Typically, a 1:1 relationship exists between a physical computer and the software that it runs. This relationship leaves most computers vastly underused, leaving between only 5–10 percent of physical server capacity in use. The cost of the space and power required to house, run and keep these systems cool can be expensive.
Provisioning physical servers is a time consuming process. In nonvirtualized environments time must be allotted to procure new hardware, place it in the datacenter, install an operating system, patch the operating system and install and configure the required applications can take weeks. This process also includes a myriad of other tasks to integrate the system into the infrastructure.
Using virtualization technology also changes the way servers are provisioned. You do not need towait for the hardware to be procured or cabling to be installed. Virtual machine provisioning is performed using an intuitive graphical user interface. In contrast to the long process of deploying physical servers, deploying virtual machines can be deployed in a matter of minutes.