Assignment: Why Virtualize?

In this assignment, you will analyze the needs of a fictitious organization-Wonder Widgets Inc.

Scenario:

You have recently been hired to manage the entire network infrastructure of Wonder Widgets Inc., a midsized manufacturing firm that has been in business for over fifty years. The organization's technology infrastructure has grown organically through the years, adding servers as per the changing needs or replacing aging servers with new ones. The organization has forty-three servers of varying makes and models strewn throughout the facility wherever space to house the equipment could be found.

The current owner of the organization was responsible for the technology infrastructure until you were hired.

During a tour of the facility, you mention that the organization should consider virtualizing the server environment. Upon hearing the word, the owner says to you, "I keep hearing about this virtualization. I don't get it. Why does everyone seem to be doing this?"

Tasks:

Using the Argosy University online library resources, scholarly or professional resources, your course textbook, and the Internet, research on any three of the following:

• Disaster recovery and business continuity.
• Power consumption.
• Physical space requirements.
• Server provisioning.
• Server availability (uptime).
• Lab environments (test beds).

Based on your research, create a 2- to 3-page Microsoft Word document, including the following:

• A list and a general definition of the three terms selected.
• An overview of the issues that Wonder Widgets Inc. could be facing.
• An explanation of the benefits of virtualization for Wonder Widgets Inc.
• A description of how virtualization can be utilized to address concerns of your selected topics from the above list.
• A justification of your opinion using at least three scholarly sources.
• An explanation of the advantages of moving to a virtualized network for Wonder Widgets Inc. and the key information for making the transition as easy as possible.

Write in a clear, concise, and organized manner; demonstrate ethical scholarship in accurate representation and attribution of sources (i.e., APA); and display accurate spelling, grammar, and punctuation.