Virtualization Vendor Checklist

Understanding Your Virtualization Needs

Before diving into the vendor selection process, it's essential to understand your organization's specific virtualization needs. Consider factors such as:

• Current and future workload requirements

• Existing infrastructure and compatibility needs

• Performance and scalability expectations

• Security and compliance requirements

• Budget constraints and cost models

Core Evaluation Categories When Choosing a Virtualization Vendor

When assessing virtualization vendors, focus on the following core categories:

Virtualization capabilities

• Type-1 vs. Type-2 Hypervisor Support: Understand the differences between bare-metal (Type-1) and hosted (Type-2) hypervisors. Type-1 hypervisors like Nutanix AHV offer better performance and security.

• Support for Nested Virtualization: This feature is crucial for certain use cases, such as development environments and cloud infrastructure testing.

• VM Density and Scalability: Evaluate how many virtual machines can run on a single host and how the platform scales.

• Licensing Flexibility and Portability: Consider vendors that offer flexible licensing models and the ability to move licenses between environments.

Management and automation

• Centralized VM Management Interface: A unified management plane simplifies operations and improves visibility.

• Automation and Orchestration Capabilities: Look for built-in automation features that streamline routine tasks and support integration with DevOps toolchains.

• Role-Based Access Control (RBAC) and Policy-Based Management: Ensure the platform allows for granular access control and policy enforcement.

Cloud compatibility

• Native Hybrid Cloud Support: The ability to seamlessly integrate with public clouds is crucial for modern IT strategies.

• Support for Cloud Bursting and DRaaS: Evaluate the vendor's capabilities for bursting to the cloud during peak demand and disaster recovery as a service.

• Application Mobility Across Environments: Consider how easily applications can be moved between on-premises and public cloud environments.

• Kubernetes and Container Support: As containerization grows, ensure your virtualization platform supports Kubernetes and containerized workloads.

Performance and reliability

• I/O Throughput Benchmarks: Assess the platform's performance under various workloads.

• High Availability and Self-Healing Features: Look for built-in features that ensure continuous operation and minimize downtime.

• Live Migration Support: The ability to move VMs between hosts without downtime is critical for maintenance and upgrades.

• Built-in Backup and DR Tooling: Evaluate the vendor's data protection capabilities.

Security and compliance

• Role-Based Access Control (RBAC): Ensure granular access control to resources.

• Zero Trust Architecture Compatibility: Assess the platform's alignment with Zero Trust security principles.

• Encryption (in transit and at rest): Verify that the platform provides robust encryption capabilities.

• Regulatory Compliance: Ensure the platform meets relevant industry standards such as HIPAA, SOC 2, and GDPR.

Cost and licensing

• CapEx vs. OpEx Alignment: Consider whether the vendor's licensing model aligns with your organization's financial preferences.

• License Portability: Evaluate the ease of moving licenses between on-premises and cloud environments.

• Predictable TCO Modeling: Look for vendors that provide clear total cost of ownership models.

• Cost Governance Features: Assess the platform's ability to monitor and control costs.

Support and ecosystem

• Global Support Coverage: Ensure the vendor offers 24/7 support with global reach.

• Professional Services and Onboarding Help: Evaluate the quality of the vendor's professional services and onboarding support.

• Ecosystem of Validated Hardware/Software Partners: Consider the breadth and depth of the vendor's partner ecosystem.

• Customer References and Third-Party Analyst Reports: Look for validation from existing customers and industry analysts.

Nutanix: A Leader in Modern Virtualization

Nutanix offers a comprehensive virtualization solution that excels across these evaluation categories. Key differentiators include:

• A Unified Platform: Nutanix provides a single platform for running VMs, containers, and databases across datacenters, public clouds, and edge environments.

• Nutanix AHV: Our enterprise-grade, built-in hypervisor offers transparent pricing, high performance, and robust security features.

• Simplified Management: Nutanix Prism offers a unified control plane for intuitive management of virtualized environments.

• Hybrid Multicloud Capabilities: Nutanix Cloud Clusters (NC2) enables seamless workload mobility between on-premises and public cloud environments.

• Nutanix Kubernetes Platform (NKP): A complete, enterprise-grade Kubernetes platform that accelerates app development without lock-in, supporting large fleet deployments across datacenter, edge, and public clouds.

Conclusion

Choosing the right virtualization vendor requires careful consideration of multiple factors. By using this comprehensive checklist, IT leaders can make informed decisions that align with their organization's needs. Nutanix stands out as a leader in the virtualization space, offering a robust, secure, and flexible platform that simplifies operations and drives business value.

Ready to explore how Nutanix can transform your virtualization strategy? Learn more about Nutanix AHV and discover how our unified platform can simplify your IT operations.