Virtualization has opened a world of opportunity for businesses seeking a more flexible business computing system in the form of a virtual machine rather than a disparate and occasionally wasteful collection of computing components.
For this week’s tip, we’ll discuss the process of adopting virtualization and its implications for your business.
What Does Virtualization Even Mean?
To understand how virtualization can help a business, it would help to understand this process and its purpose truly.
In a traditional server architecture, one operating system would be installed on each server, and as such, the software on that machine would be pretty closely linked to the hardware itself.
Alternatively, when virtualization is deployed, the operating system (or storage solution, application, etc.) is instead abstracted away from the server and relies on an emulated copy hosted in a layer of software called the hypervisor.
Virtualization Software: Multiple Operating Systems
Before virtualization, the direct relationship between a operating systems’ hardware and software was problematic in certain situations.
For instance, configuring software was challenging, as was trying to move software to a different hardware solution (like one would have to do when restoring data from a backup).
Virtual Environments
Virtualization made scaling a solution based on current needs practicable, with little noticeable effect on the solution’s performance.
What Kinds of Virtualization Are There?
Network Virtualization
This variety of virtualization simplifies a network by “breaking” it up into smaller, more easily managed pieces (called “channels”) and assigning these channels and their resources where they are needed at that point in time.
Server Virtualization
As discussed above, this kind of virtualization makes a server more usable and generally simpler for a user to understand. As a whole, this offers an improved resource for the user, with the ability to increase the server’s capacity in the future.
Desktop Virtualization
Desktop virtualization effectively creates a simulated desktop hosted in a server rather than acquiring the device necessary to host an entirely new desktop environment. This makes this new “workstation” accessible, secure, and much more portable.
Storage Virtualization
Storage area networks have storage virtualization to thank for their existence, as this kind of virtualization is commonly found within them.
This variety pools the storage capabilities from multiple physical solutions into a unified, managed, “single” virtualized space.
Data Virtualization
By abstracting things like location, format, and performance from a data set, this data set is able to be assigned broader access.
Application Virtual Operating System
By removing an application from the operating system through abstraction, its use is no longer dependent on its compatibility with the device’s operating system.
If you’re interested in exploring how your company can further leverage virtual machines, contact the pros at Succurri today.
