Information Technology Insight

Step Two : Workload Inventory

The second step in a server consolidation initiative should be an accurate and comprehensive workload inventory. A complete workload inventory should include detailed information on the following attributes :

Applications Hosted - A detailed list of applications hosted on targeted servers must be completed. This list should include any dependencies such as OS verions, hardware requirements, storage, data dependencies, etc.

End Users - The end user base for an application must be understood including the business functions/processes supported.

Service Level Requirements - One must understand in detail the business requirements which drive service levels for the workload. For example, Is the application required to be available 24×7x365 or only 8-5, M-F?

An accurate view of current capacity and demand on that capacity is important in order to make informed decisions regarding consolidation. This information should be used to group various workloads into four categories according to their suitability for consolidation: 1) server co-hosting, 2) application co-hosting, 3) virtual hosting, 4) not a candidate.

Since server consolidation is just like any other architecture initiative, requirements analysis is of the utmost importantce. This work of workload inventory is just that - the gathering of detailed requirements for the final solution.

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