Cloud Virtualization

What is cloud virtualization?

Cloud virtualization is the process of creating virtual instances of cloud resources such as operating system (OS) and storage space.

Virtualization partitions available resources into multiple isolated instances that run in parallel, asynchronously, providing high efficiency and performance. It involves creating virtual machines (VM), virtualizations of physical machines with their own computing resources such as memory, OS, and CPU.

An example of virtualization is a virtual private cloud (VPC), which involves creating a virtual cloud environment within a public cloud.

Cloud virtualization supports multi-tenancy, allowing multiple clients to use the same physical resources through logical separation. The isolation of different VMs helps ensure security as it prevents attacks on one instance from affecting others.

Since cloud virtualization involves virtual machines that are abstracted from physical devices, it provides global access, allowing users with an internet connection to access the VMs from anywhere around the world. 

Types of cloud virtualization

There are different types of cloud virtualizations based on the type of resource being virtualized. Some of them are:

• Server virtualization: Server virtualization is one of the most common forms of virtualization where multiple VMs or servers are created on a single system. Each VM has its own operating system and apps. 
• Storage virtualization: In this type of virtualization, all storage resources like hard drives and arrays are collated into one storage pool. Then, storage is allocated to applications or VMs based on requirements. This helps optimal utilization of storage capacity.
• Network virtualization: This virtualizes networks to create multiple abstract networks that various applications and systems can use.

Benefits of using cloud virtualization

Cloud virtualization enables the most effective utilization of resources and creates very efficient IT landscapes. Some key benefits are:

• Resource utilization: Virtualization helps maximize resource utilization by dividing a single resource, like a server, into multiple virtual resources that the applications can utilize separately. This prevents over provisioning and makes disaster recovery easier, availability higher, and maintenance easier. 
• Cost savings: Since virtualization creates multiple virtual resources from single physical resources, it reduces the number of physical servers. This helps cut down the investment in hardware and maintenance costs.
• Scalability: The ability to create multiple resources from a smaller number of underlying resources helps scale the system by adding a few resources.
• Security: Virtualization provides isolation between different environments. This reduces the surface area of attack as a breach in one of the VMs does not easily spread to other isolated VMs.
• Faster testing and deployment: With multiple separate environments, it is easier to provision separate environments for testing and deployments so that one does not have to wait for another.
• Availability: The VMs can be easily moved between different physical machines, enabling easier maintenance and migration activities. This also helps in better disaster management. 

Basic elements of cloud virtualization

The basic components elements of virtualization include: 

• Virtual machine (VM): VMs emulate physical machines with their own OS, storage, and CPU. Multiple VMs can be hosted on a single server through virtualization.
• Hypervisor: This is a layer of software that helps create virtualization for VMs by helping allocate the resources required to run the virtual environments.
• Resource pooling: This is the process of pooling all system resources, such as storage and CPU, so they can be allocated to the VM when requested.

Cloud virtualization best practices

To make the most of cloud virtualization, users can follow these best practices:

• Define clear objectives: Users must first evaluate the purpose of cloud virtualization for their organization. For example, it could be cost savings, agility, security, or resource management.
• Identify workloads: Identify which workloads qualify for virtualization based on business needs and technical requirements and those unsuitable for virtualization. 
• Pilot project: It is better to first do a pilot project to ensure virtualization is helping reach the goals that they initially set out to achieve. 
• Security: Users must have the right security measures in place since security challenges increase as the system's complexity increases.

Cloud virtualization vs. containerization

Containerization is similar to cloud virtualization as containerization packages applications in isolated instances and enables them to run independently in units called containers. However, they are more lightweight compared to VMs as they use the host's OS, while VMs have their own OS.

Learn more about network virtualization and how it can strengthen business networks.