Intel conducted proof of concept testing and total cost of ownership analysis to compare two- and four-socket servers based on Intel® Xeon® processors for server virtualization. Test scenarios included performance service-level agreements, commodity consolidation in which memory it the limiting factor and data centers with power and cooling restraints or limited LAN and storage area network ports. See the results in the Intel IT white paper.
Evaluating Two- and Four-Socket Server Virtualization Platforms
1.04MB, PDF
A very informative white paper. Thank you guys for conducting the study.
Your paper changes my thinking on two-socket servers being the sweet spot for our particular VM environment. I do worry about loading too many VM’s onto a single physical server (as you mention). It’s a challenge to strike the right balance between risk and TCO.