Module-2

Topics: Basics of Virtualization - Types of Virtualization - Implementation Levels of

Virtualization -Virtualization Structures - Tools and Mechanisms - Virtualization of CPU,
Memory, I/O Devices - Virtual Clusters and Resource management

Basics of Virtualization:

● Virtualization is the "creation of a virtual (rather than actual) version

of something, such as a server, a desktop, a storage device, an
operating system or network resources".
● Virtualization is a technique, which allows the sharing of a single
physical instance of a resource or an application among multiple
customers and organizations. It does this by assigning a logical name
to a physical storage and providing a pointer to that physical resource
when demanded.

What is the concept behind Virtualization?

 Creation of a virtual machine over existing operating systems and

hardware is known as Hardware Virtualization. A Virtual machine
provides an environment that is logically separated from the
underlying hardware.
 The machine on which the virtual machine is going to be created is
known as the Host Machine and that virtual machine is referred to as
a Guest Machine.

Types of Virtualization:

1. Server Virtualization:

● Server virtualization is the most common form of virtualization.

● When the virtual machine software or virtual machine manager

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 (VMM) is directly installed on the Server system is known as server
virtualization.
● It involves dividing a physical server into multiple virtual machines
(VMs).
● Each VM operates as an independent server with its own operating
system and applications, running on the same physical hardware.
● Server virtualization allows better utilization of server resources,
reduces hardware costs, and provides isolation between VMs.
2. Desktop Virtualization:

● Desktop virtualization allows multiple virtual desktop instances to run

on a single physical desktop or server.
● Users can access their virtual desktops remotely from different
devices, providing f exibility and central management.
● This form of virtualization is useful in situations where users need
different desktop environments for specific tasks or operating
systems.
3. Application Virtualization:

● Application virtualization separates applications from the underlying

operating system and encapsulates them into isolated packages or
containers.
● Virtualized applications can run on different operating systems
without conflicts, simplifying application deployment and reducing
compatibility issues.

4. Storage Virtualization:

● Storage virtualization is the process of grouping the physical storage

from multiple network storage devices so that it looks like a single
storage device.
● Storage virtualization abstracts physical storage resources from
multiple storage devices into a single virtual storage pool.
● It enables centralized management, dynamic allocation of storage,
and expansion without affecting existing applications.

5. Network Virtualization:

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 ● Network virtualization allows the creation of virtual networks that
operate independently of the physical network infrastructure.
● Virtual networks provide isolation, segmentation, and enhanced
security, enabling flexible network configurations without changing
the physical setup.
6. Operating System Virtualization (Containerization):

● When the virtual machine software or virtual machine manager

(VMM) is installed on the Host operating system instead of directly on
the hardware system is known as operating system virtualization.
● Operating system virtualization, also known as containerization,
allows multiple isolated containers to share the same OS kernel.
● Containers offer a lightweight alternative to traditional VMs,
enabling faster startup times and efficient resource usage.

Benefits of Virtualization

● More flexible and efficient allocation of resources.

● Enhance development productivity.

● It lowers the cost of IT infrastructure.

● Remote access and rapid scalability.

● High availability and disaster recovery.

● Pay per use of the IT infrastructure on demand.

● Enables running multiple operating systems.

Implementation Levels of Virtualization:

● Virtualization can be implemented at multiple levels within an IT
environment, depending on the scope and granularity of
virtualization.

● The different implementation levels offer varying degrees of

isolation, f l exibility, and resource optimization.

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The common levels of virtualization:

1. Hardware-Level Virtualization (Full Virtualization):

● At the hardware level, virtualization is achieved through a hypervisor,

also known as a virtual machine monitor (VMM), which directly
interacts with the physical hardware.
● The hypervisor creates and manages multiple virtual machines
(VMs), each running its own operating system and applications.
● Examples of hypervisors for hardware-level virtualization include
VMware vSphere/ESXi, Microsoft Hyper-V, and KVM.
2. Operating System-Level Virtualization (Containerization):

● Operating system-level virtualization involves abstracting the

operating system, allowing multiple isolated containers to share the
same OS kernel.
● Containers offer a lightweight and efficient alternative to full VMs,
as they share the host OS's resources and do not require a separate
OS for each container.
● Containerization platforms like Docker and Kubernetes are popular
for this level of virtualization.
3. Application-Level Virtualization:

● Application-level virtualization encapsulates applications and their

dependencies into isolated packages or containers.
● Unlike operating system-level containers, application-level
virtualization packages only the necessary application components,
making them more lightweight and portable.
● Examples of application-level virtualization solutions include
VMware ThinApp and Microsoft App-V.

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4. Storage Virtualization:

● Storage virtualization abstracts physical storage resources from

multiple storage devices into a single virtual storage pool.
● It enables centralized management and exible allocation of storage
resources, providing expansion and improved storage utilization.
● Storage virtualization technologies include software-de ned storage
(SDS) solutions like VMware vSAN and storage virtualization
appliances.
5. Network Virtualization:

● Network virtualization abstracts network resources, such as switches,

routers, and rewalls, from the underlying physical network
infrastructure.
● Virtual networks can be created and managed independently of the
physical network, offering greater exibility and isolation.
● Popular network virtualization solutions include VMware NSX and
Cisco ACI (Application Centric Infrastructure).

Virtualization Structures:
● Virtualization structures refer to the different ways virtualization
can be organised and deployed within an IT environment.These
structures determine how virtual resources are managed, accessed,
and utilised.
The common virtualization structures:

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1. Single Host Virtualization:

● In this structure, virtualization is implemented on a single physical

host (server or desktop).
● A hypervisor is installed directly on the physical hardware, creating
multiple virtual machines (VMs) that share the host's resources.
● This structure is suitable for small-scale deployments or
development/testing environments.
2. Clustered Virtualization:

● Clustered virtualization involves multiple physical hosts forming a

cluster to work together and pool their resources.
● A shared storage system is used to store VM images, allowing VMs
to move freely between cluster nodes (hosts) for load balancing or
fault tolerance.
● Clustered virtualization provides high availability and improves
resource utilization across the cluster.

3. Data Center Virtualization:

● Data centre virtualization encompasses virtualization across an
entire data centre infrastructure.
● It includes server virtualization, storage virtualization, network
virtualization, and other virtualization technologies.
● The goal is to optimise data centre resources, streamline
management, and increase overall efficiency.

4. Cloud Computing:

● Cloud computing is a broad virtualization structure that involves

delivering IT resources and services over the internet.
● It includes public clouds, private clouds, and hybrid clouds, where
virtualized resources are dynamically allocated to users on-demand.
● Cloud computing offers scalability, flexibility, and cost-efficiency.
5. Nested Virtualization:

● Nested virtualization allows running virtual machines within

virtual machines.
● It is commonly used for testing and development purposes, where

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 VMs can be created within VMs to simulate complex environments.

6. Distributed Virtualization:

● Distributed virtualization involves virtualizing resources across

multiple physical locations or data centres.
● It provides redundancy, disaster recovery capabilities, and the ability
to scale resources geographically.

7. Desktop Virtualization Infrastructure (VDI):

● VDI is a virtualization structure that provides virtual desktops to

end-users.
● It centralizes desktop management and allows users to access their
virtual desktops from various devices.

8. Virtualized Network Functions (VNFs):

● VNFs are virtualized network services, such as rewalls, routers,

and load balancers, deployed on virtual machines or containers.
● They offer exibility and scalability in network management.

Virtualization Tools and Mechanisms:

● In the context of virtualization and cloud computing, there are
various tools and mechanisms available to implement and manage
virtualized environments efficiently.
● These tools and mechanisms help organizations deploy, monitor,
and optimise virtual resources.

1. Hypervisors:

● Hypervisors are essential software tools that enable hardware-level

virtualization.
● They create and manage virtual machines (VMs) on a physical host,
allowing multiple operating systems to run independently on the same
hardware.
● E amples: VMware vSphere/ESXi, Microsoft Hyper-V, KVM, Xen.

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2. Containers:

● Containers are lightweight and portable units of software that

package applications and their dependencies.
● They run on a shared operating system, providing an efficient
alternative to full virtual machines.
● E amples: Docker, Kubernetes (for container orchestration).

3. Cloud Management Platforms (CMPs):

● CMPs help organizations manage cloud infrastructure and

resources effectively.
● They provide a centralized dashboard for provisioning, monitoring,
and scaling virtual machines and cloud services.
● Examples: VMware vRealize Suite, OpenStack, Azure Resource
Manager, AWS Management Console.
4. Orchestration and Automation Tools:

● Orchestration tools automate the deployment, con guration, and

management of complex applications and services in virtualized and
cloud environments.
● Examples: Ansible, Puppet, Chef, Terraform.
5. Monitoring and Performance Management:

● These tools monitor the performance and health of virtualized

resources, providing insights into resource utilization, bottlenecks,
and capacity planning.
● Examples: Nagios, Zabbix, Prometheus, Grafana.
6. Backup and Disaster Recovery:

● Backup and disaster recovery tools protect virtual machines and data
by creating backups and facilitating restoration in case of data loss or
system failures.
● Examples: Veeam Backup & Replication, Commvault, Acronis.
7. Virtual Desktop Infrastructure (VDI) Solutions:

● VDI solutions deliver virtual desktops to end-users, providing a

centralized management approach for desktops and applications.
● Examples: VMware Horizon, Citrix Virtual Apps and Desktops,

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 Microsoft Remote Desktop Services (RDS).
8. Software-Defined Networking (SDN):

● SDN separates the network control plane from the data plane,
enabling programmable and centralized network management in
virtualized environments.
● Examples: VMware NSX, Cisco ACI, OpenFlow.

These tools and mechanisms form the foundation for efficient virtualization
and cloud computing environments. They help organizations achieve
resource optimization, automation, and streamlined management,
empowering them to scale their IT infrastructures to meet evolving
business needs. The choice of specific tools depends on factors such as the
virtualization platform, cloud provider, organizational requirements, and
budget constraints.

Virtualization of CPU:
● Virtualization of the CPU (Central Processing Unit) is a key aspect
of hardware-level virtualization.
● It involves creating multiple virtual machines (VMs), each with its
own operating system, running on a single physical CPU.
● The hypervisor, also known as the virtual machine monitor (VMM),
manages the virtualization process and ensures isolation between
VMs.
Block diagram illustrating the virtualization of CPU:

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1. Physical CPU:
● The physical CPU is the hardware processor on the physical host
machine.
● It executes instructions and processes data for all the virtual
machines running on the host.
2. Hypervisor (Virtual Machine Monitor - VMM):
● The hypervisor is a software layer that sits directly on the physical
CPU and manages virtualization.
● It creates and manages multiple virtual machines (VMs) and
abstracts the underlying physical resources.
3. Virtual Machines (VMs):
● Each VM represents an independent virtualized environment with its
own operating system (Guest OS) and applications.
● VMs run concurrently on the same physical CPU, isolated from each
other.
4. Guest OS: The Guest OS runs within each virtual machine, providing a
complete operating system environment for the applications running in the
VM.
Through CPU virtualization, multiple VMs can share the same physical
CPU, providing efficient resource utilization and isolation between
workloads. This enables the consolidation of multiple independent systems
onto a single physical server, reducing hardware costs and simplifying
management in virtualized environments.

Virtualization of Memory:
● Virtualization of memory is a critical aspect of hardware-level
virtualization. It involves creating multiple virtual machines (VMs),
each with its own isolated memory space, running on a single
physical memory system.
● The hypervisor, or virtual machine monitor (VMM), manages
memory virtualization, ensuring memory isolation and efficient
allocation of resources.

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Block diagram illustrating the virtualization of memory:

1. Physical Memory:
● Physical memory refers to the actual RAM installed on the physical host
machine.
● It is the hardware memory accessible by the physical CPU and stores
data and instructions.
2. Hypervisor (Virtual Machine Monitor - VMM):
● The hypervisor manages memory virtualization and allocates portions of
physical memory to each virtual machine.
● It ensures memory isolation between VMs, preventing one VM from
accessing the memory space of another.
3. Virtual Machines (VMs):
● Each VM represents an independent virtualized environment with its own
guest operating system (Guest OS) and applications.
● VMs have their separate memory spaces, which are isolated from each
other.
4. Guest OS:
● The Guest OS runs within each virtual machine and manages the
virtualized memory space allocated to the VM.
● It interacts with the virtual memory space as if it were the actual physical
memory, unaware of the underlying hardware abstraction.
5. Virtual Memory Space (VM 1, VM 2, etc.):
● Each VM has its own virtual memory space, which is mapped to the physical
memory by the hypervisor.
● Virtual memory space provides an illusion to the Guest OS that it has
dedicated and contiguous memory, despite sharing physical memory with
other VMs.
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Memory virtualization allows multiple VMs to share the same physical memory,
enabling efficient utilization of memory resources and better scalability in
virtualized environments. It enables the consolidation of multiple independent
systems onto a single physical server, contributing to cost savings and improved
resource management.

Virtualization of I/O Device:

● Virtualization of I/O (Input/Output) devices is a critical aspect of
hardware-level virtualization.
● It involves sharing and managing access to physical I/O devices among
multiple virtual machines (VMs) running on a single physical host.
● The hypervisor, or virtual machine monitor (VMM), plays a crucial role in
I/O virtualization, ensuring proper device allocation and isolation.
Block diagram illustrating the virtualization of I/O devices:

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1. Physical I/O Devices:

● Physical I/O devices represent the actual hardware devices, such as

network interface cards (NICs), disk drives, and graphics cards,
installed on the physical host machine.
● These devices perform input/output operations and connect the host
to external networks, storage, and peripherals.
2. Hypervisor (Virtual Machine Monitor - VMM):

● The hypervisor manages I/O virtualization and controls access to

physical I/O devices by virtual machines.
● It provides a virtualization layer that intercepts I/O requests from
VMs and maps them to the appropriate physical devices.
3. Virtual Machines (VMs):

● Each VM represents an independent virtualized environment with its

own guest operating system (Guest OS) and applications.
● VMs share the physical I/O devices but are isolated from each
other.

4. Guest OS:

● The Guest OS runs within each virtual machine and handles I/O
requests from applications within the VM.
● It interacts with the virtual I/O devices as if they were dedicated
physical devices, unaware of the underlying hardware abstraction.
5. I/O Virtualization Layer:

● The I/O virtualization layer within the hypervisor is responsible for

mediating the communication between VMs and physical I/O devices.
● It performs device emulation, virtual device assignment, and I/O
request routing to ensure proper device access and isolation.
6. Virtual I/O Devices (VM 1, VM 2, etc.):

● Each VM has its virtual I/O devices, which are mapped by the
hypervisor to the appropriate physical I/O devices.
● Virtual I/O devices allow VMs to interact with the physical I/O
devices transparently as if they had exclusive access

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I/O virtualization allows multiple VMs to share the same physical I/O
device, enabling efficient resource utilization and better scalability in
virtualized environments. It plays a crucial role in providing a and isolated
I/O experience for each virtual machine while maximising the hardware
utilization of the physical host.

Virtualization Support:

● Virtualization support refers to the capabilities and features provided

by hardware, operating systems, and software to enable
virtualization technologies.
● It encompasses the level of support for virtualization at different
layers of the IT infrastructure.

Key aspects of virtualization support:

1. Hardware Virtualization Support:

● Many modern CPUs come with hardware-assisted virtualization

support, such as Intel's VT-x (Virtualization Technology) and AMD's
AMD-V (AMD Virtualization).
● Hardware virtualization support provides CPU instructions and
features that improve the performance and efficiency of virtual
machines, allowing them to run more efficiently.
2. Hypervisor Support:

● Hypervisors, also known as virtual machine monitors (VMMs),

require support from the underlying hardware to effectively manage
virtual machines.
● Hardware virtualization extensions enable the hypervisor to
efficiently create, run, and manage virtual machines, improving
performance and resource utilization.
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3. Operating System Support:

● Operating systems need to be compatible with virtualization

technologies to function effectively as guest operating systems on
virtual machines.
● Support for virtualization includes optimised drivers, support for
virtualized hardware, and features to improve performance within
VMs.
5. I/O Virtualization Support:

● I/O virtualization requires support from hardware and software to

efficiently share physical I/O devices among multiple virtual
machines.
● It involves technologies like virtual NIC (Network Interface Card)
and virtual disk controllers to provide isolation and performance for
VMs.
6. Memory Virtualization Support:

● Memory virtualization requires support from hardware and

hypervisor to allocate and manage memory resources for virtual
machines.
● Memory management features like page sharing, memory
ballooning, and transparent page sharing help improve memory
utilization within VMs.

7. Cloud Integration Support:

● Virtualization technologies are closely integrated with cloud

computing platforms.
● Cloud providers offer virtualization support through APIs
(Application Programming Interfaces) that allow users to deploy and
manage virtual machines in the cloud.
Virtualization support is crucial for the successful implementation and
operation of virtualized environments. It ensures that hardware, operating
systems, and software working together to provide efficient, scalable, and
reliable virtualization solutions. The level of virtualization support varies
based on the specific virtualization platform, hardware architecture, and
the virtualization technology used.

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