Virtual Sprawl

Even perfectly configured IT systems can’t remain so over a period of time. This is especially true for virtual infrastructures, where machines can be created and reconfigured with just a few clicks.
A single host normally runs dozens of virtual machines. In enterprise-scale environments, replication and migration of virtual machines from one host to another is just a routine process. Therefore, misconfigurations can cost you more than ever. For example, an inappropriate security policy or configuration issue not only compromises a single machine, but quickly propagates over the entire infrastructure.

“As organizations move beyond the “low-hanging fruit” of workloads to be virtualized, more critical systems and sensitive workloads are being targeted for virtualization. This is not necessarily an issue, but it can become an issue when these workloads are combined with other workloads from different trust zones on the same physical server without adequate separation.”

Gartner, January 2010

Companies already have clear IT policies and procedures in place. The challenge is that virtualization adds extra infrastructure layers and communication channels, so you cannot rely on the old good tools – at least not out-of-the-box. You have to find a specialized, virtualization-aware solution capable of integrity control and change management.