Finally, apply common sense. If moving a given software system to a new OS overshadows the cost savings in the long term, don't do it. If there's a remote server that is impractical to move into your centralized data center, then leave it.
Server consolidation is not an end unto itself, nor is it an all-or-nothing game. Even partial consolidation can save money, increase efficiency, improve security and make your IT department better able to react to business changes. A little success goes a long way. Server consolidation will cause short-term pain, but it's the first step to long-term bliss.
Steven J. Schuchart JR. covers storage and servers for Network Computing. Previously he worked as a network architect for a general retail firm, a PC and electronics technician, a computer retail store manager and a freelance disc jockey. Write to him at [email protected].
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You can call it server consolidation or utility data center. It doesn't matter if you plan to use blades, racks of 1U servers or virtualization software. The bottom line is that many data centers are weighed down with a bloated TCO, and we're not going to take it anymore.
Still, making the business case for consolidation can be tricky--departmental server politics alone can blow a nascent project out of the water--and there's a raft of practical hurdles that need to be confronted for such an endeavor to succeed. Server-consolidation projects are complex, with whole books devoted to the subject, but this article will familiarize you and your organization with some of the common benefits and hang-ups that come with the territory.