Section 1.5. Solutions Fast Track

1.5. Solutions Fast Track

1.5.1.

1.5.1.1. Target Audience

This book's target audience is IT professionals who are managing a sprawling physical server environment and are looking to control both costs and headaches, architects and consultants interested in server consolidation methodology, as well as anyone who is interested in becoming more familiar with VMware and the new world of a virtual infrastructure.

Historically, developers have used VMware for testing; however, VMware and ESX Server have taken hold in production data centers and have growing support in all major hardware manufacturers, such as IBM, Dell, and HP.

The book includes a lot of step-by-step instructions with associated screenshots that will make your mental transition from the physical world to the virtual world that much easier.

1.5.1.2. VMware Terms and Concepts

In the x86 world, where all IT professionals currently live and breathe, a virtual machine is a relatively new concept.

An understanding of introductory terms concerning virtualization with VMware is essential.

Since ESX Server runs on a modified Linux kernel, some very basic Linux terms and concepts are also provided.