Virtualization is a technique that separates a service from the underlying physical delivery of that service. It was initially developed during the mainframe era, and involves the use of specialized software to create a virtual or software-created version of a computing resource, instead of the actual version of the same resource. This process allows multiple operating systems and applications to run on the same machine and hardware at once, thus increasing the utilization and flexibility of the hardware.
Virtualization is a cost effective, hardware reducing, and energy saving technique used by cloud providers. By assigning a logical name to a physical storage and providing a pointer to that physical resource on demand, virtualization allows a single physical instance of a resource or application to be shared among multiple customers and organizations. Furthermore, virtualization technologies provide a virtual environment for not only executing applications, but also for storage, memory, and networking.
The Host Machine is the physical computer which is used to create and host the virtual machine. This virtual machine, also known as a Guest Machine, is an emulation of a physical computer system which can be used to run software and applications as if it is a real machine. The Guest Machine is created using the resources of the Host Machine, including its memory, storage, and processing power.
BENEFITS OF VIRTUALIZATION
1. Cost Savings: Virtualization can reduce hardware costs, software licensing costs, and energy costs associated with powering and cooling multiple servers.
2. Improved Efficiency: Virtualization allows for more efficient use of existing hardware resources, resulting in faster and more reliable performance.
3. Increased Agility: Virtualization allows for faster and easier deployment of applications and services, resulting in improved time-to-market.
4. Improved Reliability: Virtualization provides high availability and better fault tolerance, resulting in improved reliability and uptime.
5. Enhanced Security: Virtualization can help improve security by isolating applications and services, as each virtual machine can run its own operating system and applications.
6. Greater Scalability: Virtualization can enable organizations to quickly and easily scale up or down as needed.
7. Reduced Maintenance: Virtualization can reduce the amount of time needed to maintain and upgrade applications and services.
Types of Virtualization:
1. Server Virtualization: This type of virtualization involves creating multiple virtual servers on a single physical server. This allows businesses to run multiple operating systems and applications on the same hardware, reducing their overall hardware costs and improving efficiency.
2. Desktop Virtualization: This type of virtualization allows for the creation of virtual desktops that can be accessed remotely by users. This allows businesses to provide a secure, centralized workspace for their employees, regardless of their physical location.
3. Network Virtualization: This type of virtualization involves creating multiple virtual networks on a single physical network. This allows businesses to segment their network into private, isolated networks for different departments or teams, which improves security and allows for better control over network resources.
4. Storage Virtualization: This type of virtualization involves creating multiple virtual hard disk drives on a single physical disk. This allows businesses to store more data than would normally be possible on a single physical disk, as well as allowing for better control over how the data is accessed and used.
5. Application Virtualization: This type of virtualization involves creating virtual versions of applications that can be accessed from anywhere. This allows businesses to provide access to their applications without having to install them on each individual computer, which saves time and money.
Data virtualization.
Data virtualization is a method of combining data from multiple sources into a single logical view of the data, allowing users to query and interact with the data as if it were all stored in a single repository. With data virtualization, data is not physically stored in one place, but rather is collected and integrated from different sources in real time. This allows for faster access to data and more flexibility in how data is used. Data virtualization can also help to reduce costs associated with managing and storing data, as well as providing easier access to data and increased security by reducing the need to move data around.