SIVAPRASAD

Imagine only being able to run one software program at a time on your computer. What if, in order to check your email, you had to turn off your office application? What if you had to close your PDF reader in order to surf the Internet?

While we take for granted that we can use more than one software application at a time, we seldom consider running more than one operating system at once. Yet the burgeoning field of virtualization software — programs that allow you to run multiple operating systems simultaneously on a single computer — is allowing organizations to turn one computer into many, saving time, money, and space.

Below, we'll show you how virtualization software works, what it can be used for, and a few virtual software packages your nonprofit may wish to consider.
The Virtual Experience

Although virtualization is not the only method of running multiple operating systems (another way is to partition your hard drive and create computer that can run two or more operating systems) it has the distinct advantage of being fairly easy to use.

Under the hood, virtualization software runs like any other application. To get started, you power up your computer, load the virtualization program, and install a "guest" operating system from its install CD or DVD (When you install operating systems in an emulated hardware environment, they're called guest operating systems or "virtual machines," while the main operating system is called the "host.")

Once the virtualization software is running, each subsequent operating system you install on your PC will act like a new computer. For instance, one computer might run a Linux server, two Windows servers, and three other Linux servers — for a total of six servers (five guests and one host) you could access at once. On the network, each server would appear as a unique system. You could run programs, share files, and do anything on these guest systems that you could do with a real computer.
The Benefits of Virtualization

Depending on your IT architecture, the nature of your work, and your IT budget, virtualization software can offer a variety of advantages to your nonprofit.

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Server consolidation.

One of the primary benefits of virtualization software is that it allows you to increase the scale of your server infrastructure without purchasing additional pieces of hardware. (Keep in mind, however, that you may still need to purchase software licenses for the virtualization software, depending on the package you choose.)
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Energy conservation.

In addition to savings in hardware costs, virtualization software may also save you money on your energy bill. According to Energy Star, the energy costs for running a server for a year will soon exceed the price of acquiring it.
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Improving ease of management.

Managing virtual machines is a lot easier than managing “real” machines, since hardware upgrades, for example, can be done with the click of several buttons, rather than having to power down the machine, install the hardware, verify the change, then power up again. Moreover, managing virtual machines can often be done via a console server, thereby reducing the time needed to deploy them.
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Reducing backup and recovery time.

Since virtual machines are essentially files, backing up and restoring them is a lot less time-consuming. And while the files can be huge, a directory of many 2-GB files is still easier to restore than a real machine of the same specifications. Moreover, hardware failures ― such as a failed hard drive ― will not affect virtual machines in the same way they would a physical machine. (Of course, the real hard drive on which the virtual machine reside needs to be backed up as usual.)
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Testing software configurations.

Another way you can use virtualization software is for testing software configurations before deploying them on a live system. If you needed to verify whether a program is incompatible with your existing setup, for example, you may try testing in on a virtual machine first. This can be immensely useful for organizations that have legacy systems or applications and must test out systems before deploying them. Virtual machines can also interact with one another in virtual networks, allowing you to test server-client applications virtually.
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Maintaining legacy applications.

If you do have old applications that have compatibility issues with newer software or that must run on a certain version of an operating system, you can dedicate a virtual machine just for those tasks. That way, your IT architecture and planning won't be constrained because of a few applications.
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Maintaining a cross-platform office.

It is not uncommon for offices that run mostly Macs to need to run one or two Windows-only programs; in this case, virtual software can be an affordable, easy way to do this. Note, however, that the reverse is not applicable; many virtualization applications for PCs allow you to run Linux, but not Mac operating systems.
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Space-savers.

Not only is acquiring maintaining multiple computers costly, it can also take up a great deal of office space. Virtualizing your machines can free up space and reduce electronics clutter.

Despite its many benefits, keep in mind that virtualization software is not for everyone. There is a learning curve in both conceptualizing how virtual machines will function in your network and organization, as well as managing them reliably and cost-effectively. If your staff has trouble with “real” computers, you may need to consider making which machine is the guest and which is the host extremely transparent to your users, or explaining to them in simple terms how this will affect their day-to-day work, if at all.
Virtualization Software Options

Virtualization software is available for a variety of needs, ranging from free or no-cost software for desktop users to six-figure packages for data-center operators.

The package you choose will depend on what you need to accomplish with the technology. Other factors to consider include how many computers you currently have, your level of technical expertise, and the kind of tech support available at your nonprofit.

If your organization is considering virtualization technology, here are three popular options you may wish to consider. For a broader comparison of the features of these and other packages, Wikipedia's Comparison of Virtual Machines may provide a general reference as well.
Commercial Virtualization Software

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VMWare.

VMWare — by far the most popular virtualization-software vendor in terms of range of offerings, market share, and expertise — offers everything from enterprise-level product suites to help manage and virtualize data centers to a free VMWare Player that allows you to use but not modify virtual machines. VMWare also offers virtual appliances, virtual machines you can download for free. VMWare additionally provides technical resources for setting up and using its various products. VMWare products run on both Windows and Unix/Linux variants, as well as on Mac.
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Microsoft Virtual Server and Virtual PC.

A relatively new player in the virtualization field, Microsoft's free, downloadable Microsoft Virtual Server and Microsoft Virtual PC offer a growing user base, freely available online documentation, and allow you to run as many guests as your hardware can support. If you are running only Windows desktops and servers, these products can be an affordable way to test whether virtualization should be part of your organization's IT strategy. Keep in mind, however, that Virtual Software and Virtual PC can only work with Windows guests and hosts, meaning they are not viable options for those who want to run Linux or Mac operating systems.
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Parallels.

Best known for its Desktop for Mac ― the first commercial virtualization product that could run on Mac OS hosts ― Parallels also offers products that run on Windows and Linux hosts. Although VMware also recently released an application that runs on Mac OS, Parallels' offerings are generally more affordable than VMWare's and have been a popular option in Mac environments.

Free and Open-Source Virtualization Software

As with many other software technologies, there are free and open-source alternatives to commercial virtualization software. Options in this arena include Qemu and FreeVPS.

Keep in mind, however, that open-source alternatives may not be as easy to install or configured as commercial virtualization products, and may lack official support or documentation, instead relying on community-based support forums and mailing lists.

This may be change, however, with the virtualization landscape; Xen, for example, is an open-source solution, but is supported (for a fee) by a for-profit company Xensource that was recently acquired by a large enterprise-computing company to challenge VMWare's dominance in the virtualization market.
Virtualizing Forward

Even if your nonprofit doesn't currently have a need for virtualization software, knowing that the technology exists can help you plan for the future and may weigh in on future buying decisions. Virtualization has the potential to greatly streamline your organization's IT infrastructure and operational workflow, but it must be planned out with a clear understanding of its compatibility with your organization's present and future IT needs.