Virtualization also frees storage from constraints imposed by a server's physical configuration. "It's now just a question of finding more storage from the single pool on NetApp," O'Malley says.

He notes that storage efficiency and simplicity meshes well with Tasty Baking's corporate philosophy. "When you think about it, we're just like a corner bakery, only a thousand times bigger," O'Malley says. "What's key for us is keeping our environments as simple as we can."

Edwards is a freelance writer in Gilbert, Ariz. Contact him at jedwards@gojohnedwards.com.