Symantec 2013 Windows Server 2012 Migration/Virtualization Survey

Editor's Notes

1. With virtualization cropping up everywhere in the market today, organizations need a stable platform to support it. Fortunately, Windows Server 2012 offers a number of virtualization capabilities in Hyper-V, in addition to improved data deduplication and enhanced file systems. And yet some organizations hesitate with new upgrades due to costs and issues with application and hardware compatibilities. The survey was created to assess attitudes toward the migration to Windows Server 2012, their adoption plans, and general trends surrounding virtualization.
2. Businesses are taking a closer look at virtualization because of ongoing changes in applications and user needs. Today, only 18 percent of respondents have at least 75 percent of their IT environments virtualized. However, more than half of respondents (52 percent) plan on moving to a fully virtualized environment within the next two years. As far as the organizations that haven’t implemented virtualization technologies yet, the top inhibitors include insufficient cost savings, adequate current physical environments, lack of time and resources to migrate, and increased complexity with moving to a virtualized environment. Do you plan to migrate to Windows Server 2012?No plans to migrate at this time 44%Migrating after 1st service pack 13%Migrating in the next 6 months 15%Migrating in the next 12 months 17%Migrating in more than 12 months 11%
3. The majority of organizations surveyed have plans to move to Windows Server 2012, but most of them (93 percent) haven’t actually made the change yet.The top servers that have been or will be migrated in conjunction with the move to the new version of Windows Server are Microsoft SQL Server (67 percent), Microsoft Active Directory Exchange Controllers (61 percent), Microsoft Exchange (58 percent), and Microsoft SharePoint (52 percent).Do you plan to migrate to Windows Server 2012? No plans to migrate at this time 44%Migrating after 1st service pack 13%Migrating in the next 6 months 15%Migrating in the next 12 months 17%Migrating in more than 12 months 11%
4. The survey revealed that the most important reason companies are making the change to Windows Server 2012 is its virtual desktop infrastructure improvements. Other important factors include updates to Hyper-V Server Virtualization. Businesses are also interested in the resilient file system (ReFS) of Windows Server 2012. ReFS provides improved scalability with storage pooling in the virtual environment, as well as compatibility with existing APIs.On a sliding scale from 1-10:Virtual desktop infrastructure improvements 7Hyper-V Server Virtualization improvements 6.87Resilient file system (ReFS) 6.74
5. Like other IT changes today, the cost of the upgrade is a significant factor that's inhibiting respondents from moving to Windows Server 2012. But there are other concerns as well. Some businesses are still happy with their current version of the software, feeling that it meets their needs adequately. Meanwhile, with ever-increasing applications IT needs to support, ongoing questions about their compatibility with the new version of Windows Server 2012 are also having an effect, along with hardware compatibility.On a sliding scale from 1-10:Upgrade costs 7.26Happy with current version 6.83Compatibility concerns 6.64
6. When it comes to data protection, enterprises are more likely than SMBs to use separate applications to back up physical and virtual machines. Regardless of size, most customers would still like to find a single data protection solution that can handle both physical and virtual environments.
7. Although 62% of respondents have separate backup for physical and virtual machines, 91% of respondents “love the idea”, or are interested in learning more about the benefits a single solution can provide.Organizations that have larger IT budgets are better able to fund separate backup applications and systems for virtual and physical environments. But this becomes more difficult down market where IT budgets and personnel resources are much more limited. Regardless of customer size and available resources however, everyone is looking for opportunities to simplify and streamline, and the critical area of data protection is no exception.
8. First, consider your organization’s goals as they relate to IT. In some cases this may be a need for the flexibility that comes with a completely virtualized environment. Other businesses simply need to improve their server efficiency. Clearly defining the desired result can shed light on when and how to proceed with the migration.Next, evaluate the current IT infrastructure, including applications and current servers. An organization that has users working in several locations, and a wide variety of servers in the data center, may want to transition the servers to a virtual environment before upgrading to Windows Server 2012.Finally, access to information and services should be top priority during migration. Ensure that you have a comprehensive backup and recovery platform to prevent downtime during the transition. The solution should be able to operate in both physical and virtual environments to reduce complexity.