Server Virtualization Management

Server virtualization management tools comprise management tools embedded in the hypervisor sale, as well as operations management and administration management tools. Server virtualization management technology can be found in two types of delivery vehicles. The first is embedded within the infrastructure itself — in this case, as part of the package that includes the hypervisor (companies such as VMware have historically referred to this as “virtual infrastructure”). Gartner is seeing more manageability built into infrastructure components because they provide technology suppliers with an additional source of revenue and a basis for competitive differentiation of their core technologies. Management technology can also be sourced from third-party independent software vendors, as well as emerging firms with only a virtualization-oriented lineage. In addition, hypervisor vendors are providing additional management tooling on top of that already provided within their virtualization platforms in areas such as administrative consoles, capacity planning, and process and workflow automation.