Server virtualization means running several separate virtual servers on one powerful machine instead of a rack of physical ones. Each has its own operating system and behaves like a standalone computer, but shares the hardware. We design, deploy and manage these solutions for small and medium companies – from analysing the current state through to backups and monitoring.
The main reason is mundane: physical servers commonly use only 10–15 % of their capacity, and the rest is paid for and wasted. The second reason only becomes clear during a failure – a virtual server is a file, so restoring it from backup takes minutes instead of days spent sourcing replacement hardware and reinstalling. Consulting and design start at CZK 1,090 per hour (about €45).
We do not pick a platform by popularity, but by what already runs in the company and how much the project has to carry. If you run Windows Server and hold the licences, Hyper-V is usually the cheapest route. Where Linux servers are already in operation, KVM or Proxmox VE makes sense – both without licence fees. We deploy VMware vSphere in environments that need advanced high availability and the support that goes with it.
The design always includes a backup and recovery plan. Virtualization is not a backup in itself: if the disk array under the hypervisor fails, you lose all the virtual servers at once. That is why we store backups outside the main storage and test restores regularly – only a tested backup is a backup.
The move to virtual servers usually follows the P2V (physical-to-virtual) method: we convert the existing physical server into a virtual machine, test it alongside production, and switch over only once everything works. We schedule the switch for an evening or a weekend, so normal business is untouched. We keep the original server available for a while as insurance, in case something unexpected turns up.
Consulting and design: from CZK 1,090 per hour (about €45)
Implementation: depending on the scope of the project
Monthly management: individual calculation
Euro amounts are indicative only, converted at a fixed rate; we invoice in Czech koruna.
Virtualization is usually part of flat-fee network management; remote access to virtual servers is handled through a corporate VPN.