Cloud Technology Virtualization

1. Introduction to Virtualization

Virtualization is the process of creating a virtual version of something, such as a server, a

desktop, a storage device, or network resources. This allows for the creation of multiple
simulated environments or dedicated resources from a single, physical hardware system.
Virtualization is a technique of how to separate a service from the underlying physical delivery
of that service. It is the process of creating a virtual version of something like computer
hardware. It was initially developed during the mainframe era. It involves using specialized
software to create a virtual or software-created version of a computing resource rather than the
actual version of the same resource. With the help of Virtualization, multiple operating systems
and applications can run on the same machine and its same hardware at the same time, increasing
the utilization and flexibility of hardware.

In other words, one of the main cost-effective, hardware-reducing, and energy-saving techniques
used by cloud providers is Virtualization. Virtualization allows sharing of a single physical
instance of a resource or an application among multiple customers and organizations at one time.
It does this by assigning a logical name to physical storage and providing a pointer to that
physical resource on demand. The term virtualization is often synonymous with hardware
virtualization, which plays a fundamental role in efficiently delivering Infrastructure-as-a-
Service (IaaS) solutions for cloud computing. Moreover, virtualization technologies provide a
virtual environment for not only executing applications but also for storage, memory, and
networking.

Key Concepts:

 Host Machine: The machine on which the virtual machine is going to be built is known
as Host Machine.
 Guest Machine: The virtual machine is referred to as a Guest Machine.
2. Virtualization in Cloud Computing

Virtualization plays a crucial role in cloud computing by enabling efficient sharing of physical
resources among multiple users. Cloud providers manage the physical infrastructure, but
virtualization allows them to create virtualized instances (VMs) that can be provisioned to users
on demand. This reduces costs and increases flexibility for both providers and users.

Benefits of Virtualization

 Increased resource utilization: Run multiple applications on a single server, maximizing

hardware usage.
 Improved development and testing: Quickly create isolated environments for
development and testing purposes.
 Reduced costs: Consolidate physical servers, saving on hardware and energy
consumption.
 Enhanced disaster recovery: Easily migrate VMs to other physical servers in case of
outages.
 Increased scalability: Scale resources up or down quickly by provisioning additional
VMs or reducing resource allocation.

Drawback of Virtualization

 High initial investment: Cloud infrastructure can be expensive to set up initially.

 Skills gap: Migrating to cloud solutions may require upskilling IT staff to manage
virtualized environments.
 Security concerns: Data stored on third-party servers requires robust security measures to
prevent breaches.

3. Types of Virtualization

There are several types of virtualization, each focusing on a different aspect of computing
resources:

Types of Virtualization
i. Application Virtualization:

Application virtualization helps a user to have remote access to an application from a server. The
server stores all personal information and other characteristics of the application but can still run
on a local workstation through the internet. An example of this would be a user who needs to run
two different versions of the same software. Technologies that use application virtualization are
hosted applications and packaged applications.

ii. Network Virtualization:

The ability to run multiple virtual networks with each having a separate control and data plan. It
co-exists together on top of one physical network. It can be managed by individual parties that
are potentially confidential to each other. Network virtualization provides a facility to create and
provision virtual networks, logical switches, routers, firewalls, load balancers, Virtual Private
Networks (VPN), and workload security within days or even weeks.

Network Virtualization

iii. Desktop Virtualization:

Desktop virtualization allows the users’ OS to be remotely stored on a server in the data center. It
allows the user to access their desktop virtually, from any location by a different machine. Users
who want specific operating systems other than Windows Server will need to have a virtual
desktop. The main benefits of desktop virtualization are user mobility, portability, and easy
management of software installation, updates, and patches.

iv. Storage Virtualization:

Storage virtualization is an array of servers that are managed by a virtual storage system. The
servers aren’t aware of exactly where their data is stored and instead function more like worker
bees in a hive. It makes managing storage from multiple sources be managed and utilized as a
single repository. Storage virtualization software maintains smooth operations, consistent
performance, and a continuous suite of advanced functions despite changes, breaks down, and
differences in the underlying equipment.

v. Server Virtualization:

This is a kind of virtualization in which the masking of server resources takes place. Here, the
central server (physical server) is divided into multiple different virtual servers by changing the
identity number, and processors. So, each system can operate its operating systems in an isolated
manner. Where each sub-server knows the identity of the central server. It causes an increase in
performance and reduces the operating cost by the deployment of main server resources into a
sub-server resource. It’s beneficial in virtual migration, reducing energy consumption, reducing
infrastructural costs, etc.

Server Virtualization

vi. Data Virtualization:

This is the kind of virtualization in which the data is collected from various sources and managed
at a single place without knowing more about the technical information like how data is
collected, stored & formatted then arranged that data logically so that its virtual view can be
accessed by its interested people and stakeholders, and users through the various cloud services
remotely. Many big giant companies are providing their services like Oracle, IBM, At scale,
Cdata, etc.
Uses of Virtualization
 Data-integration
 Business-integration
 Service-oriented architecture data-services
 Searching organizational data
4. Hypervisors

A hypervisor is a software program that manages the creation, deployment, and execution of
virtual machines. It acts as a layer between the physical hardware and the virtual machines,
providing them with the resources they need to run.
Types of Hypervisors:
 Type 1 (Bare-metal): Runs directly on the physical hardware, providing high
performance and efficiency. Examples include VMware ESXi, Microsoft Hyper-V.
 Type 2 (Hosted): Runs on top of an existing operating system, offering flexibility for
development and testing purposes. Examples include VMware Workstation, Oracle
VirtualBox.

5. Advantages of Virtualization
 Increased resource utilization and cost savings
 Improved scalability and agility
 Enhanced disaster recovery and business continuity
 Simplified IT management and provisioning
 Increased security and isolation of applications

6. Challenges and Considerations

 Initial investment in cloud infrastructure or virtualization software
 Potential skills gap in managing virtualized environments
 Security concerns when dealing with third-party cloud providers
 Performance considerations depending on the type of virtualization

Summary

Virtualization is a transformative technology that underpins cloud computing. By understanding

the different types of virtualization and their benefits, organizations can leverage them to achieve
greater resource utilization, agility, and cost savings in their IT environments.