- Resource Abstraction: Virtualisation abstracts physical hardware resources, allowing multiple virtual machines to run on a single physical server. This maximises resource utilisation and reduces costs.
- Isolation and Security: Each VM operates in its own isolated environment, ensuring that applications and data are secure from each other while maintaining high performance levels.
- Scalability and Flexibility: Virtualisation enables dynamic provisioning of resources, allowing organisations to scale their computing capacity up or down based on demand without significant delays or investments.
In the realm of cloud computing, virtualisation serves as a foundational technology that transforms how resources are managed and utilised. By creating virtual instances of physical hardware, organisations can efficiently deploy applications, optimise resource allocation, and enhance security.
Virtualisation not only enables multiple virtual machines to run on a single physical server, but it also provides the flexibility needed to adapt to changing business requirements. As companies increasingly migrate to cloud solutions, understanding how virtualisation works is crucial for leveraging its full potential and achieving operational efficiency in today’s digital landscape.
The role virtualisation plays in cloud computing
With a personal computer, a single user can access the complete data and computing resources of a single machine. In contrast, cloud computing involves many users interacting with resources that might be found on a single physical server.
To meet the unique needs of each user, cloud providers use virtualisation to create an environment that can meet the needs of each customer. As more users join, cloud providers can launch more virtual instances to meet demand. These systems can quickly shut down when people leave them. Therefore, virtualisation is an effective way to manage computing resources, maximise utilisation, and minimise downtime.
Also read: What is server virtualisation and why do we use it?
Also read: What is serverless computing in cloud computing?
Types of virtualisation in cloud computing
Virtualisation has many practical applications. In addition to being able to run different operating systems on your device, it also allows users to allocate hardware resources to other functions, thereby maximising hardware performance. Here are some examples of how virtualisation can be used in cloud computing.
Server virtualisation: Physical servers are powerful machines with multiple processors that host files and applications on a network of computers. For simplicity purposes, each physical server is typically dedicated to a specific application or task. However, this can become inefficient because each server will use only a small portion of its available processing resources.
Server virtualisation solves this problem by allowing administrators to convert servers into multiple virtual machines. These virtual machines all leverage the resources of the server and will act as independent physical devices, allowing you to allocate the processing power of the server as needed.
Application virtualisation: Traditionally running applications uses your existing operating system and its hardware resources. Essentially, you are running the application on your computer. Application virtualisation encapsulates applications and separates them from the underlying operating system. This allows you to access the application without having to install it on the local device.
Application virtualisation allows administrators to install applications on servers. Anyone who has access to this server can access the application and run it as if it were already installed on their respective devices. This provides users with benefits such as portability, cross-platform operation, and the ability to run multiple instances of the application.
Network virtualisation: A computer network is a group of digitally connected computers that can communicate with each other and share resources. Network virtualisation refers to the process of combining network resources into a single software-based network. This creates a virtual network that gives you administrative control over all the hardware and software resources available on the original network.
Network visualisation allows you to combine multiple networks into a single unit or connect software containers to their own network . Any type of network visualisation allows you to divide the available bandwidth into individual channels that can be allocated and redistributed as needed.
Desktop virtualisation: Desktop virtualisation allows users to create virtual desktops that are typically hosted in a centralised data center. Users can then access this virtual desktop remotely from anywhere via a thin client, such as a web browser, essentially creating a portable workstation.
Storage virtualisation: Storage virtualisation refers to the process of abstracting multiple physical storage devices and compiling them into a single storage cluster to be managed by a central device. These storage devices will then appear to the user as a single storage device.
