Public schools are expected to maintain student records for extended periods of time, essentially lasting through an individual’s lifetime. For many institutions, this is a challenging task that pushes IT to its limits.
The Alabama Department of Education has been combating this problem through virtual server hosting, in which the school system uses space on a virtual server that can be constantly scaled to meet the institution’s needs, the Times Daily reports.
One school district in the state recently deployed the system and has reported positive results. According to Tim Morgan, the school’s superintendent, the virtual servers will allow schools to maintain their data while matching the state’s requirements for record tracking.
Morgan told the news source the virtual servers will allow the school system to replace 10 physical devices with only two. The tangible and fiscal benefits of the virtualized servers are having a positive impact on the school system, and Morgan expects every school in Alabama to store its data on virtual servers within the year.
Alabama is not the only educational program turning to virtualization. According to School CIO, Florida recently announced a plan to develop a network of virtual servers for its early childhood education programs. These courses are voluntary, and subsequently difficult to fund. As a result, state officials are turning to server virtualization as a way to save money for the system.
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