisor. Fortunately, the specifications on that MacBook was sufficient to have the VM always on without sacrificing performance. When that MacBook reached its limit, I purchased a PC, formatted it, and installed Ubuntu. Afterwards, VMware was installed, and I created two virtual machines for OSX and Windows 7.
After learning a lot about virtualizing PCs, virtualizing servers was next on my agenda. I felt if businesses are using it, then I needed to learn it. Before virtualization, businesses would use several powerful computers to act as mail servers, authentication servers, file servers and web servers. Separate servers were recommended so the operating systems wouldn’t become overwhelmed, when too many requests were made. Thanks to virtualization, these servers could be consolidated into one, without sacrificing performance. The top two hypervisors used with most servers are VMWare ESXi and Microsoft Hyper V server. Thankfully ESXi is an open source hypervisor, so it was more readily accessible to practice with. Initially I ran into errors during the installation process because I didn’t have the driver for my network card. Luckily, I was able to find a driver file and I used a tool to slipstream that file into the installation image. My second attempt of ESXi installation was successful and through utilizing trial software, I created several server and client virtual machines. I created a virtual lab that enabled me to practice the problems in my Microsoft Server 2008 and 2012 study guides.
I have taken the responsibility of creating a private network for my family and managing it. I intend on procuring FiOS business services for all households and businesses my family is vested in. Utilizing VPNs and the static IPs, I will architect three disjunctive networks. A business network, a leisure network, and a gaming network and each will have an active directory forest. One dedicated server per network, but duplicates will be built for the business servers. ESXi will be used on each server and several virtual servers will be created (a DC, fileserver, and mail server). The one I’m most excited about creating is the gaming network and virtual servers. Instead of building a custom gaming PC, building a gaming server would be more practical for my family. I know these are very expensive goals to have, but this is motivating me to continue to strive and work hard.
Recommended Virtualization Solutions
If you are considering virtualization, I recommend a powerful CPU, high speed RAM (try to maximize to the motherboard’s capacity) and tons of storage space. With my recommendations, you are more likely to be able to run multiple VMs simultaneously. If you are a student of technology, your mission should be to learn the basics of technology and then specialize in one. Virtualization is an excellent tool if you wish to accomplish this. Procure a Windows, Mac or Linux computer, install VMware, and then create a Windows, OSX and/or Linux VM. You can use that VM as a disposable computer, to test software, scripts and settings. If you have a home with several computers, create a virtual file server and back up all of your family’s personal data. If you are a home business user, create two virtual file servers. One VM to store personal data and one to store business data. It’s more secure to have files on separate operating systems than separate folders.
Regardless of the industry your small business is in, if you have more than 5 users, you should have a domain controller to administer network resources. Invest in a server and have at least two virtual machines, a domain controller and fileserver. When configured in the right way, you can save a lot time and improve office collaboration and productivity. Also, invest in a business router that allows VPN connectivity. Using a VPN to connect to your network, will allow you to access your data remotely securely.
IF I See Virtualization one more time…
A high-end desktop computer will normally outperform a high-end notebook computer; and a high-end notebook computer will usually outperform a high-end tablet. If upfront costs are not an issue, invest in desktops, servers, and self-managed wired network infrastructures. If you are concerned with up-front costs and you do not have a technology expert available, cloud computing is your best route initially. For those who are in the middle, virtua……” the V Word”, is definitely a viable solution. Regardless of which solution you choose, when you have your computer systems properly configured, life can get a lot easier.
Posted in S.T.E.A.M.