32-bit computing is still very much alive, well, and very much supported today which may be one of the primary reasons you have not investigated 64-bit yet or invested the time it takes to migrate your software and/or servers to 64-bit architecture. Part of the adaptation process is learning and understanding the underlying mechanics behind a technology to be sure it makes good sense from an economical, roadmap strategy, and business need standpoint. I think 64-bit is one of those technologies that is so deep and covers so much territory that there is a chance for the spread of misinformation.
As VMware Administrators, at one point or another our careers intersect with Microsoft Windows technologies. For some like myself, the Windows experience is a daily tradition. Everyone who is running VirtualCenter is using Microsoft Windows as both the server and client platform. VMware Update Manager users are using Windows. License Manager runs on Windows. Even those without VirtualCenter are probably using the Virtual Infrastructure Client which runs on Windows. My point is that although this is mainly a VMware virtualization centric blog, we can’t completely ignore Windows. Understanding the benefits that 64-bit Windows technologies provides might help our virtual infrastructures run faster and more efficiently. In the long term, I think it’s going to allow our VI to scale up.
Fortunately for those who have not yet rolled up their sleeves and gotten dirty with 64-bit, there’s an IT Architect by the name of Helge Klein who has written an absolutely fantastic seven part series entitled “Windows x64 – All the Same Yet Very Different” in terms that I think most of us can understand. Even if you’re not a big fan of Windows, some of the content is universal and applies to many platforms. If you maintain a 3-ring binder of good stuff you’ve found on the internet, I think this series would belong there.
