What is virtualization?
The term virtualization refers to the very act of running software using the image of real infrastructures, by allocating resources from a wider hardware infrastructure and in this way creating a consolidation of servers.
What is the purpose of a virtualization system
Through virtualization it is possible to make use of resources in order to create a virtual working environment for us, that is, one main computer can be divided into several servers and thus one computer is actually able to provide several server environments, which means savings in costs and expenses, in overall maintenance and in the employment of appropriate personnel.
In simple words, using a virtualization infrastructure to replace a number of small servers with a smaller number of large servers, and once again you can see how the significant savings in costs are expressed here, virtualization prevents the creation of a virtual work environment to implement new systems in the future simply.
Virtualization infrastructure allows servers to utilize resources more optimally than before.
performance improvement – Sometimes when there is a large server infrastructure for some company that requires an upgrade due to their work on outdated hardware without any upgrade from the moment the hardware is installed, it is recommended to transfer the servers to a virtualization infrastructure where they can be allocated resources and an environment that will allow a simple upgrade and a significant performance improvement.
Virtualization has become very popular in recent years in the field of – IT due to the enormous savings it provides in electricity expenses, the reduction of electricity consumption by about 80%, especially when there is a constant development of information systems and servers and there is a need to upgrade hardware and systems and the necessity of cost savings.
Advantages of virtualization infrastructure
- Reducing servers – Optimization of IT infrastructures that include databases, servers, applications and networks, along with reducing the number of servers but allocating more resources, that is, imaging a real infrastructure using a hardware infrastructure that enables unification between the servers.
- Considerable cost savings – Also as a result of the consolidation of servers which is manifested, among other things, in the reduction of electricity consumption by about 80% and also in manpower, overall maintenance can save many costs.
- high survival – If by chance one server goes down, the system will operate as usual due to the consolidation of servers on one physical server.
- Optimal resource utilization – When the percentage of resource utilization on the servers is low, the servers can be moved to a virtualization infrastructure in order to allocate hardware resources according to the system settings and enable optimal resource utilization.
Leading virtualization systems in the market
There are several leading companies that have launched their own virtualization systems, all of which meet the definitions and requirements expected from a virtualization system, among the systems:
- VMware software – In contrast to other virtualization systems, VMware is not an operating system, but software that runs on the server, and is able to run on a Windows-type operating system or a Linux-type operating system, the main activity of this software is carried out on a personal computer and essentially enables the running of another operating system on the computer, when the computer functions as a server for everything.
- VMware ESX – This system is based on a Linux-type operating system and is considered one of the most powerful and stable systems on the market today, and this can be said through the low utilization of resources for the operating systems and the allocation of many resources instead of the virtual systems, this system works in a way that allows the virtual server to contact with a request and the system provides the server with time and a working environment with the hardware components, since the process is carried out directly, there is no need for an additional data processing layer, so the operating system does not exert itself but only bridges the virtual server For the hardware component only.
- Virtuozzo – This system is a virtualization system from Parallel, this system is based on open source and can be used for a fee, what is special about this system is that it can function as an operating system for the purpose of virtualization only, running virtual servers to the same extent as dedicated servers, and the utilization of resources from the physical server was minimal, this virtualization system allows excellent performance, backups and more.
In the following video you can get more and expanded information about the content of the article and what virtualization is in general
vMotion technology
In addition to all the advantages of virtualization, there is also a technology called vMotion which allows the transfer of virtual servers between physical machines without interruption to the user.
The advantage of this is expressed by solving the accompanying problems when consolidating servers;
It is possible to transfer a virtual machine (a basic unit of software that includes an operating system and applications running under it) together with the operating system and the database and applications between physical machines in the event of a malfunction.
Transferring servers to another physical machine to prevent interruption and shutdown situations.
It is also possible to distribute loads between the physical machines and enable optimal functioning for each one.