Virtualization allows businesses to have a more flexible and efficient environment. Moving to virtual servers can save money — no need to purchase multiple machines that won’t be adequately utilized — and sets the stage for more effective desktop virtualization and cloud computing functions.

The problem, though, is that many companies are quick to move to a virtualized environment without fully understanding all of the intricacies of doing so. When they are not adequately prepared to address some of the most common problems, or better yet, avoid them altogether, the solution that’s designed to save time and money can actually end up costing more of both.

As you transition to a virtualized environment, be aware of these common pitfalls.

Servers Cannot Perform Up to Standards

Virtualization can improve server resource usage, but only if the virtual servers perform as well as or better than the existing server configuration. If the virtualized server cannot handle the data load, it will cause frustration and decreased productivity as well as increased costs. Before transitioning to the virtualized environment, perform capacity planning tests to make accurate estimates, and take steps to optimize your servers.

Inadequate Staff Knowledge

Not only should IT staff to know how to install, configure and manage virtualized servers, it’s important to educate staff about the transition and what it means for their daily workflow. Failing to do so could cause confusion, and even lead employees to do things that could affect the function and security of the servers. Offer training sessions to teach employees what they need to know to avoid spending extra time on help desk functions.

Unexpected Licensing Costs

Licensing agreements in the virtual environment can differ from those in the physical environment. Understand your contracts and the requirements for appropriate licensing to avoid excess costs.

Poor Problem-Identification

Most users contact the support team for help when necessary. In a virtualized environment, managing performance issues is more challenging, so IT departments must examine their support methodologies and develop a means of monitoring end-user experience to ensure that problems can be identified and fixed as soon as possible.

Not Running Antivirus Protection on Virtual Servers

You must treat virtual servers as you would physical servers. That means using antivirus protection on virtual machines — no exceptions.

Not Having a Plan

Because vendors jointly manage virtual environments, it’s important to have a plan for managing them and defining roles. Without a plan, there could be disagreements as to who is responsible for various aspects of managing the virtualized environment — which could result in security risks and other problems.

Implementing Inappropriate Solutions

Different businesses have different needs, and a solution that works perfectly for one company may not be right for another. Carefully assess whether any virtual environment effectively meets your needs, remembering that bigger is not always better. The more features that a virtual machine has, the more opportunities for things to go wrong and take down the whole system, so focus on the solutions that you absolutely need.

Ignoring the Physical Environment

Not all systems work well in a virtual environment. Before moving everything to virtual servers, assess whether certain systems work better in the physical environment, or if virtualization will maintain or even improve performance. If the virtualized system will develop new limitations, it may be best left to the physical environment.

Forgetting About Unused Virtual Machines

Virtual machines do not take care of themselves. However, when a machine goes unused for some time, it’s easy to “forget” about it. The result is not only increased cost, since keeping such machines do require some maintenance costs, but also increased security risk. Keep track of all of your virtual machines and “retire” those no longer in use, freeing up resources for new hardware or improved management of those servers that are in use.

Not Having a Backup Plan

What happens if your host goes down, or if your virtual server or machine crashes? Do you have a plan for getting back online with minimal delay? Things do go wrong, often without warning, and if you do not have a backup plan for getting back up and running quickly, the results could be disastrous. Have a plan, test it and be ready to implement it at a moment’s notice.

Moving to a virtualized environment can save your business money and increase productivity, but only if you avoid these common pitfalls. Gather information before making any decisions, and know exactly what you are getting into before making the transition and you should see significant improvements in your bottom line.