Virtualization Explained

Summary

Kaleigh Bovey from IBM Cloud discusses the importance of virtualization in cloud computing. Virtualization involves creating virtual versions of resources like compute, storage, and servers using a hypervisor. Two types of hypervisors are explained: Type 1 (bare metal) and Type 2 (hosted), with Type 1 being more secure and efficient. Virtual Machines (VMs) are independent software-based computers that run on hypervisors, offering cost savings, agility, and reduced downtime. The video emphasizes virtualization's relevance to modern cloud strategies.

Takeaways

• 💡 **Virtualization Defined**: Virtualization is the creation of a software-based or virtual version of resources like compute, storage, networking, servers, or applications.
• 🛠️ **Role of Hypervisor**: A hypervisor is essential software that runs above the physical server, pooling and allocating resources to virtual environments.
• 🔑 **Type 1 Hypervisors**: Also known as bare metal hypervisors, these are installed directly on the physical server, offering security, lower latency, and are the most common in the market.
• 💻 **Type 2 Hypervisors**: Hosted hypervisors sit on a host OS layer between the server and hypervisor, used less frequently, and have higher latency.
• 🌐 **Building VMs**: Virtual Machines (VMs) are software-based computers that run independently, each with its own OS and applications, and can be managed by a hypervisor.
• 🔄 **VM Independence and Portability**: VMs can run different OSes and are portable, allowing for quick movement between hypervisors on different machines.
• 💰 **Cost Savings**: Virtualization enables running multiple environments on one piece of infrastructure, reducing physical server needs and associated costs.
• ⚡ **Agility and Speed**: Provisioning VMs is quicker than setting up new physical environments, offering faster deployment for development and testing.
• 🛡️ **Reduced Downtime**: The ability to move VMs between hypervisors ensures minimal downtime in case of server failure, providing a robust backup strategy.
• 🔍 **Relevance to Cloud Strategy**: Despite being decades old, virtualization remains critical for modern cloud computing strategies.

Q & A

What is virtualization?

Virtualization is the process of creating a software-based or virtual version of something, such as compute, storage, networking, servers, or applications.

What role does a hypervisor play in virtualization?

A hypervisor is a piece of software that runs above the physical server or host, pooling resources from the physical server and allocating them to virtual environments.

What are the two main types of hypervisors?

The two main types of hypervisors are Type 1 (bare metal) and Type 2 (hosted) hypervisors.

What is a Type 1 hypervisor and why are they commonly used?

A Type 1 hypervisor is installed directly on the physical server, also known as a bare metal hypervisor. They are commonly used because they are the most secure, lower latency, and are the most frequently seen in the market.

What are some examples of Type 1 hypervisors?

Examples of Type 1 hypervisors include VMware ESXi, Microsoft Hyper-V, and the open-source KVM.

How does a Type 2 hypervisor differ from a Type 1 hypervisor?

A Type 2 hypervisor, also known as a hosted hypervisor, has a layer of host OS between the physical server and the hypervisor, making it less secure and more latency-prone than Type 1 hypervisors.

What are some examples of Type 2 hypervisors?

Examples of Type 2 hypervisors include Oracle VirtualBox and VMware Workstation.

What is a VM and how does it function?

A VM (virtual machine) is a software-based computer that runs like a physical computer, complete with an operating system and applications, and is independent of other VMs.

What are the key benefits of virtualization in terms of cost savings?

Virtualization allows for cost savings by reducing the physical infrastructure footprint, lowering maintenance costs, and reducing electricity usage, leading to a significant reduction in overall expenses.

How does virtualization contribute to agility and speed in IT operations?

Virtualization contributes to agility and speed by simplifying and quickening the process of spinning up new virtual machines, which is much easier and faster than provisioning an entire new physical environment.

How does virtualization help in reducing downtime?

Virtualization helps reduce downtime by allowing for the quick movement of VMs from one hypervisor to another in case of a host failure, ensuring business continuity and a robust backup plan.

Outlines

00:00

🖥️ Virtualization and Hypervisors Explained

Kaleigh Bovey from the IBM Cloud team introduces the concept of virtualization, defining it as the creation of a software-based version of resources like compute, storage, networking, servers, or applications. She explains the role of the hypervisor, which is software that runs above the physical server to pool and allocate resources to virtual environments. Two types of hypervisors are discussed: Type 1 (bare metal), which is installed directly on the physical server and is known for its security and low latency, and Type 2 (hosted), which has a host OS layer between the physical server and the hypervisor and is used less frequently due to higher latency. Examples of Type 1 hypervisors are VMware ESXi, Microsoft Hyper-V, and KVM, while Type 2 examples include Oracle VirtualBox and VMware Workstation.

05:01

🔄 Benefits of Virtualization in Cloud Computing

The script concludes by emphasizing the critical role of virtualization in cloud computing strategies. It highlights three key benefits: cost savings through reduced physical infrastructure needs, increased agility and speed in provisioning new environments, and reduced downtime due to the ability to quickly move virtual machines to different hypervisors in case of server failure. The video script serves as an educational resource for understanding the basics of virtualization and its ongoing importance in modern technology landscapes.

Keywords

💡Virtualization

Virtualization refers to the process of creating a software-based or virtual version of something, such as compute, storage, networking, servers, or applications. It is central to the video's theme as it forms the basis for the discussion on how to build a cloud computing strategy. The script mentions that virtualization allows for the pooling of resources from a physical server and allocating them to virtual environments, which is key to optimizing resource use and cost savings.

💡Hypervisor

A hypervisor is a piece of software that runs above the physical server or host, enabling the creation of virtual environments. It plays a crucial role in the video's narrative by facilitating virtualization. The script distinguishes between two types of hypervisors, Type 1 and Type 2, with Type 1 being more secure and efficient, and Type 2 being less frequent and having higher latency.

💡Type 1 Hypervisor

A Type 1 hypervisor, also known as a bare metal hypervisor, is installed directly on the physical server. The video emphasizes that these are the most frequently used and secure types of hypervisors, which lower latency and are often found in the market. Examples given in the script include VMware ESXi, Microsoft Hyper-V, and the open-source KVM.

💡Type 2 Hypervisor

A Type 2 hypervisor, or hosted hypervisor, operates with a layer of host OS between the physical server and the hypervisor. This type is less common and is mostly used for end-user virtualization. The video script mentions examples such as Oracle VirtualBox and VMware Workstation, noting that these have higher latency compared to Type 1 hypervisors.

💡Virtual Machine (VM)

A Virtual Machine (VM) is a software-based computer that runs like a physical computer, complete with an operating system and applications. The video highlights VMs as the result of hypervisor installation, which can run multiple virtual environments independently of one another. This independence allows for running different operating systems on different VMs, such as Windows, Linux, or Unix.

💡Portability

Portability in the context of the video refers to the ability to move a virtual machine from one hypervisor to another on a different machine almost instantaneously. This feature is highlighted as a significant advantage of virtualization, providing flexibility and ease of management within an IT environment.

💡Cost Savings

Cost savings is one of the key benefits of virtualization discussed in the video. It is achieved by running multiple virtual environments from a single piece of infrastructure, thereby reducing the physical infrastructure footprint. The video explains how this consolidation leads to savings on maintenance costs, electricity, and overall operational expenses.

💡Agility and Speed

Agility and speed are highlighted as benefits of virtualization because it simplifies and quickens the process of setting up new environments. The video script illustrates how this is particularly useful for developers who may need to spin up new environments for development or testing, showcasing the efficiency gains virtualization provides.

💡Downtime

Downtime in the video refers to the period when a system is not operational, which can be minimized through virtualization. The script explains that if a host server fails, virtual machines can be quickly moved to another hypervisor, ensuring minimal service disruption and highlighting the resilience that virtualization offers.

💡Cloud Computing Strategy

A cloud computing strategy is a plan for leveraging cloud technologies to meet business objectives. The video emphasizes the importance of understanding virtualization as a critical component of such a strategy. It suggests that virtualization's ability to optimize resource use and provide flexibility is essential for modern cloud computing initiatives.

Highlights

Virtualization is a foundational technology for cloud computing strategies.

Virtualization involves creating virtual versions of compute, storage, networking, servers, or applications.

A hypervisor is essential for virtualization, running above the physical server to manage resources.

Type 1 hypervisors, or bare metal hypervisors, are installed directly on the physical server for higher security and lower latency.

VMware ESXi, Microsoft Hyper-V, and KVM are examples of Type 1 hypervisors.

Type 2 hypervisors, also known as hosted hypervisors, have a host OS layer between the physical server and the hypervisor.

Oracle VirtualBox and VMware Workstation are examples of Type 2 hypervisors.

Virtual machines (VMs) are software-based computers that run independently and can have different operating systems.

VMs are portable and can be moved between hypervisors on different machines almost instantaneously.

Virtualization enables cost savings by reducing the physical infrastructure footprint.

Agility and speed are enhanced as virtual machines can be spun up quickly compared to provisioning new environments.

Virtualization lowers downtime by allowing easy migration of VMs to different physical servers in case of host failure.

Virtualization is critical for modern cloud computing strategies despite being a few decades old.

The core of virtualization lies in its ability to pool and allocate physical server resources to virtual environments.

Key benefits of virtualization include cost savings, agility, and reduced downtime.

Virtualization allows for the consolidation of multiple virtual environments on a single piece of infrastructure.

Spinning up a VM is simpler and quicker than provisioning an entire new physical environment.

Transcripts

Hi, my name is Kaleigh Bovey with the IBM Cloud team,

and today we're going to be talking about virtualization.

As you know, virtualization is a fairly old technology,

but it's still super relevant to building your cloud computing strategy today.

So, first off: What is virtualization?

Simply put, virtualization is the process of creating a software-based,

or virtual, version of something,

whether that be compute, storage, networking, servers, or applications.

And what makes virtualization feasible is something called a hypervisor.

So, we're going to write that here.

And, what a hypervisor is,

is it's simply a piece of software that runs above the physical server or host.

There are a couple different types of hypervisors out there,

and what they do is, essentially, pool the resources

from the physical server and allocate them to your virtual environments.

There are two main types of hypervisors out there.

One being Type 1. Very simple to remember.

And two - you guessed it - Type 2.

So, let's start with Type 1.

A Type 1 hypervisor

is a hypervisor that is installed directly on top of the physical server.

They're also called bare metal hypervisors.

So we'll write that up here, just so you can remember.

These are the most frequently used types of hypervisors,

and they're the most secure, they lower the latency,

and these are the ones that you'll see in the market the most.

Some examples would be VMware ESXi,

or Miscrosoft Hyper-V, or open source KVM.

The other type of hypervisor is a Type 2 hypervisor, over here.

And what makes these different is that there is a layer of host OS

that sits between the physical server and hypervisor.

So, by that nature, they are also called hosted.

These are a lot less frequent.

They're mostly used for end-user virtualization,

and you might see some of the market that are called

Oracle, VirtualBox, or VMware Workstation.

Again, they are a lot less frequent, they're a bit more

- they have a higher latency than a Type 1 hypervisor.

So, once you have your hypervisor installed,

you can build virtual environments or virtual machines

or, simply put, VMs.

So, let's spin up some environments.

So, what makes a VM, a VM?

A VM is simply a software-based computer.

They run like a physical computer,

they have an operating system and applications,

and they're completely independent of one another.

But, you can run multiple of them on a hypervisor.

And the hypervisor manages the resources that are allocated

to these virtual environments from the physical server.

So, because they're independent,

you can run different operating systems on different virtual machines.

So, you could run Windows here or Linux here

or Unix here, for example.

Because they're independent, they're also extremely portable.

You can move a virtual machine from one hypervisor to another hypervisor

on a completely different machine almost instantaneously,

which gives you a lot of flexibility and a lot of portability within your environment.

So, looking at all of this -

this is the core of virtualization as a process.

So, let's talk about a couple key benefits that you want to take away from this.

One: cost savings.

When you think about this and the fact that you can run multiple virtual environments

from one piece of infrastructure,

it means that you can drastically reduce your physical infrastructure footprint.

This is consolidation at its core,

and the fact that you don't have to maintain nearly as many servers,

run as much electricity, save on maintenance costs,

means that you save on your bottom line at the end of the day.

Number two would be agility and speed.

So, like I said, spinning up a virtual machine is relatively easy and quick

- a lot more simple than provisioning an entire new environment

for your developers if they say they want to spin up a new environment.

So, that they can run a dev-test scenario.

Whatever it might be, virtualization makes that process a lot simpler and quicker.

And three: it lowers your down time.

So, let's say that this host goes out unexpectedly.

The fact that you can move virtual machines from one hypervisor to another

on a different physical server

means that you have a great backup plan in place, right?

So, if this host goes down, you can simply move your VMs very quickly

to another hypervisor on a machine that is working.

So, with this - this is really virtualization today.

And like I said at the beginning,

virtualization is a technology that's a few decades old at this point,

but it's still super critical to understand for your cloud computing strategy today.

Thanks for watching as we discussed the basics of virtualization.

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