Virtualisation to expand across IT

Virtualisation isn't just about servers and networks, but will also increasingly be found on desktops and even operating systems, said speakers at a VMware conference in London this week.

Using the idea of separating the hardware from the software means multiple virtual servers can run on one piece of hardware, saving costs and energy, Stephen Herrod, VMware's vice president of technology said. But the technology could also allow users to synchronize a desktop PC with a laptop, or to download their desktop environment before getting on a plane, for example.

The technology isn't quite ready yet, said IDC analyst Chris Ingles at the conference. "The technology is less mature than the server side, but it's an area which people are looking at."

In an interview with IT PRO, Quocirca analyst Clive Longbottom agreed. He said current virtualised desktops often have issues with slow response time, creating problems for more complicated applications. "If they need to go into email or startup word a few times, it's not a big problem," he said.

But for firms for which time is critical, virtualised desktops can still be useful. Longbottom cited financial companies which need their machines up and running quickly. Whereas rebooting a desktop PC can take as long as five minutes, a virtual machine will be up and going in seconds - important for fast paced trading environments, he noted.

At the moment, the value of virtualised desktops often - but not always - outweighs the benefits, and is sometimes "complexity for complexity's sake."

Still, he expects the trend to virtualisation to continue. "As time goes forward, it'll be built in and we'll use it without thinking about it," said Longbottom.

Indeed, VMware's customer Standard Life has been running a 200 desktop pilot in their healthcare division. "We see this developing further as we progress," said Andrew Gordon, the firm's technical infrastructure manager.

But networks, servers and desktop PCs all involve separating the hardware from the software. Lewis Gee, VMware's European regional director, suggested another way of looking at virtualisation. "Operating systems have become huge," he said. "All they do is managed hardware and software."

He suggested that virtualised servers could allow software vendors to create an OS just for their product. "What if we were to write a light operating system just to run Oracle or SAP," he suggested. Such a product could be downloaded straight onto a firm's virtualised software without the work of setting it up on a separate operating system. "It's an interesting concept," he said. "Google, Oracle and all these guys are interested in this," he suggested.

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