Virtualization has slowly crept in and made its rightful place into enterprises of all sizes and segments today. More and more organizations are realizing the importance of virtualization and adopting this revolutionary technology in its entirety. However, for a beginner, it is pretty confusing. The market is flooded with various vendors offering a slice of this technology in various forms and features. Among others, VMware is a leading player offering virtualization solutions that simplify IT infrastructure while optimizing operational efficiencies to a large extent. Though we’re all aware of the benefits of virtualization, many of us hit a roadblock right at the start with a big question – How to begin with VMware?
Getting Started with VMware
Before deciding on which VMware product best suits your needs, it is imperative to ascertain the virtualization layer you would be working on. There are various options to choose from, making your first few steps a bit tricky. Depending upon the platform you’re using to run virtualization, you can select the VMware technology which is apt for your use. Read on to find out more..
1. If You’re Using a Desktop Â
VMware Workstation is the best bet if you’re using a desktop PC. It gets installed easily on top of your Linux or Windows OS. Therefore, you don’t have to go through the hassle of reinstalling your desktop. The latest version VMware Workstation 9 also offers support for Windows 8. It is platform independent in a sense that almost any device can be accessed from anywhere. The device can be your laptop, tablet or smart phone. No plug-ins are required. It’s plain and simple power on or off, and you’re ready to roll.
For those using Mac, VMware Fusion is the right choice. You can develop, test or run demos seamlessly on your desktops using this technology. However, the desktop versions of VMware are not to be used in production environments.
2. If You’re Working on a Server
If you’re working on a server hardware but do not wish to reinstall your server, then VMware Server is just for you. It also installs on top of your Linux and Windows operating systems. Therefore, for limited production use and testing requirements, VMware Server serves the purpose.
For high production environments, VMware vSphere ESXi is recommended. ESXi is especially designed for production use. VMware vSphere Hypervisor is built on ESXi architecture which is a robust and reliable platform. It helps you manage your IT infrastructure while helping you save money and time. The VMware Hypervisor works well with minimal configuration requirements and starts running almost immediately. It infuses power, performance and reliability needed for you to get started with virtualization.
There are more advanced vSphere versions such as the latest VMware vSphere 5.1 that helps you build robust cloud infrastructures. It enables users to confidently execute business critical applications in order to meet the most demanding SLA requirements in a cost effective way.
Given that VMware has a wide suite of products for the user of every segment, size and vertical; it is not that difficult to begin with VMware after all! However, it is certainly beneficial to go for VMware vSphere training, if you can, so that you can realize maximum benefits from the technology. A VMware vSphere course will do wonders for your ability to maneuver virtual environments effectively. Therefore, it is important to learn about the technology as much as you can because once you get this first step right, there’s no looking back.
Reference:Â Pinal Dave (https://blog.sqlauthority.com)