Virtualization Training Should Top IT Priorities

By Julieann Scalisi
published: Thursday, January 07 2010

Virtualization is a game-changer.  Unlike many technologies that only address specific painpoints in IT, virtualization is a platform, which is changing how data centers are built and how IT resources are provisioned.  Furthermore, virtualization is a key driver for emerging IT initiatives such as VDI (virtual desktop infrastructure) and cloud computing. 

For years, organizations have been virtualizing applications successfully with our products.  Many of these organizations already have begun server virtualization projects and are looking at desktop virtualization projects on the horizon.   However, server virtualization exists only within pockets of most organizations as the majority of data center workloads are still running on physical servers.  As a result, the significant long-term TCO and ROI benefits of server virtualization remain largely untapped.

After an initial implementation phase, organizations face many challenges when trying to scale out their server virtualization platform.  For starters, IT shops often target “lowest hanging fruit” servers when beginning virtualization projects.  It is easy to virtualize those old Windows NT servers or other underutilized servers, which, for business reasons, must remain as a separate workload.  While virtualizing these largely underutilized servers does provide some cost-savings, the long-term benefit is relatively low.  The reason is simple: low-risk servers yield a low return because they do not represent a significant portion of the organization’s IT infrastructure.  To fully realize all the ROI, TCO and technical benefits of server virtualization, IT departments need to virtualize key workloads and infrastructure servers, which cost the most to power, cool and maintain.

However, organizations are struggling to virtualize critical servers, often due to performance issues, availability requirements or capital expenditure costs.  For example, IT shops may deem a critical workload as too risky to migrate due to high SLA uptime requirements.  Performance might be another issue as IT shops might find that a virtualized server does not perform as well or support as many users as its physical counterpart.  Lastly, the initial hardware and storage costs required to virtualize critical workloads might be too high.

How can IT shops overcome these barriers and increase virtualization’s penetration within their organization?  Organizations should make virtualization training and certification a priority.  Training and education help IT departments:

• Properly scope and scale out the virtualization platform according to best practices
• Achieve dramatically lower TCO through reduced power, cooling and data center costs
• Avoid common pitfalls, which plague implementations and keep them stuck in the niche
• Extract the most performance from host servers to yield both higher consolidation ratios and user density

In addition to giving IT manager peace of mind, virtualization training and certifications help IT professionals stand out among peers while arming them with in-demand skills.  The percentage of infrastructure that is being virtualized is growing every day.  As that percentage grows so will the need for IT professionals trained with the skills to design, implement and maintain virtualization solutions.  This trend is apparent already, as a visit to any top job site will show several openings for virtualization architects, engineers and consultants.  Citrix Education understands the impact virtualization is having on the IT landscape and job market and, therefore, has made the technology a cornerstone of its training curriculum.  With courses and certifications in virtualization ranging from administrator-level up through the architect-level, Citrix Education makes it easy for IT professionals to develop a training plan that fits any role or skill level.

Virtualization does not end with server virtualization.  Organizations often start with server virtualization and consolidation projects, but then begin extending those projects to support emerging initiatives such as VDI.  Furthermore, virtualization also goes hand-in-hand with cloud computing, as it is a core technology for infrastructure-as-a-service solutions, such as Amazon’s EC2.  As organizations explore VDI and public and private cloud computing models, IT professionals must remember that these initiatives ultimately leverage the underlying server virtualization platform, making training and education crucial to the success of these projects.

Some IT professionals who have specialized in a particular aspect of IT (such as security, server engineering or networking) might question whether virtualization training and certifications are relevant to them.  The answer is a resounding yes!  Virtualization training and certifications are relevant for everyone in the industry, regardless of role specialization.  As a platform, virtualization is strategic in nature: each specialization within IT will be expected to integrate its own resources within the virtualization platform.  Hiring managers will begin seeking IT professionals who already have this experience or training.

Whether your organization already has plunged into virtualization or is just now beginning virtualization projects, one thing is clear: virtualization is here to stay.  The technology is a key driver for current server consolidation projects as well as emerging initiatives such as VDI and cloud computing.  As a result, comprehensive virtualization training should be a top training priority for IT.  For IT managers, a trained staff will help their organization realize the full ROI benefits of their virtualization investment.  For IT professionals looking to spruce up their resume, the virtualization skills learned today will prepare them for the data centers of tomorrow.

Citrix