Insight Integrated Systems (IIS) will showcase NetApp’s server virtualization solutions.

Virtualization is a technique for increasing server utilization by supporting multiple operating systems running on a single server. It provides an abstraction layer that decouples the server’s physical hardware from the operating system, creating a uniform pool of computer resources that can be allocated to virtual servers in a controlled manner.

Traditionally, small to medium-size businesses (SMBs) have met the demands for more capacity and applications by adding servers. Not only did this strain IT budgets, it also required a significant expansion of server rooms. As a result, space limitations often constrained growth and delayed deployment of new applications.

Insight Integrated Systems will demonstrate how it implemented a virtualization solution on NetApp storage systems to stem server sprawl, triple hardware utilization and slash operating costs by 65 percent. NetApp technology simplified and reduced the time and pain of provisioning by spreading the storage load across many disks. In addition, their data management tools allowed ISS to manage storage directly from within the applications, resulting in faster response to changing needs.

“NetApp selected Insight Integrated Systems to demonstrate virtualization on their systems because we are one of the first companies to be certified as an Authorized Professional Service Partner,” explained Rob Cotter, chief technology officer for Insight Integrated Systems. “SMBs will discover how server virtualization offers a practical method for growing their businesses within tight IT budgets and how it provides a more robust and cost-effective platform for staging, testing and integrating new applications and updates of existing applications.”

IIS will also document significant benefits they achieved by implementing a virtualization solution. These include how the company:

• Eliminated the need to purchase a new physical server each time it rolled out a new application
• Conserved server room space, which slashed cooling, power and operating costs an estimated 65 percent
• Reduced the number of physical servers with attached storage eliminating the need to add a $20,000 uninterruptible power source (UPS)
• Reduced the number of interface cards and network ports on switches by 80 percent