Server Virtualization Design Module for Lanamark Suite
Lanamark's CEO, Mark Angelo, and I exchanged a number of messages about the Server Virtualization design module for the company's Lanamark Suite. If you're not sure what this company does, please see Lanamark Virtualization Services Software and Lanamark Vready.
What Lanamark is announcing
Lanamark Suite consists of software for discovering and profiling desktop and server workloads, and services from Lanamark and solution providers for virtualization capacity planning, analysis and optimization. Lanamark's server virtualization design module for its Lanamark Suite supports a broad array of virtual machine and operating system virtualization software including the following.- Citrix XenServer
- Microsoft Hyper-V
- Parallels Virtuozzo Containers
- Virtual Iron
- VMware ESX
Here's what the module does:
It provides advanced modeling and side-by-side comparison for a broad set virtualization platforms. This will make it much easier for an IT decision maker or a solutions provider to determine which of a number of alternatives would be the best for a given set of circumstances.The server virtualization design module takes both technical and commercial dimensions of each solution not merely the number of physical servers their configuration. This module takes many things into account including the following:
- Hardware—new servers, redeployed servers, upgraded servers, storage arrays and HBAs
- Software licensing costs for platforms and management software (module includes knowledge of the licensing model each supplier uses)
- Services—training, consulting, custom, etc.
The module contains knowledge about a broad array of servers, storage arrays, HBAs and virtualization software maintained that is constantly updated by Lanamark. It also contains results of both power and carbon footprint calculations based on data Lanamark maintains about energy costs and carbon emissions in close to 100 countries.
Why Lanamark is making this move
"Based on conversations with customers and partners," Mark said, "it became clear that calculating the number of servers required and balancing workloads across these servers is not enough. What is needed is the ability to design and compare end-to-end server virtualization solutions across virtualization platforms with hardware, software and service components. This is exactly what Lanamark is going to deliver."Snapshot analysis
Most of the suppliers of management software for virtualized environments target medium and large organizations not solution providers. Lanamark, on the other hand, offers tools that both solution providers and organizations can use. If an organization has the expertise to design and implement their own virtualized environments, Lanamark Suite can help. If an organization relies on the help of a solution partner, Lanamark Suite can help that partner create an efficient, cost-effective configuration.Lanamark, of course, is not alone in this market. There is a long list of suppliers of management technology for virtualized environments. Furthermore, the suppliers of virtualization technology offer their own products as well. This means that Lanamark has to go beyond having good technology to finding ways to be heard over the noise in the market. This may be their biggest challenge of all.