Server virtualization is the most common type of virtualization and
is also the most favored by both midsize businesses and large
corporations. It refers to the coexistence of one or more “virtual”
Operating Systems on one physical server, sharing the resources of
one physical server across multiple environments with several
operating systems, and a variety of applications, and
can span several physical locations. Essentially, it allows one server to do the job of several servers realizing substantial cost savings and improved operating system resiliency and efficiency. virtualization on a vendor platform of their choice. |
Types of Server Virtualization
As part of its IT consulting services, LegaSystems provides for three main types
of server virtualization, namely, operating system virtualization (containers),
hardware emulation, and paravirtualization.
Operating system virtualization (containers)
Operating system virtualization refers to the creation of self-contained
representations (which go under the names of containers, virtual environments,
and virtual private servers) of the underlying operating system for the purpose
of providing applications in isolated execution environments. These virtual
environments do not interfere with each other and benefit systems which must
handle multiple users at one time. A popular example of the process of operating
system virtualization is the logout command; when one user logs out of the
system, it does not affect the rest of the users of the system.
Operating system virtualization is commonly utilized in hosting environments and
server consolidation. Hosting environments (for example, online e-mail and other
account-based systems) use virtual systems which contain multiple users that are
logged on at the same time. However, since the users require very few resources,
they are able to all log onto the system without exhausting it, and each user
does not interact with or see the resources of other users. Server consolidation
occurs when a new server has the ability to take on the jobs of several old
servers and thus combines all of the resources onto the new machine.
Hardware emulation
Hardware emulation consists of a computer hardware environment in software which
allows multiple operating systems (also known as containers) to be installed on
a single computer. Acting as a buffer in between the server hardware and the
operating system, the containers ‘emulate’ the features and properties of a
physical box so that you can have multiple virtual machines inside a single box
wherein each operating system has its own share of the overall server resources.
Paravirtualization
Paravirtuailzation is thin software layer that coordinates access from multiple
operating systems to the underlying hardware. A paravirtualization operating
system is designed to create an isolated execution environment for each virtual
machine, thereby minimizing overhead and optimizing virtualized system
performance.
Why Choose Server Virtualization?
Server virtualization’s overall benefit is its cost effectiveness. With server
virtualization, there is no need for multiple hardware resources which saves on
the cost of hardware components, physical space to store them and power
consumption required to operate. With a virtual infrastructure, there is a high
availability of accessible resources, improved disaster-recovery and better
management.
With the benefits that server virtualization has in improving efficiency and
reducing cost, it is advisable to engage IT consulting services that can aid
your business in adopting server virtualization for the smooth daily operation
of your enterprise. With proven success and expertise, LegaSystems can help you
benefit from the advantages of server virtualization.