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4 Virtualization Techniques To Help You Ace Every Workload

Virtualization techniques are nothing new, and since their inception, they have ensured that users can tap into the full power of their hardware through the use of virtual machines. As the concept that also powers cloud computing, virtualization is absolutely here to stay.

There is not one single approach to virtualization. Rather, it’s important that you choose the right technique to help you ace the workload at hand.

Key Takeaways:

Guest operating system virtualization is a common technique reliant on software applications to handle the process.
Shared kernel virtualization relies on a Linux or UNIX-based kernel to power multiple virtual machine instances.
Kernel-level virtualization is a similar, albeit more intensive, process that relies on the kernel to generate multiple virtual kernels.
The hypervisor virtualization technique grants high authority to a hypervisor program so it can manage the VMs.

Overview of virtualization techniques

Virtualization is the process of creating a virtual instance of an object that traditionally exists as hardware. In cloud computing, this usually entails virtualizing datacenter elements like servers or abstracting applications and operating systems into virtual machines that are more flexible, secure, and remotely accessible than hardware devices.

Grand View Research estimated the datacenter virtualization market size to be worth USD $7.50 billion in 2022, with a projected compound annual growth rate of 16.5% from 2023 to 2030. This growth stems from the reality that as organizations are managing more and more data and applications, they need a solution that only virtualization can provide to keep on-premises hardware burdens manageable and minimize the carbon footprint of entire organizations.

There is not a one-size-fits-all method for virtualization, however. Instead, a variety of virtualization techniques may apply to different use cases or problem scenarios that an organization might address. They differ based on the level of abstraction that each achieves.

1. Guest operating system virtualization

The guest operating system method is the simplest, easiest, and arguably most popular technique for achieving virtualization. It entails running a second, virtualized OS within the host OS native to the device being used.

Any host OS can contain the virtualization software, whether it is Windows, Mac, or Linux. The software replicates an entire operating system but functions just like any other application running on the host OS. The software itself is responsible for all virtualization tasks, such as running the guest OS and managing the necessary resources from the host device in order to do so.

In addition to memory and resource management, the virtualization software also performs hard disk partitioning. This partitioning makes the guest operating system virtualization technique ideal for when you need to run a different OS within the host OS or when you are performing a task that is potentially risky. There is no threat to the host OS or the hardware when virtualization abstracts and partitions the guest OS away from everything else.

2. Shared kernel virtualization

Whereas the guest OS technique entails creating a separate operating system within the virtualization app itself, shared kernel virtualization taps into a unique capability of Linux and UNIX-based operating systems to share their kernel with other processes. This is, therefore, a cost-effective option if you have a compatible OS that does not require additional hardware configuration.

When leveraging the power of a shared kernel for virtualization, the virtualization software uses the same hardware as the host operating system and runs inside the host OS. It is only necessary to configure the software on a task-by-task basis — no hardware configuration needed.

This virtualization technique is inexpensive for those who have access to it but may not be ideal for intensive workloads. It is also not possible on certain operating systems, such as Windows, for example.

3. Kernel-level virtualization

Another technique possible for Linux machines is kernel-level virtualization. With a specially modified kernel, multiple virtual instances can stem from the host operating system. Unlike shared kernel virtualization, this technique entails each guest OS running its own kernel.

Kernel-based virtualization allows you to spin up multiple OS environments simultaneously on one machine, similar to the more prevalent guest OS method that uses virtualization software. In a methodology that relies solely on the kernel to generate multiple virtual kernels, though, there is the potential to save an even greater amount of time and costs.

Like the shared kernel method, however, this virtualization technique has the limitation of the kernel itself. Compatibility issues are likely to arise if you attempt to operate with a guest virtual kernel with a different configuration from that of the host.

4. Hypervisor virtualization

A hypervisor is an essential element of virtualization that monitors and allocates physical hardware resources to guest VMs and operating systems. In kernel-based virtualization methods, the kernel effectively acts as a hypervisor. In actual hypervisor virtualization, though, the hypervisor program exists in the highest location of authority in the CPU hardware, known as ring 0.

From ring 0, the hypervisor must address the issue of guest OS kernels achieving the authority necessary to run and operate an entire operating system from less privileged rings. It is typically necessary for a kernel to run in ring 0 in order to manage an OS, but the hypervisor virtualization technique solves this for the guest OS using one of three solutions:

Paravirtualization: System calls are made by the guest OS kernel, and the hypervisor handles those calls itself from ring 0.
Full virtualization: By consuming a greater amount of system resources, the hypervisor leverages CPU emulation to enable the guest OS to execute privileged operations.
Hardware virtualization: Recent innovations in certain CPUs enable the hypervisor to operate in a place of authority above ring 0, leaving ring 0 free for guest OS processes.

A solution for powering your virtualization techniques

There are a few tried-and-true ways to approach virtualization, and though each one is well suited for handling different types of workloads, the question may remain as to how these techniques will translate into a fully cloud-native future. You need a solution that can future-proof operations by extending your virtualization processes to modern hybrid cloud architecture.

Nutanix AHV streamlines the management of both legacy and cloud-native applications with a hassle-free hypervisor that comes equipped with all the enterprise features you need to help meet your service level agreements. It powers your virtual machines, your containers, and all of your workloads across both on-premises and public cloud locations.

The enterprise IT challenges that organizations are facing today are highly complex, but virtualization techniques have been solving seemingly insurmountable problems for many years already. Extending those capabilities to the hybrid cloud can bring that problem-solving power to the next era.

Learn more about why businesses need cloud-native computing and how to apply virtualization to desktop infrastructure.

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