Virtualization is the use of virtual hardware platforms as a replacement for physical ones. Virtual servers, desktops, storage devices and other computing resources are created using virtualization software. This software creates a virtual machine (VM), which behaves identically to a physical machine running software on its own underlying hardware. For the user, a major goal of virtualization is that it is indistinguishable from working on a physical computer. For the IT manager, the goals of virtualization are many, including simplified management, better scalability and lower operational costs.
Virtualization provides flexibility that physical hardware is unable to offer. A single computer running virtualization hardware can emulate multiple virtual machines simultaneously, each completely independent from the other. For example, a Windows server can run a dozen VMs at once — some Windows and some various distributions of open source platforms like Linux. Users interacting with one VM are oblivious to those on the other VMs. One of the key advantages of this strategy is that it allows the enterprise to host multiple types of disparate workloads on a single server instead of twelve different devices.
While virtualization is useful in a simple on-premises environment like this one, virtualization technology has become inextricably linked to the cloud, where virtual machines can be deployed on a massive scale and managed centrally. Most modern web and app platforms work on large-scale virtual environments, sometimes with thousands of VMs running at once. Operating a virtual environment at this scale requires significant attention to VM management and ample experience at working with the chosen cloud platform.
In this article, we’ll explore virtualization technology in more detail, including the various types of virtualization, key virtualization tools and platforms on the market and best practices for getting started.
What Is Virtualization | Contents
What are the different types of virtualization?
What is virtualization in cloud computing?
What are the benefits of virtualization?
What are the challenges of virtualization?
How do you get started implementing virtualization?
What are some virtualization platforms and solutions?
What are some best practices around virtualization?
What is the future of virtualization?
The Bottom Line: Virtualization has become a core enterprise technology
We can think of virtualization as a type of simulator. Special virtualization software is designed to create a virtual computer known as a virtual machine that mimics the operation of a real computer — operating system, applications and all. The software that creates the virtual machine is known as a hypervisor. A hypervisor can run multiple virtual machines on a single host, each with a different virtual operating system and different applications.
Because a single hypervisor is likely to run multiple VMs, performance can often be considerably slower, making management software critical. As such, virtualization is often used for applications where performance is not critical. But since virtualization offers myriad benefits in relation to costs, flexibility and security, its assets often far outweigh the drawbacks.
There are several types of virtualization in use, including (but not limited to):
Types of virtualization include server, desktop, storage, network and application virtualization.
Cloud computing simply would not exist without virtualization. The two technologies are inextricably connected, and cloud computing — including hybrid cloud — relies completely on virtualization technology to function. Cloud computing providers implement virtualization in the form of a variety of “as a service” offerings. At a consumer level, millions of users interact with virtual servers directly via tools such as web-based email or online file storage systems. At the enterprise level, cloud computing also relies heavily on virtual servers. Virtual web servers power websites and virtual application servers run mobile apps, e-commerce systems and other enterprise workloads.
These cloud-based services are vital for businesses because they give them the flexibility to automate processors and meet changing demand. Virtual servers can be “spun up” on a moment’s notice and quickly shut down when that demand fades. This allows businesses to keep availability high — and customers happy — without having to keep a phalanx of physical servers and other physical resources running, which is expensive and difficult to manage.
Virtualization technology offers myriad benefits, including:
For those new to the technology, virtualization can come with its share of challenges, including:
Follow these steps to get started implementing virtualization.
Getting started with virtualization requires a willingness to experiment as well as implementing a management tool to help you grow your environment.
In addition to software-based solutions, every major cloud service provider offers a virtualization platform. Here are some of the major players in the market.
While virtualization offers immense amounts of value to the enterprise, it can be complex to implement and manage. Here are some best practices for getting the most out of the technology.
With some 92 percent of businesses already using server virtualization, the technology isn’t going anywhere — in fact, adoption only continues to rise. One analyst pegs the market growth rate at 11.5% over the next 5 years, reaching $120 billion by 2026, and all forms of virtualization technology are seeing increased adoption. In the next few years, we’re likely to see application and network virtualization significantly take off in popularity.
Meanwhile, as the virtual market continues to grow, many vendors will offer a path to transition to containers, as evidenced by the rapid expansion and adoption of Kubernetes over the last five years. Currently, numerous vendors have growth strategies for enabling customers to take advantage of the scale and agility of containers along with VMs.
Virtualization technology will continue to become easier to use and more powerful as cloud services increasingly roll out low-code and no-code solutions that make it simpler for less technical users to create and manage virtual machines. Looking ahead, virtualization technology —– especially server virtualization —– appears to be headed toward commodity status as the differences among service providers continue to blur.
It’s difficult to imagine an operating modern enterprise that doesn’t rely on virtualization technology to some degree. By removing the need for specific hardware, virtualization has created a more even playing field that gives organizations of all sizes access to computing resources when and where they are needed — all at a much lower cost than operating a traditional data server environment.