Server consolidation

The oft-witnessed reality

Many computer rooms are crammed with hardware, which may give an impression of high performance but in the final analysis much of it is often simply no longer up to the job, given today's rising standards.
While there may well be benefits in having one server per serivce, as no applications can go wrong, this approach leads to uneconomic structures which not infrequently look like this:

• Heterogeneously evolved server landscapes
• Hardware not optimally used
• Non-standardised server management
• Above-average energy consumption
• Single-function server when one looks closely

A glance into computer rooms usually reveals optimisation potential in at least one of these areas.

Servers mutually back up each other in a pair structure; administrators have to look after a number of operating systems.
Remote administration is not really possible and stocks of spare parts and service costs spiral.
Because structures are not standardised, an optimised cooling structure for the computer room is not possible and the costs of the accumulated hardware are beaten only by the energy costs.

The problems at a second glance

Cluttered computer rooms are only the tip of the iceberg.
For, with the costs of hardware purchase, the costs of hardware maintenance also rise, the backbone needs to be expanded at regular intervals and data backup is a further major cost factor.

• The energy costs rise immeasurably.
• The administrators are hugely overloaded with server administration and maintenance.
• There has long been no possibility of a structure of redundancies to minimise failure risks.

A number of servers in a heterogeneous environment harbours diverse drawbacks:

• Energy costs spiral out of control and the topic of CO2 reduction cannot be addressed.
• Likewise, the administrator's administration role is no easy task, in particular as the administration interface is usually not standardised.
• In the majority of cases, the hardware is vastly under-utilised, and often a single server is set up for a particular service to increase stability.
• The average CPU utilisation is frequently a few percent.
• It is not uncommon for a server to be backed up in a paired HA structure by a so-called hot-standby server in the active / passive structure, resulting in a waste of additional valuable space, generating costs and complicating maintenance by the administrators. And if a server then has to be integrated into the existing IT structures, the hardware necessary is often no longer available due to constant improvements and the associated short lifecycles.

These and other factors speak for themselves and support a hardware consolidation.

Consolidation is not an "off the shelf" product.

The fundamental question is that of the right concept

• What is the optimum load for the servers?
• How future-oriented can the design be?
• Are the servers adequately protected?

Consolidation in the hardware or virtualisation area is not something which can be done immediately.
What would be the optimum structure for the existing IT, what is the resource requirement?
What support is needed from a partner and is there already the knowhow internally in the administration?
Considering these issues in the preparatory phase is crucial to the success of consolidation.

• Is consolidation to go beyond hardware pooling and will the topic of virtualisation be interesting?
• Or will it go more in the direction of service consolidation, where for example an appropriately equipped server is sufficient to bring together several similar services of individual servers?
• Is the topic of platform consolidation exciting, where various functions can be carried out from one modular unit?


• The possibilities could not be more different and the right concept must therefore be properly considered.

Whether there should be no, complete, para- or native virtualisation - the most important goal may well be consolidation, but the way there and the underlying solution can be very different.
While in complete virtualisation, an entire hardware environment is simulated, in paravirtualisation access is simply allowed to a few central hardware-based structures for the host system. And native virtualisation arises as a hybrid solution from these two approaches.

A bespoke consolidation solution is essential as the topic of pure hardware consolidation is often not sufficient when servers are to be consolidated and all virtualisations are not equal.

You can find out more about products and solutions here:

• Virtualisation with VMWare or XenSource
• Optimum utilisation on high-performance servers
• Consolidation of services on just one server
• A computer centre in a box

Consolidation - a broad concept

The first step towards a consolidated IT environment initially involves costs, so this step may frighten some decision-makers, but in the final analysis drastically reduces the TCO and very quickly pays for itself.
Whether the complete consolidation solution, comprising hardware consolidation and server virtualisation, or only partial consolidation, the benefits are undeniable.

• Optimise your cost structure by ideal hardware sizing.
• Plan your resources and size them correctly.
• Combine tasks and increase availability by the right hardware.
• Reduce your TCO by having the right tools.
• Optimise the service life of your servers.

What are the benefits?

• Optimally sized hardware can free up valuable space in the computer room.
• Energy costs for power consumption and heat dissipation are reduced.
• Less hardware with a standardised management interface ensures efficient management and reduced administration costs.
• Redundantly structured servers ensure security and reduced TCO.

Yet not only does the right hardware or the right virtualisation software mean reduced costs and other benefits - a suitable overall concept makes the solution attractive and effective.

Reap the benefit of our experience

• With you, we check what you have and what you need to plan your consolidation
• We keep your IT stable - by the latest platforms
• We fit in your IT - flexible and certified
• We deal with your IT - with a sophisticated service concept

Trust in our years of experience in this area and let us help to optimise your structures.
Our experts will be happy to advise you, for consolidation means more than reducing hardware.
And we will not abandon you in the phase of initial consideration either; our experts will be happy to visit to advise you about sizing, so that it is future-oriented and tailored to your needs.