A blog by Oleg Shilovitsky
Information & Comments about Engineering and Manufacturing Software

PLM and Virtualization Technologies

PLM and Virtualization Technologies
olegshilovitsky
olegshilovitsky
19 August, 2009 | 3 min for reading

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:

[youtube=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QVpNa3rEnpk]

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:

[youtube=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nDiM19KShAA]

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.

Recent Posts

Also on BeyondPLM

4 6
5 July, 2021

Data is at the center of digital transformation projects. Questions about how to organize the data in the most efficient...

5 May, 2014

PLM downstream usage is a popular and well-known topic. Speak to anybody in PLM community about how to implement PLM...

7 September, 2024

What is the next big topic in PLM technology, PLM systems, product data management and product development process modeling? Speaking...

26 December, 2017

Dear Friends, It is time to take a break and think about what happened in 2017. Many of my friends...

4 December, 2018

PLM universe is buzzing after $70M investment that Goldman Sachs put in Aras.  Check my earlier article – Does Aras...

24 August, 2017

The new trend – digital transformation is here. You can hear it everywhere. New “digital processes” enabled by new technologies...

13 September, 2010

Last week I published my visual guide how to choose PLM. This post was the most popular during the whole...

13 March, 2012

PLM space is hyping these days. There are many news floating around about what happens in PLM industries these days....

20 February, 2019

PLM for SMB is a long time dream of PLM minded community. Check articles online to see it is actually...

Blogroll

To the top