Companies are faced with the challenge of optimising their IT landscape and minimising costs at the same time. In addition, the digital world is constantly changing and requires regular adjustments. Virtualization offers a solution here and creates flexible IT structures with efficient resource management.
Virtualization
Virtualization, a term that is of utmost relevance in IT everywhere these days - and not just in large companies, but also in small and medium-sized enterprises. The background to this is noticeably lower acquisition costs for hardware as well as ease of use in connection with setting up, backing up, upgrading and resetting the virtually set-up machines.
What is virtualization?
But what does virtualization mean? Virtualization is the abstraction of physical IT resources. This means that different software, hardware, network or even storage components are no longer fully represented physically, but in parts on a virtual level.
In this way, for example, it is possible to divide a single computer into several virtual systems by means of virtualization.
How does virtualization work?
In order to be able to carry out IT virtualization, one uses a hypervisor. This is special software for the virtualization of IT components or entire systems. In principle, this acts like a privacy shield and hides access by other users. This gives you the perception that you are the sole user of the hardware in question.
Another special feature is that the virtual systems can be equipped with a operating system and associated user programs in complete isolation from each other. They work absolutely independently side by side.
What does virtualization bring?
The advantages of virtualization lie in particular in the saving of various resources. On the one hand, you save on acquisition costs in the context of hardware and, in terms of sustainability, energy costs that should not be underestimated either. In addition, virtual machines can be easily restored in the event of an emergency.
Furthermore, there is flexibility: Virtual instances can usually be easily equipped with additional resources. This makes it possible to respond quickly to performance peaks or higher demand.
Main categories of virtualization
Virtualization can be divided into five main categories:
Software virtualization By means of software virtualization, both applications are separated from the operating system.
Server virtualization Server virtualization enables a single physical server to run multiple operating systems in the form of virtual machines.
Storage virtualization Storage virtualization combines multiple network storage resources together. This creates a single storage medium that can be used by different users.
Desktop Virtualization Through a central server, virtual desktops are delivered and managed accordingly.
Network virtualization Network virtualization distributes network bandwidth across multiple channels. These in turn are allocated to different devices and servers.
Conclusion
Virtualization is definitely the future - it has long been ubiquitous in large companies. Small and medium-sized companies should also join in here, even if it initially involves some effort in connection with the setup. In perspective, however, the step will be worthwhile, as virtualization is accompanied by immense cost savings and expensive downtimes can be significantly reduced. Furthermore, virtualization can provide you with an additional safety net.