What is virtualization?
What is virtualization?
Today, many companies are seeing their IT resource requirements evolve at breakneck speed. To remain successful, they need solutions to improve their agility and continue to meet the demands of their employees, customers and partners. Among the challenges they face: managing an ever larger and more complex IT infrastructure, and guaranteeing its efficiency.
Virtualization is a technology used to create a virtual version of physical equipment, such as a server or storage system, and thus better exploit the capabilities of each machine. How does it work? By running several virtual resources on the same physical infrastructure, as if they were each running on a separate entity.
It's easy to see how this solution can help optimize hardware use and better manage the maintenance costs of a company's IT system . Does the principle of dematerializing physical machines still seem too abstract? Let's take a closer look at what virtualization is, how it works, the benefits it offers and the tools you need to implement it in your organization.
Definition: what is virtualization?
The principle of virtualization
Virtualization is a technology which consists in recreating an object or resource (such as a server, an operating system or OS, an application, a network, etc.) in a virtual environment, identical to its physical version.
The role of virtualization
What's the purpose of virtualization? To run several systems on the same physical infrastructure, as if they were each running on their own machine. In this way, the use of a machine's physical resources is optimized: thanks to a virtualization layer, the capabilities of the hardware are fully exploited , resulting in gains in space, power, flexibility, availability and security.
Taking server virtualization as an example (although there are several types, as we'll see below), a single physical server can run several virtualized or digitized servers. For example, instead of using 15% of a physical machine's capacity, virtualized servers use almost 85%.
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The different types of virtualization
While server virtualization is the one we often talk about, there are others:
- operating system virtualization,
- desktop virtualization,
- application virtualization,
- storage virtualization,
- and even datacenter virtualization.
How does virtualization work?
Prerequisites
As we have already seen, virtualization enables several virtualized entities to share the resources of a physical machine. There are a number of prerequisites for this to work:
- each OS must operate independently and without interference from other instances ;
- each OS and its applications must operate transparently , maintaining the same behavior as if they were running on a physical infrastructure;
- all applications must be compatible with each other within the virtualized instance.
With this in mind, let's take a look at how virtualized environments are created from a single machine.
Virtual machine and virtualization layer
At the heart of virtualization lies the hypervisor. This is a software layer installed on the physical hardware that enables separate environments to be created and/or multiple applications to be run independently on the same machine. The task of this program is to manage all the virtualized environments thus set up on each machine. Like a monitor, it allocates to each virtual environment or virtual machine (VM) the necessary resources of the physical machine, such as memory or processor, for example.
Each virtual machine has its own operating system. Virtualization means that several VMs, and therefore several operating systems, can run simultaneously from the same physical infrastructure, boosting the efficiency of IT infrastructures.
Virtualization and cloud computing: what are the differences?
Virtualization should not be confused with cloud computing. While the two technologies can be complementary, they are not interchangeable.
Virtualization relies on software solutions to set up one or more virtual environments from a single physical infrastructure, making them independent of the physical machine.
Cloud computing is a system for sharing computing resources over a network, usually the Internet. It makes services (software, applications, data, etc.) or storage, network or computing devices available to users online, without the need to install hardware or software.
Thus, the cloud refers to a set of virtual resources accessible on demand to the user, regardless of location and often for a limited period of time, via subscription billing for example. SaaS (Software as a Service) is another category of cloud-based services.
The combination of these two technologies enables companies to increase the agility and availability of their resources.
But virtualization offers so much more! Let's take a look at the many benefits.
What are the benefits of virtualization?
Why use virtualization? As we mentioned earlier, virtualization helps you manage costs more effectively. But it doesn't stop there: virtualization offers real advantages for your company:
Space savings
As your business grows, so does the number of applications, workstations and serversyou need... Thanks to virtualization technology, several virtual servers can be used from a reduced number of physical servers: everything is more compact, and you save space.
Lower power consumption
With fewer energy-hungry physical servers running at the same time, power consumption is inevitably reduced. Data processing, storage and distribution: the needs and demands placed on servers are increasing. Before this technology, each server hosted a single application. With virtualization, server capacities and resources are better exploited, which also has a more positive ecological impact.
Cost savings
By consuming less energy, you also reduce your energy bill. What's more, you avoid having to acquire multiple new physical servers: this means less investment, but also lower installation, operating and maintenance costs.
Optimized resources
Workloads are better distributed: physical resources and bandwidth are required for users to access hosted applications. Their distribution is managed automatically between physical servers, optimizing the power allocated to each. Hardware capacities are better exploited, with up to 85% of physical server resources utilized, compared with 10-15% previously.
Better supervision
The centralization of IT resources enables simplified, centralized management of the IT estate, which can comprise up to several thousand virtual machines, depending on the size of the organization. The administrator has a precise overview of the servers or datacenters hosting the physical and virtual hardware, and can monitor them in real time. Any incidents can be detected and dealt with more quickly, improving the productivity of CIOs and IT departments.
Service continuity
Virtualization offers increased availability: migration or backup operations, for example, can be carried out while the system is in operation, without service interruption. What's more, disaster recovery planning (DRP) is simplified thanks to virtualization: as virtual machines operate independently of the physical infrastructure that hosts them, in the event of failure or shutdown of the physical server, they can be quickly transferred and restarted on another server. Continuity is assured, and end-user activities are not impacted.
Risk mitigation
Virtualization offers a higher level of security. Data backup is guaranteed in the event of an incident. What's more, the system itself is more reliable, and less exposed to the risk of breakdown or service interruption. Service hosted on a virtual machine offers high availability.
Flexible access
For users, applications and workstations can be accessed on the move, from any terminal, with no difference from one to the other.
Virtualization tools
If this list of benefits has piqued your interest, you're probably wondering how to implement virtualization. Which virtualization software should you choose? Here's a selection to help you make the right choice.
Citrix Virtual Apps and Desktops
Formerly known as XenApp & XenDesktop, Citrix Virtual Apps and Desktops is a virtualization solution that makes virtual applications and desktops available to users, regardless of the device used. The solution features a centralized management console for applications and desktops.
© citrix.com
Highlights include
- virtual applications compatible with Windows, Linux, Mac, Android and iOS devices,
- reduced desktop costs,
- smooth user experience thanks to HDX technology.
TS2log
TS2log is an economical and technological alternative to Citrix, and is particularly well-suited to small and medium-sized businesses, as well as software publishers, looking for efficiency gains. The solution offers multi-session, multi-user access to your Windows applications. It allows you to web-enable your applications at a lower cost, as you don't have to rewrite them.
TS2log
Its strengths include
- low licensing costs,
- rapid implementation,
- several editions available: PRINTER, Mobile, Gateway.
VMware vSphere
vSphere is a server virtualization platform from VMware. Aimed at larger organizations, this solution simplifies large-scale data center operations and management, and reduces the number of physical servers. Thanks to virtualization, you can reduce operating costs and capital expenditure.
© vmware.com
Its strengths include
- agile continuity implementation,
- an infrastructure compatible with hybrid cloud, multicloud and modern applications,
- the market-leading solution.
Harness the full potential of virtualization!
Virtualization is an increasingly popular technology for businesses of all sizes, as they strive for greater agility. This solution offers the possibility of simplifying IT operations, ensuring better business continuity and minimizing risks.
By now, you'll have familiarized yourself with the concept of virtualization, and better understood all the benefits this technology can bring to your organization. The implementation of this technology brings with it many promises, such as a considerable reduction in costs, to name but one.
Are you convinced by the many benefits of virtualization? Are you afraid to take the plunge? It may turn out to be simpler than it seems at first sight.
Virtualization solutions come in a variety of formats and options, depending on your organization's needs. Don't hesitate to contact the department that has caught your attention, to find out more about its solution and the offers it can provide to bring your project to fruition.
Ready to build a flexible, high-performance virtualized infrastructure?
Article translated from French