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A Brief Introduction to Virtualization and Its Benefits Virtualization – sometimes referred to as server consolidation – is achieved by providing software applications with a logical view of a computer’s hardware as opposed to a physical view. In the modern form of virtualization, software is used to create “virtual machines” on the target computer. There are various virtualization software products that are currently available including VMWare, Parallels, Windows Virtual Server, Sun xVM, HyperVM, VirtualBox, etc.

Virtualization is not exactly a new technology. Many have credited Sun Microsystems as the initiators of virtualization software since they created the Java virtual machine (JVM). Others claim that virtualization is descendent from disk partitioning, which is basically the process of dividing a computer’s disk space into several logical partitions in which different operating systems can be installed.

Either way you look at it, virtualization now affords the user many tangible and intangible benefits. As more new vendors enter the virtualization market, boundaries of what can be achieved with virtualization are being pushed further and further. The main benefits of virtualization are outlined below.

1. Cost Benefits
Using one virtual machine means you have used one less computer or server than you would have without virtualization. The cost benefit is thus two-fold: not having to buy extra machines, and not having to pay for the space taken up by those extra machines. The cost benefit accruing from saving space is most apparent to companies that use several server rooms for their servers.

2. Energy Efficiency
This advantage stems from the one above – fewer computers or servers means less energy consumption. Virtualization has thus become one of the biggest talking points whenever environmentally friendly computer technologies are discussed. It is no secret that man-made greenhouse gas emissions, such as those from computer use, contribute greatly to global warming. Therefore, by using virtual machines, you are doing your part in the fight against the depletion of the ozone layer.

3. Multiple Operating Systems on One Computer
Virtualization allows for the installation of several different operating systems on a single computer. The use of virtualization even enables you to install a Mac operating system on hardware that would normally not support it. This comes in handy for software developers who often have to test their software on different hardware-operating system combinations.

4. Easier Server Management
For a systems administrator, virtualization results in less hardware to worry about. The software administrator can thus concentrate on managing the software applications that are crucial for the organization. In extreme cases, different crucial applications may be installed in their own virtual machines to ensure lack of interference between them when an application is changed or updated.

Research has shown that about 70% of IT departments around the world have already taken up virtualization. Though most of the virtualization software is not available for free, the benefits that a company stands to reap from virtualization far outweigh the cost of purchasing such software. It is a worthy investment that not only saves you money, but also saves our world.

Understanding Virtual Private Servers Virtual Private Servers (VPS) are partitions created on a physical server that act as if they were independent servers. Even though these server instances are dedicated to an individual user, they actually share a common hardware platform with other users. This concept has been deployed for years in the mainframe and storage environments and is currently making inroads into the web hosting market as well. It is fast becoming an attractive alternative to dedicated servers since it allows each client to run their own instance of an operating system and applications without impacting other users sharing the same physical hardware. Certain deployments of this technology actually allow these virtual private servers to be rebooted individually without affecting applications running on other partitions.

There are really two ways to accomplish this virtualization, through software or by directly partitioning the hardware. Partitioning the hardware guarantees access to discreet physical components such as memory and I/O, but has a less flexible adjustment to these resources than with a software partitioning. The advantage to hardware partitioned virtual private servers is the assurance that other partitions cannot affect performance of each other and are safe from “quality of service” impacts. This type of hardware partitioning is typically found in larger commercial applications where the chance of applications affecting each other has to be eliminated. The disadvantage is that since these hardware partitions are fairly inflexible and have to be created at boot up, there is little adjustment to individual partitions without a reboot of the virtual machine.

Software partitioning by contrast is very flexible and individual partitions can be modified more easily to improve performance as an applications needs change. Even though this version of a virtual private server shares the same kernel with other partitions, it offers greater control over the modification of resources in any of the individual partitions. Software partitioning is more commonly used in web hosting applications where a large amount of clients can share the same physical hardware.

The overwhelming advantage of virtual private servers is that they give the clients all of the benefits of a dedicated host, but at a much lower cost since they are actually controlling a virtual partition of a shared hardware platform with other clients. The ability to allow several clients to share the same physical hardware while each having control over their own virtual machine dramatically lowers the cost of the hosting service. VPS effectively bridges the gap between shared hosting and dedicated hosting because it gives each user the ability to control their own virtual machine. It allows them to load any application they choose and actually boot different operating systems on their partition. This allows for maximum flexibility while lowering the cost significantly since they are all sharing the same hardware. This is fast becoming the method of choice for hosting companies since it allows the host to maximize their investment in hardware by sharing it among a group of clients and assuring them a given quality of service that will not be impacted by other clients sharing the same hardware.

Parallels Virtuozzo Parallels Virtuozzo software for VPS hosting management.

Start/Stop/Reboot Container Control containers with Start, Stop, Fast Stop and Restart functions
Container Services Management Manage container services and processes such as stopping an unresponsive task or restarting a service Container Resource Monitoring Monitor container resource utilization for CPU, system, disk space and disk inodes Backup/Restore Container Back up and restore containers including all system and user files Container Repair Start the container in repair mode when a container is broken and does not boot Container Re-install Reinstall the container from scratch, either saving or discarding existing files Container Actions Log View the container actions log to monitor resource shortage alerts and various container events Embedded SSH Connect via integrated web based SSH client or use your own SSH client such as putty.