One of the most impressive features of the IBM Power Systems line of servers is their support for IBM’s PowerVM virtualization system. Through PowerVM, you can run multiple machines, or even multiple OSes, on the same server with an extraordinarily low performance hit. Here are seven reasons that PowerVM virtualization may be right for your business.
1. The best performance in the industry. PowerVM virtualization is vastly more efficient than competing VM systems. In tests, PowerVM can outperform VMWare by 50% or more, scaling to make full use of all the processors – real or virtual – you have.
2. Guaranteed security. Security on PowerVM is built directly into the hardware, running checks on all system files at bootup looking for malicious changes. PowerVM-run machines are at least as secure as physical boxes, and possibly more – there has never been a reported vulnerability in the PowerVM system.
3. Superior configuration flexibility. PowerVM virtual machines can be configured to use as much or as little of the overall system as they need. VMs can be set up to use as little as 10% of a single core, or to take over the entire systems’ resources. Similarly, they can freely mix and match physical and virtual devices as well.
4. Consolidation saves money. Why run four physical servers when you can get nearly the same performance on a single server running four virtual machines? More and more businesses are taking advantage of PowerVM virtualization to reduce their hardware needs and overhead costs.
5. Dynamic workload balancing. IBM’s POWER Hypervisor dynamically monitors and balances system resources to ensure all virtual environments are working at peak efficiency. You also get dynamic power-saving features, spooling down system usage when there’s no need for it.
6. Easy multi-machine rollout. You can quickly and easily create virtual machine setups for any need, then export them to a single file that can be deployed on any PowerVM system. A dozen identical virtual machines can be rolled out with only slightly more work than it takes to set up the first.
7. Move live partitions to prevent downtime. Need to operate on one of your servers? Running VMs can be transferred, live, between physical servers without ever interrupting their users. Make server upgrades invisible!
You can do more with far less physical equipment on the IBM Power line.
