A method implemented within a company's IT infrastructure in order to prevent server sprawl, optimize network performance and minimize operational expenditure costs. Common practices for the use of server consolidation include the elimination or optimization of under-utilized servers and server locations, as well as the virtualization process.
With changing business initiatives come frequent alterations in the way businesses utilize their networks and the data centers that serve them. When a company chooses to maximize the performance of its network, server consolidation can greatly impact the overall optimization strategy.
By reducing the amount of physical equipment needed within a data center, server consolidation allows companies to increase network efficiency while lowering costs required to maintain under-utilized servers or server locations. If server consolidation is implemented, single servers will be capable of sustaining the traffic and operation that was once handled by many. Another aspect of the server consolidation process is called virtualization, which creates layers within a server that can be used for multiple functions such as delivering business-critical information and applications. This will allow a single server to handle multiple processes, operating systems, applications and even more traffic than normally possible. Through consolidation efforts such as these, businesses can maximize network performance and increase productivity.