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As time goes on, technologies evolve and the market becomes more competitive. That is why companies are looking for solutions increasingly dynamic and cheap for solving problems. IT is no different. Virtualization came precisely from this move of companies and professionals to better leverage their almost often underutilized hardware and software resources, generating waste for the company in many respects, including adherence to the principles of “green IT.” Virtualization has also come to facilitate the daily activities of professionals and bring flexibility to conduct simulations and tests of the most varied types.
If you want to understand basic concepts about virtualization, continue reading this content, which brings concept, benefits and main types of virtualization that can be applied by people and technology professionals in their daily activities.
What is virtualization?
In the mid-1990s, organizations began to understand that not all physical hardware used had their full potential explored. Some applications, for example, could only be used in a particular type of hardware or operating system, causing the company to invest in specific server structures to meet each demand.
In this way, virtualization emerged as a solution to some problems: companies could partition a particular hardware to run two or more different applications or operating systems and thus achieve greater efficiency through the reduction of costs associated with the acquisition of equipment and the entire infrastructure required for the maintenance of datacenters.
In a simple language: If your company has payroll management software that requires the Windows 7 operating system and other inventory management software that needs a Linux operating system distribution. Without a virtualization solution it would be necessary to use two servers for each OS. Using a virtualized environment, it would be possible to install both Linux and Windows operating systems on the same hardware together with their respective applications. Virtualization then comes with the intention of simulating hardware, through software.
Benefits of virtualization
As mentioned,virtualization enables better use of physical resources, which leads to increased agility and allows IT flexibilization and scaling. So, it is possible to reduce operating expenses, as well as maintenance and acquisition of physical hardware.
Virtualization enables hardware partitioning, enabling multiple operating systems to run on a physical machine, dividing system resources between virtual machines (VMs). It also provides fault isolation and hardware-level security while preserving its performance through advanced resource controls. It also allows the recording in files of the integral state of the VM, guaranteeing facility to move and copy them to any other physical server.
Using fewer devices, data center management becomes much more practical and simpler, and can be all software-defined. This makes it easier to maintain data security and disaster prevention as information can be easily transported from one application to another. In this way, the organization itself has the possibility to grow in a sustainable way, achieving more productivity and efficiency, not only in the IT response capacity, but in all areas.
Another important point in the service virtualization process is the alignment with concepts associated with “Green IT”, which is a worldwide trend focused on reducing the impact of technological resources on the environment. One of the main benefits associated with virtualizationis the reduction of the technological structure, reflecting in less energy consumption, also generating less volume of technological waste, destined for recycling.
The main types of virtualization
Operating System Virtualization
Virtualization can be used in a variety of ways and purposes. One of the best-known ways is the virtualization of operating systems, which is done directly in the kernel, the central task manager of operating systems.
This is a great solution for running parallel Linux and Windows-based environments, for example, reducing hardware costs and time spent updating software on multiple machines, and significantly increasing security, since virtual instances can be monitored and isolated.
Desktop Virtualization
Another option is desktop virtualization, which allows a central administrator (or automated administration tool) to deploy simulated desktop environments across hundreds of physical machines at once. In this way, instead of being required to install, configure and update desktops on each machine, virtualization enables mass replication, with the process being performed only once.
Network Virtualization
Network Function Virtualization (NFV) enables full replication of a physical network within software, with the same services and logical devices found in a traditional network system: logic gates, switches, routers, firewalls, load balancers, VPNs and others.
This enables you to reduce the number of physical components such as switches, routers, servers, cables, and hubs that would be needed to create multiple independent networks. Thus, the IT manager gets the same resources and guarantees of a physical network, but with all the operational benefits and hardware independence of virtualization.
Server Virtualization
This is the most common type implemented by technology analysts because it ensures better utilization of a physical server. Since most of them operate at less than 15 percent capacity, virtualization enables the deployment of a software-based technology that enables multiple different operating systems to run on a single host.
Therefore, several virtual machines are installed inside the server, which will use a fraction of this processing capacity to execute specific applications, and may have different purposes.
Instead of having a web server, an e-mail server and an internal legacy application, using separate physical servers and consuming 20% of each hardware, with virtualizationit is possible to place all three types on a single machine, processing.
The future of this technology
Virtualization has already been widely used by companies of all sizes and sectors around the world. In addition, other ways of virtualization based on hardware, other than those cited, are beginning to become popular. Virtualization of applications and presentations are examples that are gaining strength, especially with the facilities promoted by cloud computing.
Keep reading our contents and in case of doubts about virtualization feel free to make contact with one of our specialists.
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