In the virtual world, changes can be made extremely quickly. The server deployment cycle is shortened from weeks to seconds. Relocation of a virtual server to another physical server or even another site can take a few minutes. All virtual networks and firewalls can be reconfigured at once for the entire enterprise.
It is crucial to realize the full power of that speed and how it impacts data protection. There are two challenges to consider:
- The time window for preparation of each change is very short. There is no time to think, and fast, ad-hoc solutions cause errors.
- Change may impact a large number of devices. A single mistake of an administrator can immediately affect half the infrastructure.
There are a few rules which not only help to overcome challenges but reach new levels of security and business continuity:
Rule 1 – Understanding the current state of assets. To make right decisions one must understand the current state of all components in the datacenter. An up-to-date CMDB is more important then ever. Changes in environment must be reflected immediately in the configuration of the management system. Virtualization makes the configuration of the system visible in real time, which makes the CMDB work and enables enforcement of compliance – it is possible to immediately discover unauthorized changes.
Rule 2 – Planning and creating policies. Planning’s outcome is policy. Usually, it takes the form of a template of the virtual machine, the template being the gold standard designed with best practices in mind. If all situations are addressed by the policy, risks are minimized for all systems.
Rule 3 – Testing policies. Policy may impact a large number of devices, therefore each policy or template must be carefully tested.
The result is compliant IT and fast reaction times in the case of any incident. The security- or business continuity levels achieved for the most important systems are easily copied to all systems, and it’s possible to surpass the level of security and availability of today’s physical environment.