Discuss how virtualization provides effective development environments.

Question

What will be an ideal response?

Answer 1

Many organizations develop their own software. Other organizations purchase software packages, but need to test those packages before bringing them into live production. In the past, organizations have purchased separate computers for software development and testing. Some organizations with limited budgets have even performed development on production computers, which is a risky approach.

Organizations that use a separate development server can spend considerable time adapting the development software to a new computer system. Using a virtual machine as a development environment can ease the hassles of bringing new software live. Developing software on a virtual machine presents few or no hardware considerations because you simply transfer the newly developed software to another virtual machine when you take it live to users. Further, before the software is brought into production, users can test it in a server environment that already looks similar or identical to the one they are accustomed to using. When the new software is brought into live production, users will need to make fewer adjustments.

Organizations that purchase software packages can use a virtual machine to test the packages before bringing them into production. Users who help with the testing can do so in a safe environment and take their time to get used to the new software. Bringing the new software into production is simpler and cleaner, just as it is for organizations that develop their own software on a virtual machine.