Types of

Virtualization
Type of Virtualization
Hardware Virtualization

Software Virtualization

Storage Virtualization

Desktop Virtualization

Container Virtualization
Hardware Virtualization
• Hardware virtualization involves creating
virtual machines (VMs) that mimic the
behavior of physical computers
• A hypervisor, also known as a virtual
machine monitor (VMM), is used to
manage and allocate hardware resources
to VMs
• Each VM runs its own operating system
and applications, independent of other
VMs on the same physical server
• Examples of hypervisors include VMware
vSphere, Microsoft Hyper-V, and KVM
(Kernel-based Virtual Machine)
Software Virtualization
• Software virtualization involves creating
virtual instances of software components,
such as applications, rather than entire
operating systems
• Software virtualization allows applications
to run in isolated environments,
eliminating compatibility issues and
conflicts
• Example: Citrix XenApp, Emulators
Storage Virtualization
• Storage virtualization abstracts physical
storage resources into logical pools, which
can be dynamically allocated and
managed.
• This centralized management simplifies
tasks such as provisioning storage
volumes, resizing volumes, and managing
data protection policies across multiple
storage devices.
• Example: VMware vSAN
Desktop Virtualization
• Desktop virtualization involves hosting
desktop environments on remote servers
and delivering them to end-user devices
over a network.
• It allows users to access their desktops and
applications from any device, enhancing
mobility and flexibility.
• Example: Remote Desktops
Network Virtualization
• Network functions virtualization replaces
the functionality provided by individual
hardware networking components.
• Load balancing, routing and firewall
security are all performed by software
instead of hardware components.
• Example: Remote Desktops
Containerization
• Containerization is a lightweight form of virtualization that allows
applications and their dependencies to be packaged into containers.
• Technologies like Docker and Kubernetes are widely used for
containerization and orchestration of containerized applications.
• A Docker image is a lightweight, standalone, and
executable software package that contains everything
needed to run an application, including the application
code, runtime, libraries, dependencies, and
configuration files. Docker images are built using
Dockerfiles, which are declarative configuration files
that specify the steps to build the image
Real Time Examples – Hardware
Virtualization
• Amazon EC2 utilizes a hypervisor, such as Xen or
Nitro, to create and manage virtual instances
(virtual machines or VMs) on physical servers
within AWS data centers.
• The hypervisor abstracts physical hardware
resources, such as CPU, memory, storage, and
networking, allowing multiple virtual instances to
run independently on the same physical server
• When a user launches an EC2 instance, they are
essentially provisioning a virtual server in the
AWS cloud. Each EC2 instance operates as an
independent virtual machine with its own virtual
CPU (vCPU), virtual memory (vRAM), virtual
disks, and virtual network interfaces
Real Time Examples – Application
Virtualization
• With AWS Lambda, developers upload their code
(functions) to the Lambda service without
needing to manage the underlying infrastructure.
Lambda automatically provisions and manages
the execution environment for each function.
• Each function runs in its own isolated
environment, similar to a container, but without
the need for developers to explicitly manage or
provision the underlying infrastructure
• AWS Lambda dynamically allocates resources
(such as CPU and memory) to each function
invocation based on the configured requirements
and workload demands
Lambda Overview
Real Time Examples – Storage
Virtualization
• Cloud providers offer object storage services such
as Amazon S3, Azure Blob Storage, and Google
Cloud Storage.
• Unlike traditional file-based storage systems,
object storage does not organize data in a
hierarchical file structure. Each object is stored as
a unique entity with its own metadata and a
unique identifier (key)
• Object storage abstracts underlying storage
infrastructure and presents storage resources as
objects with unique identifiers (keys)
• Users can store and retrieve objects
programmatically through APIs, without needing
to manage the underlying storage infrastructure.
S3 Object Overview
Real Time Examples – Network
Virtualization
• Amazon Virtual Private Cloud (VPC) is a service
that allows users to create isolated virtual
networks within the AWS cloud
• Users can define their own IP address range,
subnets, route tables, and network access control
policies for their VPC
• VPC enables segmentation of network resources,
isolation of workloads, and control over network
traffic, providing a secure and customizable
network environment in the cloud
• Azure Virtual Network (VNet) is another
noteworthy service that enables users to create
private, isolated networks within the Microsoft
Azure cloud.
Real Time Examples – Desktop
Virtualization
• Amazon Workspaces is a cloud-based
desktop virtualization service
• It allows organizations to provision and
manage virtual desktop environments in the
cloud and provide users with access to these
desktops from any supported device,
including laptops, tablets, and thin clients
• Amazon Workspaces provides built-in
security features to help protect desktop
environments and data
• Organizations can quickly add or remove
Workspaces to accommodate changes in
workforce size or workload requirements
 Benefits of Virtualization

Optimized Resource Utilization Cost Improved

Saving Scalability
Virtualization allows for By consolidating Organizations can
better utilization of workloads onto fewer easily provision or de-
physical hardware physical servers, provision virtual
resources by running organizations can reduce machines and
multiple virtual hardware acquisition, resources as needed,
machines (VMs) on a maintenance, and energy without the
single physical server. costs constraints of
physical hardware
Benefits of Virtualization

Live Migration High Availability and recovery Faster Deployment and Provisioning

The ability to move running Virtualized environments Virtualization accelerates

VMs between physical can be replicated and the deployment and
hosts without interrupting backed up more easily provisioning of new
service, enabling workload compared to physical servers, applications, or
balancing, maintenance, infrastructure services by eliminating
and disaster recovery the need for physical
hardware procurement
and setup
Virtualization Tools