I recently read a SiliconIndia comment on virtualization necessity for Indian deployments by Mr. Ahuja of Sun Microsystems (now Oracle) in India. Mr. Ahuja seems to be stating the obvious in the current practice of implementing | operating datacenters and offers little new insights. Virtualized datacenter is the only way to realize a cost-effective | top-performing confluence for data flow. So the industry is doing it for all the right reasons.

How ever, as I have often commented in this forum, there are many branches to virtualizing a datacenter. One can always hark back to the OSI model for understanding the virtualization layers in a datacenter. There is the infrastructure (physical) layer consisting of copper and fiber interconnects, power, cooling, cabinets, HVAC. Now a days, these are modularized to the hilt that there is almost no wastage. The next virtualization is in the active equipments which includes servers, switches, routers, etc. Multi core / CPU servers are already common in the market. Cisco has recently started offering Nexus 1000 series of virtual switches that function separately or in conjuction with other non-virtualized Nexus series switches. The other important branch of virtualization is the OS where VMWare, Microsoft, etc., offer products for the datacenter market. Finally, the application suite is equally important in virtualizing a datacenter.

Note that the infrastructure layer has its own complexities. Perhaps it is easier to implement and virtualize the infrastructure within the datacenter. But access to the datacenter through outside infrastructure is equally important and essential (reminds me of many windmills in the US that were built with no connection to the electric grid!).

Needless to say, these branches of virtualization are provided by different players in the industry. What is lacking is a total solution provider for a virtualized datacenter that any government or commercial entity can approach for services. Currently OEMs like Dell, IBM, HP, etc., are offering these services but their total solution is not attractive in price point, in my opinion. Their claimed value addition in offering a total solution is subjective and can always be exceeded by a local third party that is more in tune with the localization needed for Indian installations. The customer interests are better served by a third party solution provider than the OEMs.

I am lost on the flexible cabling infrastructure comment -is he referring to a cabling infrastructure that is flexible for moves, adds and changes (M/A/C), or, mechanically flexible cable? Also, I am lost on the plumbing comment -is he referring to water cooling? Real time energy monitoring is already available from APC (Schneider Electric), HP, IBM, etc., that are also scalable as the data center grows.

As regards to modular, self-contained units, they are already available today! Dell, Sun, IBM, | many others offer datacenter in a container that is fully populated with cabinets, cabling, servers, switches, routers, PDUs (power distribution units), KVM switches, etc. Many have online configuration tools where you can spec and configure your needs.

Yes, datacenters do need to be virtualized, not because of new buzz words but for the right reasons of accessibility, performance, price and scalability.