PLM, SharePoint and Future Virtualization

February 11, 2011

Today everything can be virtualized. If you think about your dedicated IT environment, proprietary or public cloud, the ability to virtualize environment can be tremendously important. In one of my previous posts about virutalization I shared my thoughts about why virutal technologies are important. I talked about data, application and platform virtualization. Navigate your browser on this link to read about PLM and Virtualization Technologies. In my earlier blog – PLM Cloud: Dedicated, Private, Public, I’m discussing what is the role of virtualization in successful cloud development.

SharePoint Virtualization

If you are thinking how to involve SharePoint into your existing or future PLM implementation, you can find the following information useful. I was looking on the SharePoint episode Setting Up a SharePoint Developer Virtual Machine and find the video, particularly interesting. The focus of the system is a development environment, but the same method can work with some changes for other users as well.  Here is an interesting quote:

The Information Worker virtual machine is a Hyper-V based VHD file that has everything you need to build SharePoint solutions already installed. The VM includes Office 2010, SharePoint 2010, Visual Studio 2010, Exchange 2010, and more. In fact, this is the VM that we use for all of the SharePoint and Office training and Hands-On Labs on Channel 9.

PLM and SharePoint Virtualization

It is interesting how PLM virtualization can be combined with SharePoint virtualization. PTC put a significant effort in the development of SharePoint dependent PLM product. I never heard about Windchill Product Point virtualization together with SharePoint, but it seems to me as a something that can simplify deployment for many customers.

What is my conclusion? We are going to see more examples of successful virtualization. I can see numerous companies are trying to leverage SharePoint for PLM. To make successful virtualization of these environments can be an interesting strategy to follow. Just my thoughts…

Best, Oleg

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Posted by olegshilovitsky

PLM, Cloud Mashup and Terminological Games

January 8, 2011

One of my twitting buddies, Jonathan Scott, re-twitted the link to the following article – CIO Strategies: The Private and Public Clouds Mashup. I found it quite interesting. Have a read and make your opinion. The topic of cloud is trending. Companies are trying to position themselves on the cloud map. The terminology proposed in this article confused me a bit, so I decided to put some thoughts and clarifications on top of that.

Cloud and Virtualization

Internet and virtualization are two fundamental technologies that made cloud possible. The ability to accumulate large computational resources, allocate them dynamically and use broadband to access them, created so called cloud paradigm. At the same time, large IT organizations started to use virtualization technologies to improve resource utilization. Hosting data centers and large IT are using practically very similar technologies to make resources available.

Dedicated, Private, Public

At the very fundamental level, a dedicated physical box (server) is what provides you with computational resources. You can share this box by virtualizing these resources. Multiple virtual environments can run on the same physical server box and serve the needs of a specific organization. In this case, this server becomes your "private cloud". The same physical box can host multiple virtual environments and serve multiple organizations. In this case, it becomes a "public cloud".

Cloud Security

Security is a very popular topic when you discuss cloud options. However, if you think in terms of physical boxes and virtual environment you can clarify the security topic. The combination of firewalls, physical machines and virtual environments can potentially allow you to run identical "cloud" environment from a hosted data center (i.e. Rackspace) and from your corporate IT data center.

CAD/PLM and Cloud

Some of CAD/PLM providers are playing "cloud game" these days. Dassault and Autodesk are definite leaders in this game. PTC is engaging IBM to provide "cloud-y future" in a way of hosted Windchill. Siemens PLM is waiting to see where cloud will be going. Understanding of system architecture supported by CAD/PLM vendors together with dedicated, private and public cloud concepts can give a good idea what PLM companies mean when they talk about "cloud". Soon you probably will be able to ensure better security conditions when placing your CAD files on the network located servers rather than on you company servers, local hard drives and USB-sticks.

What is my conclusion? I found private vs. public cloud terminology really confusing. In my view, cloud is a big virtualization game. Companies are using multiple technologies to provide the ability to pull resources in a different way. The higher level of virtualization can provide you flexibility in resource and cost. At the same time, you are losing the control of physical resources. The control of dedicated server is the border that differentiates between private and public cloud. You can run a firewall on the virtual environment regardless on where the physical server is actually located. Data centers and hosting providers are playing a game trying to confuse customers with different cloud terms. Just my thoughts…

Best, Oleg

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Posted by olegshilovitsky

PLM and Virtualization Technologies

August 19, 2009

top-virtual-providersI’m constantly looking for new technologies and perspectives of PLM improvement. For the last time, we discussed many products and technological trends such as a cloud and cloud software social software, simplicity, open source software etc. However, I found one was not touched by myself at all. So, I’d like to open new discussion related to Virtualization Trend. In my view, virtualization becomes a strong trend during past few years. Below is my short test on Google Trend regarding virtualization.

virtualization-trend

So, I’d like to start with some definition and introduction. Virtualization is a very broad term and, in computer software, it related to abstraction of computer resources. You can take a look on Virtualization definition in Wikipedia to see a long list of specific virtualization topics – a platform, application, storage, network, desktop etc. In addition I’d recommend you the following video as well, as 101 in virtualization:

Some of the virtualization technologies are very popular and used by us every day, such as virtual desktops, full virtualization platforms such as VMWare etc. Some of them becomes popular during the last time with emerging of cloud technologies (possible example is Amazon EC2). Another interesting and detailed video about virtualization technologies from Dell’s CTO:

So, what is my initial take on virtualization and PLM? I’d define three dimensions of virtualization and will try to provide my assessment of how PLM uses it today as well as what is potential in my view.

1. Platform Virtualization

I think platform virtualization becomes mature and popular in IT as significant cost saver. On a server side, I see more and more virtual servers instead of physical machines in organizations. Coupled with cloud computing, hardware virtualization provide very strong offering an impressive ROI. PLM (as well as other enterprise systems) can use hardware virtualization and run in this environment. On a client side, VMWare and other “full virtualization” environment could provide efficient way to decrease IT cost and manage client workstation with heavy CAD/PLM environments.

2. Application Virtualization

This type of virtualization often applied to software to become disconnected from a specific platform. Most of the application focus on ability to create virtual environment that can encapsulate desktop environment or stream application from remote server. In my view, PLM software didn’t make a lot to encapsulate “PLM servers”, but support for widely accepted HW and OS allowing to commercial software like Citrix and some others to support PLM application virtualization.

3. Data Virtualization

This is last, but not least and very important in my view. There is no agreed clear definition of data virtualization. However, I see Data Virtualization as next logical step after Platform and Applications. There is on-going discussion about data virtualization. Some of the opinion makers claim data virtualization as a solution for data integration. Some of the companies implied data availability as way to present data virtualization. For me, PDM/PLM provides a major place where company stores and manages their IP and Knowledge about a product. Data virtualization in context of PDM/PLM can become powerful technology to improve data scalability, modeling and change management. However, this is mostly open question these days.

This is my short intro in Virtualization and PLM. I’m looking forward to next thoughts and discussion.

Best, Oleg.

2 Comments | Daily PLM Think Tank, Future Trends, Technology | Tagged: , , , | Permalink
Posted by olegshilovitsky

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