Scalable Enterprise Implementation Study: How Dell IT Uses Virtualization to Enable Test and Development

As Dell continues to grow globally, requirements for new applications and updates to existing applications place increasing demands on the Dell IT group infrastructure. Dell IT must be able to scale its computing resources while containing the capital costs and staffing resources needed to efficiently manage these systems. Using a virtual infrastructure for test and development helps Dell to maximize its computing resources with improved server utilization, operational cost-effectiveness, and productivity through rapid provisioning.

This article discusses the virtualization best practices Dell IT has developed as well as the architecture of its large server farm—which is an example of how Dell uses a scalable enterprise architecture based on industry-standard hardware and software to achieve tangible benefits today. It also discusses future plans and expected directions for virtualization technology used by Dell.