The Different Types of Virtualization in Cloud Computing - Explained

The Different Types of Virtualization in Cloud
Computing – Explained
June 1st, 2017 by admin
Although virtualization, as a form of technology has existed since the

1960s, only recently with the advent of cloud computing has it become
a staple in the vocabulary of those involved in the IT industry. By
offloading hardware requirements and utility costs, it can rapidly
transform a company’s infrastructure and improve its efficiency by
itself. Virtualization in cloud computing allows you to run multiple
applications and operating systems on the same server, thereby
providing for efficient resource utilization and reducing costs.
What Is Virtualization?
Virtualization is the process of creating a virtual environment on an

existing server to run your desired program, without interfering with
any of the other services provided by the server or host platform to
other users. The Virtual environment can be a single instance or a
combination of many such as operating systems, Network or
Application servers, computing environments, storage devices and
other such environments. The concept of virtualization will be easily
understood after going through the different types if virtualization later
in this article.
What Are The Benefits Of Virtualization?
Numerous benefits are provided by virtualization which includes,

reduction in costs, efficient utilization of resources, better accessibility
and minimization of risk among others.
Benefits for Companies
1. Removal of special hardware and utility requirements

2. Effective management of resources
3. Increased employee productivity as a result of better accessibility
4. Reduced risk of data loss, as data is backed up across multiple
storage locations
Benefits for Data Centers
1. Maximization of server capabilities, thereby reducing maintenance and

operation costs
2. Smaller footprint as a result of lower hardware, energy and manpower
requirements
How Does Virtualization Work?
Access to the virtual machine and the host machine or server is

facilitated by a software known as Hypervisor. Hypervisor acts as a
link between the hardware and the virtual environment and distributes
the hardware resources such as CPU usage, memory allotment
between the different virtual environments.
What types of virtualization are there?
Virtualization can take many forms depending on the type of

application use and hardware utilization. The main types are listed
below:
Hardware Virtualization
Hardware virtualization also knows as hardware-assisted virtualization
or server virtualization runs on the concept that an individual
independent segment of hardware or a physical server, may be made
up of multiple smaller hardware segments or servers, essentially
consolidating multiple physical servers into virtual servers that run on
a single primary physical server. Each small server can host a virtual
machine, but the entire cluster of servers is treated as a single device
by any process requesting the hardware. The hardware resource
allotment is done by the hypervisor. The main advantages include
increased processing power as a result of maximized hardware
utilization and application uptime.
Subtypes:
 Full Virtualization – Guest software does not require any modifications
since the underlying hardware is fully simulated.
 Emulation Virtualization – The virtual machine simulates the hardware
and becomes independent of it. The guest operating system does not
require any modifications.
 Paravirtualization – the hardware is not simulated and the guest
software run their own isolated domains.
Software Virtualization
Software Virtualization involves the creation an operation of multiple
virtual environments on the host machine. It creates a computer
system complete with hardware that lets the guest operating system to
run. For example, it lets you run Android OS on a host machine
natively using a Microsoft Windows OS, utilizing the same hardware
as the host machine does.
Subtypes:
 Operating System Virtualization – hosting multiple OS on the native
OS
 Application Virtualization – hosting individual applications in a virtual
environment separate from the native OS
 Service Virtualization – hosting specific processes and services
related to a particular application
Memory Virtualization
Physical memory across different servers is aggregated into a single
virtualized memory pool. It provides the benefit of an enlarged
contiguous working memory. You may already be familiar with this, as
some OS such as Microsoft Windows OS allows a portion of your
storage disk to serve as an extension of your RAM.
Subtypes:
 Application-level control – Applications access the memory pool
directly
 Operating system level control – Access to the memory pool is
provided through an operating system
Storage Virtualization
Multiple physical storage devices are grouped together, which then
appear as a single storage device. This provides various advantages
such as homogenization of storage across storage devices of multiple
capacity and speeds, reduced downtime, load balancing and better
optimization of performance and speed. Partitioning your hard drive
into multiple partitions is an example of this virtualization.
Subtypes:
 Block Virtualization – Multiple storage devices are consolidated into
one
 File Virtualization – Storage system grants access to files that are
stored over multiple hosts
Data Virtualization
It lets you easily manipulate data, as the data is presented as an
abstract layer completely independent of data structure and database
systems. Decreases data input and formatting errors.
Network Virtualization
In network virtualization, multiple sub-networks can be created on the
same physical network, which may or may not is authorized to
communicate with each other. This enables restriction of file
movement across networks and enhances security, and allows better
monitoring and identification of data usage which lets the network
administrator’s scale up the network appropriately. It also increases
reliability as a disruption in one network doesn’t affect other networks,
and the diagnosis is easier.
Subtypes:
 Internal network: Enables a single system to function like a network

 External network: Consolidation of multiple networks into a single one,
or segregation of a single network into multiple ones
Desktop Virtualization
This is perhaps the most common form of virtualization for any regular
IT employee. The user’s desktop is stored on a remote server,
allowing the user to access his desktop from any device or location.
Employees can work conveniently from the comfort of their home.
Since the data transfer takes place over secure protocols, any risk of
data theft is minimized.
Which Technology to use?

Virtualization is possible through a wide range of Technologies which
are available to use and are also OpenSource. We prefer using XEN
or KVM since they provide the best virtualization experience and
performance.
 XEN
 KVM
 OpenVZ
Conclusion
Virtualization lets you easily outsource your hardware and eliminate
any energy costs associated with its operation. Although it may not
work for everyone, however the efficiency, security and cost
advantages are considerable for you to consider employing it as part
of your operations. But whatever type of virtualization you may need,
always look for service providers that provide straightforward tools to
manage your resources and monitor usage, so that you don’t have to
spend a lot of time managing your virtual servers and virtualization
can indeed be efficient for you.
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The Different Types of Virtualization in Cloud

June 1st, 2017 by admin

Although virtualization, as a form of technology has existed since the

Virtualization is the process of creating a virtual environment on an

What Are The Benefits Of Virtualization?

Numerous benefits are provided by virtualization which includes,

Benefits for Companies

1. Removal of special hardware and utility requirements

1. Maximization of server capabilities, thereby reducing maintenance and

Access to the virtual machine and the host machine or server is

What types of virtualization are there?

Virtualization can take many forms depending on the type of

 Internal network: Enables a single system to function like a network

Which Technology to use?

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