Having the capability to run multiple virtual machines simultaneously on one physical server enables enterprises to consolidate workloads from several separate physical servers onto one server, thereby reducing the number of servers required for a given workload. Unlike physical servers, virtual machines can be created in a matter of minutes and can be moved from one physical server to another without reconfiguring the operating system or applications. As a result, services can be provisioned faster and resources allocated easily to business units when needed. In addition, virtualization enables IT administrators to proactively manage their systems to help prevent unplanned downtime and increase overall availability.

High-speed Gigabit Ethernet NICs in a small form factor play an essential role in the virtual infrastructure model-server networking functionality is important for secure management of ESX Server, for enabling VMotion technology and for meeting the network throughput requirements of multiple virtual machines. In particular, best practices for VMware ESX Server call for at least three dedicated network connections. Multi-port HP adapters are the optimum solution, providing extra ports to support the virtual infrastructure in one server slot and freeing input/output (I/O) slots in servers that require additional ports. HP multi-port NICs with Intel technology also allow IT administrators to configure redundant ports
to improve throughput and reliability. With VMware server virtualization software, traffic that was once hosted on three physical servers can now be handled by three virtual machines on a single physical server, all sharing a pool of network connections-as long as that server is properly equipped with the required network connections.