Not too long ago, I would have cringed at the thought of virtualizing any database
server, even in a test environment. At the time, I believed I was correct in my squeamishness
with virtual hardware. Times change quickly, though, especially in the world of
technology, and the virtualization software available today is quite sophisticated.
CHAPTER 10 n HARDWARE CONSIDERATIONS 259
Figure 10-11. Virtualization places all of your software eggs in one hardware basket.
Virtualization software has become quite complex, allowing the administrator to
designate specific hardware on the host system for each individual virtual system. From
a disaster recovery standpoint, virtualization still places a heavy responsibility on the
host system. However, if you were to take the individual budgets for several smaller
servers and combine them, the result could be a much more robust, stable, high-end
host platform. Yes, if you lose the host, you??™ll lose everything, but if you invest in higherend
hardware for the host, there will be a lower probability of hardware failure in the first
place.
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