PowerEdge VRTX ServersWe came across an informative article from Scott Matheson on “10 Items You Probably Should Not Virtualize.” The article brings up a lot of good points and things to consider. Over at InfraDMS, we concurred with many of the points but had some alternative viewpoints on a few and thought we would highlight them here. And to quote Scott, “As times change, these rules might change as well” and we think a few may have changed.

Scott’s 10 Items Not to Virtualize
1: Anything with a dongle/required physical hardware
2: Systems that require extreme performance
3: Applications/operating systems with license/support agreements that don’t permit virtualization
4: Anything mission critical that hasn’t been tested
5: Anything on which your physical environment depends
6: Anything on which your virtual environment depends
7: Anything that must be secured
8: Anything on which time sync is critical
9: Desktops that are running just fine
10: Anything that is already a mess… or something sentimental
Bonus: The physical machines hosting the virtual systems

Some Thoughts:
Item 1. Today – we think this one should be reconsidered. ESXi 5.X and newer do a better job. See here:
Item 2. Still valid as it is clear that a bare-metal server will outperform a system running on a hypervisor. But we like to recognize this is at the extremes.
Item 3. Can’t argue with the law. But if you are running on licenses and support levels that do not include virtualization you should have questions.
Item 4. Test it!
Item 7. If you do not have security procedures in place and a vetted staff, you will be vulnerable. But because it is based on a light-weight, kernel optimized for virtualization, VMware ESX Server is less susceptible to viruses and other problems that affect general-purpose operating systems. Best Practices guide here:
Item 8. Implement NTP. Time sync is snap. But yes, both your host and server must be on correct time.
Item 9. If it ain’t broke don’t fix it. We would offer up a VDI is simpler to support than a laptop in the field of a sales rep. And more secure…
Item 10. Concur 100% and then some!

Scott raises a great list that we think has evolved somewhat since it was first created and we remain bullish on virtualization. InfraDMS is a Veteran Owned Infrastructure as a Service Company serving companies around the globe. Whether your IT needs are bare-metal or virtual, spinning disk of flash, fiber or copper, we can help your IT organization succeed!