Application performance set to be next virtualization headache

A new problem is starting to rear its ugly head in the spanking new post-virtualized data centers: The issue of guaranteeing the performance of running applications. Stacking multiple virtual machines on a single physical server reduces excess processing capacity and it is wonderful in terms of energy conservation, but has this made it harder to ensure the same level of performance across the board?

Summing up the issue, Andi Mann, a virtualization analyst with Enterprise Management Associates noted, "With a 1-to-1 relationship in a physical environment, you knew exactly what headroom you had to accommodate peak loads." In the past, a mix of good judgment and existing tools were adequate; now, technology such as VMware's VMotion shifts virtual machines across disparate physical servers.

While the "big four" systems management vendors are putting efforts into boosting the strength of their virtual application management capabilities, efforts so far have fallen short. Among other things, they do not have adequate oversight into the exact components that may cause problems, such as internal software switches or the state of storage I/O. Much must me done, but the crucial need to monitor application performance is clear. 

For more on this story:
- check out this article at InformationWeek

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