<strong></strong>At eGroup, we’re huge fans of InfoWorld’s Paul Venezia and his Deep End blog - always provocative, never dull. But his latest post, <a href="http://www.infoworld.com/d/data-center/why-virtualization-breaks-monitoring-systems-202272">Why Virtualization breaks monitoring systems</a>, had me miffed. You’ve got to use the right tool for the job, Paul!

You wouldn’t want to take your next road trip in a golf cart, and we don’t wash our dishes in a car wash – so why is IT still using the same monitoring systems of old to monitor their virtualized infrastructure?

Sure, these tools may get the job done eventually, but the means to get there is tiring and messy! Just like with old monitoring systems telling you when something changes (ouch - <em>every time</em> something changes?).

So what’s my advice to IT?

<strong>Manage the <em>change</em>, and you’ll manage your infrastructure</strong> – improvements in technology constantly <em>change</em> the way we do business, and ultimately support the business – only with <em>change</em> we can do it faster, cheaper, and better. Embracing the dynamic nature of workloads, and managing and creating an environment of expected <em>change</em> is what today’s virtualized data center is all about. We <em>expect</em> it to change – we <em>want</em> it to change - we <em>need</em> it to change. Things will change, but we’ll still be in control – with the right tools – but not the old ones!

<strong>When you’re at the point when most of your workloads are virtualized – those old monitoring systems need to go - </strong>as a married man, I know when it’s time to take out the trash – it’s at the precise moment the trash can is completely overflowing. We don’t throw away everything we no longer need though – often we will recycle, up-cycle, reuse, or donate our unwanted items – but when something is completely useless and I am morally obligated to keep it from being used by anyone any longer – it’s going in the trash.

That’s similar to how I feel about old monitoring systems that were meant for old, static environments.  When you’re at the point when most of your workloads are virtualized – those old monitoring systems and agent-based backups need to go. And if you need help through this phase, reach out to us, we’re happy to help!<em></em>

<strong><em>Do not accept defeat -</em></strong> whatever you do, don’t surrender to the fact that you’ll never be able to monitor your virtualized infrastructure because the old monitoring tools have become instantly obsolete. IT Professionals are anything but defeatists – if there is a way, we’ll find it, code it, release it and conquer the world just to keep us from clicking a mouse that one extra time.

That attitude was certainly shared by VMware, which is why they released vCenter Operations Manager and the vCenter Operations Manager Suite. They knew that managing something so fluid couldn’t be accomplished with the same tools as static environments. The challenge of managing IT doesn’t decrease just because something is virtualized – it’s only when a workload is virtualized that we can see a management tool’s full potential, and value.

To understand how vCOPS acts as your greatest intelligence collector, read my recent post, “<a href="http://egroup.jasonmangone.com/hey-it-leaders-would-you-rather-be-proactive-or-reactive">Hey IT Leaders – Would You Rather Be Proactive or Reactive?</a>”

And so, with all due respect to Paul (and we have a TON of respect), virtualization doesn’t break monitoring systems – virtualization breaks <strong>OLD</strong> monitoring systems. Stop cleaning your dishes in the car wash, and get the right tool for the job!

Wouldn’t you agree?