I have two bits of trivia for you;  Today marks the unofficial milestone:  Microsoft’s Windows Server Virtualization will RTM in under 12 months;  …and the other bit of trivia, I’m writing two whitepapers.

So, “unofficial milestone” I hear you say.  Well 12 months is my unofficial rule of thumb.  Windows 2008 [is reported that it] will release before the end of the year (which is 6 months) and Windows Server Virtualization (aka WSV or Viridian) will release 180 days (6 months) after that.  So six and six is twelve :)

This brings me to my next point. 

After several months and dozens upon dozens of chats and roundtable coffees, I’m seeing a pattern.  Many of the people I have spoken to are patiently waiting [for a variety of reasons] until the release of WSV before considering their first big steps towards implementing Virtualization.  It seems a shame to keep such valuable research to myself, so I’m in the middle of writing two white papers about my findings. 

Now I know Alessandro Perilli has already written a 8 part virtualization adoption guide over at Virtualization.info, and  it’s lengthy but recommended reading.  I am however going to focus more on what you need to consider before implementing, what’s required to keep it all going, and some of the most common roadblocks/pain points others have had from being able to implement in the first place. 

Interestingly enough some of the more interesting stumbling blocks are trivial matters such as departmental cost centres:  Capex (the purchase) has to come from ‘one bucket’, licensing from ‘another bucket’ and opex (operational costs) falls under another, with consultant costs for implementation falls under ‘another bucket’ yet again!

So over the next couple of weeks I’ll be posting some of the more interesting snippets here on my blog.  None of it will be earth shattering, but it’s enough to make you stop and say “Hmmm, that’s funny.”