When Consolidation Makes Sense

---

Nothing is black and white when considering scaling up versus scaling out on Windows. Proponents on both sides can lay out a convincing argument either way for specific scenarios. That said, here are some situations when it probably makes most sense to consolidate many smaller Windows-based servers into a few more rugged Windows boxes:

• When a large number of distributed infrastructure servers handle tasks such as file and print, Web, and e-mail; however, this suitability varies from organization to organization. The bottom line is to base any decision on the administrative burden created by having to manage dozens of boxes.

• To consolidate multiple databases; some companies end up running many databases due to their servers being too small or are unable to scale enough to consolidate them. One large Windows 2000 Datacenter Server should be more than large enough for just about any database, with room to spare for many other applications.

• To manage more with limited resources; it is a whole lot easier to manage a couple of large servers than it is to manage a couple of dozen distributed servers.

• When application peak traffic periods are complementary; some organizations prefer small servers, each with enough capacity to cope with a specific application at peak load. Doing so, however, results in server utilization rates of 10 to 20 percent. Intelligently combining compatible applications on one server raises utilization much higher without endangering the organization.

• When application conflicts or DLL conflicts do not exist; some applications and databases just do not like each other. Test thoroughly ahead of time to eliminate conflicts.

• When the data center requires more space; one company went from a packed data center to a half-empty one by instituting server consolidation, which effectively bought the company two more years before having to expand by using fewer boxes to do more.

• When the volume of distributed servers becomes too great to keep up with routine maintenance, updates, etc., which is a very real situation these days. Virus updates, patches, and software upgrades are issued in a continuous stream (see Chapters 16 and 17).

These are just a few of the many situations in which server consolidation makes sense. By planning consolidation projects carefully, testing everything thoroughly, and bringing in some expert help, combining many small Windows servers into a few higher end servers is a smart way to minimize the management burden on IT. And, with far fewer disks to address, the administrator's job in disk management becomes a whole lot easier.

---