Using virtualization has a lot of benefits even when you have just one virtual instance. In your example, the real overkill is VMware, not virtualization per se!
Instead, kernel-based virtualization such as BSD Jails, Linux-VServer or OpenVZ is the right approach. This type of virtualization comes without any performance penalties! And by using hard links, you can avoid wasting disk space, too.
The benefits are better hardware abstraction, i.e. easier movement to other machines, improved backup possibilities, etc. In fact, the BSD manual recommends the usage of jails for years, if not decades.
I'd say that this kind of virtualization is still underused, while inappropriate kinds of virtualization start to become overused. Maybe this is due to "successful" marketing of VMware. They promote the right techniques, but the wrong technology.
Instead, kernel-based virtualization such as BSD Jails, Linux-VServer or OpenVZ is the right approach. This type of virtualization comes without any performance penalties! And by using hard links, you can avoid wasting disk space, too.
The benefits are better hardware abstraction, i.e. easier movement to other machines, improved backup possibilities, etc. In fact, the BSD manual recommends the usage of jails for years, if not decades.
I'd say that this kind of virtualization is still underused, while inappropriate kinds of virtualization start to become overused. Maybe this is due to "successful" marketing of VMware. They promote the right techniques, but the wrong technology.