To operate virtual IT systems, virtualisation servers require disk space that is provided either locally in the servers themselves or in a storage network. If the storage capacities this requires are planned insufficiently, there will be extensive risks regarding the availability of virtual IT systems and the integrity of the information they process. This is particularly applicable if special virtualisation functions such as snapshots or the overbooking of disk space are used.

Bottlenecks can arise that involve not only the space available on hard disks or in storage networks, but processing power, RAM, or network connections, as well. Furthermore, insufficient resources on a virtualisation server may result in virtual machines disrupting one another's operations, which in turn can ultimately cause them to malfunction (or fail entirely).