System Center Virtual Machine Manager (SCVMM) is Microsoft’s full featured, highly dynamic virtual management console. It allows management of both Hyper-V and VMWare virtual machine and has a feature set that allows you to convert physical machines to virtual machines, better optimize resource utilization, and rapidly deploy virtual machines based upon configurable defaults.

I commonly hear people comment that with the Hyper-V management console, why would anybody need SCVMM?

First, it really depends on the size of your virtual implementation. If you operate a rather small number of virtual hosts then it is likely that you can get by just the standard Hyper-V console. SCVMM really shines in the centralized management of multiple virtual hosts, so if you have several of them, the benefits there are obvious. Also, if you utilize both Hyper-V and a VMWare platforms then you have the added benefit of managing both of those via the SCVMM console.

The second factor to consider is whether or not you require the special features that SCVMM can offer. As stated earlier, there are a few unique abilities that SCVMM exclusively brings to the table. Physical to Virtual (P2V) machine migration is one of the big ones, and can be performed in a fast and reliable manner with SCVMM. Rapid deployment of virtual machines is another popular feature, especially in highly dynamic environments. You can view a full list of these unique features here: http://www.microsoft.com/systemcenter/virtualmachinemanager/en/us/default.aspx

In the end, you have to ask yourself the following questions:

Can I benefit from being able to manage my entire virtual infrastructure in one place?

Do I require one of the special features that SCVMM offers?

If the answer to either one is yes, then SCVMM is a good bet for your network.