Why Workloads Matter in Infrastructure Planning?
Most IT teams know that VMs don’t run in isolation. They work in concert with other servers, storage, databases, and applications. In practice, these interdependencies form what we call a workload — a collection of resources that act together to deliver a business outcome.
The Challenge
When organizations plan a migration, refresh aging infrastructure, or consider cloud options, these workload relationships are often overlooked. Moving resources without understanding how they interact can lead to:
- Performance degradation from misplaced workloads
- Increased latency between critical systems
- Unplanned downtime or failed migrations
Introducing VM Affinity Mapping
VM affinity mapping is the practice of identifying which resources rely on each other and grouping them as a logical workload. By seeing how servers, VMs, and applications interact, IT teams can plan changes more effectively and reduce risk.
How It Works with NetFlow
OneIQ leverages NetFlow data to uncover these dependencies. NetFlow provides a record of how resources communicate across the environment, making it possible to visualize which VMs or systems are tied together. Once identified, OneIQ allows you to tag related resources into workloads — creating a clear, logical view of how IT services are delivered.
Why It Matters
VM affinity mapping delivers value across multiple planning scenarios:
- Performance & Latency – Ensures tightly connected workloads stay close, avoiding unnecessary delays.
- Migration & Upgrade Planning – Reduces the risk of breaking dependencies when workloads are moved.
- Security & Compliance – Surfaces unexpected communication patterns that may introduce risk.
- Capacity & Consolidation – Highlights opportunities to modernize or reduce licensing and hardware costs.
- Ongoing Optimization – Provides visibility as workloads evolve over time.
Simplifying What Was Once Complex
In the past, understanding these relationships required packet sniffers, firewall logs, or complex manual analysis. OneIQ makes it simple. By capturing NetFlow, tagging workloads, and presenting affinity mapping in a visual, intuitive way, IT teams gain clarity that was once nearly impossible to achieve.
Conclusion
VM affinity mapping is more than a technical detail — it’s a critical step in infrastructure planning. With OneIQ, IT and pre-sales teams can see the bigger picture, reduce risk, and accelerate decision-making with confidence.
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