Today, many IT departments are faced with server growth upwards of 25% annually. Server sprawl is an outcome of the past few years of building out the IT infrastructure, not to mention the common practice of deploying a new server every time a new application needs to be introduced. Yes, there are some instances or applications when a dedicated server is the best approach, but there are others when consolidating multiple applications on larger servers is a better solution.

The goal of IT consolidation is to make optimal use of available computing resources, and server consolidation is an important part of IT consolidation. Due to recent innovations with servers and server software companies can now greatly decrease IT costs by consolidating their servers and today's servers present new options for IT managers. Small servers and 'Blade' servers designed to utilize space more efficiently and large servers with multiple processors designed to handle multiple applications exist. The trick is figuring out which to use when.

When server consolidation is properly implemented, you can see a reduction in the number of servers, a reduction in the footprint and/or data center space, a reduction in the TCO, a reduction in operating costs like electricity and HVAC, and a way to simplify management.

Once you establish that a specific environment is right for a consolidation project, the next step is to determine the O/S platform. Application support, cost and in-house expertise are just some of the factors to be taken into consideration. Today, Linux offers a reliable option. Cost is obviously a benefit, as Linux is virtually free, and today there are Linux vendors providing world class support and documentation at extremely reasonable prices. And with industry standard Intel servers providing a Linux approved and tested foundation, you will also gain operational efficiencies with decreased maintenance fees and the ability to streamline your support staff.

Server consolidation on a Linux platform...let Amdex show you how we're 'Making IT Easy'.