Server sprawl
Encyclopedia
Server sprawl is a term used in computer jargon. It describes a situation that can occur in data center
s wherein a disproportionate amount of the physical server machines are running at very low rates of usage; this wastes a lot of the data center's resources like power, cooling and space, as well as the internal resources of each server such as CPU cycles, memory and storage. Various techniques exist to mitigate server sprawl, most notably computer virtualisation. By virtualising workloads in a data center, hardware resources can be better exploited.
Data center
A data center is a facility used to house computer systems and associated components, such as telecommunications and storage systems...
s wherein a disproportionate amount of the physical server machines are running at very low rates of usage; this wastes a lot of the data center's resources like power, cooling and space, as well as the internal resources of each server such as CPU cycles, memory and storage. Various techniques exist to mitigate server sprawl, most notably computer virtualisation. By virtualising workloads in a data center, hardware resources can be better exploited.