COURSE NAME : CLOUD INFRASTRUCTURE SERVICES

COURSE CODE : 24CS2204,A

TOPICS : Introduction to Virtualization,

Characteristics of Virtualized Environments,
Taxonomy of Virtualization Techniques,
Hardware Virtualization.
 UNDERSTANDING VIRTUALIZATION
• Virtualization is a process that abstracts (simplifies) physical hardware resources
and presents them as logical, isolated computing environments. This is achieved by
introducing a software layer that separates applications and operating systems from
the physical machine.
• The result is a virtual machine (VM): a self-contained system with its own virtual
CPU, memory, storage, and network interface, running atop the host’s actual
hardware.
• This simplification is what allows multiple VMs to coexist on a single physical server,
each operating independently. It dramatically improves resource utilization and
forms the technical bedrock of cloud service models like IaaS and PaaS.

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 INTRODUCTION TO VIRTUALIZATION

• Virtualization is the fundamental technology that powers Cloud Computing. It

allows you to create multiple simulated environments (Virtual Machines or
VMs) from a single physical hardware system.
• Before virtualization, a physical server could only run one Operating System
(OS) and often one task. This wasted massive amounts of resources if your
app only used 10% of the CPU, the other 90% was idle.
• Virtualization solves this by allowing one physical server to host dozens of
virtual servers, each running its own OS and apps isolated from the others.

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 THE CORE ARCHITECTURE
• At the heart of virtualization is a piece of software called the Hypervisor.
• Physical Hardware (Host): The actual server (CPU, RAM, Disk).
• Hypervisor: A lightweight software layer that sits between the hardware and the virtual
machines. It allocates resources (e.g., "Give VM1 2GB of RAM") and manages the VMs.
• Virtual Machine (Guest): A software-based computer that runs like a physical one. It has
its own OS, libraries, and applications.
• Working of Virtualization
• Virtualizations uses special software known as hypervisor, to create many virtual computers
(cloud instances) on one physical computer. The Virtual Machines behave like actual
computers but use the same physical machine.

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 THE ROLE OF VIRTUALIZATION IN CLOUD
COMPUTING
• Virtualization plays several roles in cloud computing, including resource
allocation independent of hardware and multi-tenancy.
• Dynamic resource allocation: Virtualized environments can be scaled
up or down quickly based on workload demands.
• Hardware independence: VMs and containers can run on any
compatible physical host, making cloud workloads highly portable.
• Multi-tenancy: A single physical server can securely host multiple
tenants with isolated environments.

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 VIRTUAL MACHINES (CLOUD INSTANCES)
• After installing virtualization software, you can create one or more virtual machines on your
computer.
• Virtual machines (VMs) behave like regular applications on your system.
• The real physical computer is called the Host, while the virtual machines are called Guests.
• A single host can run multiple guest virtual machines.
• Each guest can have its own operating system, which may be the same or different from the
host OS.
• Every virtual machine functions like a standalone computer, with its own settings, programs,
and configuration.
• VMs access system resources such as CPU, RAM, and storage, but they work as if they are
using their own hardware.

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 THE TWO TYPES OF HYPERVISORS
• Type 1: Bare-Metal Hypervisor
• How it works: Installed directly on the physical hardware. There is no host Operating
System.
• Performance: High. Direct access to hardware resources.
• Use Case: Enterprise Data Centers, Cloud Providers (AWS EC2, VMWare ESXi, Microsoft
Hyper-V).
• Type 2: Hosted Hypervisor
• How it works: Installed as an application on top of an existing OS (like Windows or
macOS).
• Performance: Lower. Requests must pass through the Host OS first.
• Use Case: Personal use, testing labs (Oracle VirtualBox,VMWare Workstation).

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 TYPES OF VIRTUALIZATION
• Application Virtualization
• Network Virtualization
• Desktop Virtualization
• Storage Virtualization
• Server Virtualization
• Data virtualization

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 TYPES OF VIRTUALIZATION

• Application Virtualization
• Applications run in an isolated environment without being fully installed on the local
system.
• Reduces application conflicts and simplifies deployment.
Example: Microsoft App-V,VMware ThinApp
• Network Virtualization
• Abstracts physical network resources into logical, software-defined networks.
• Improves scalability, security, and network management.
Example: VLAN, SDN, NFV

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 TYPES OF VIRTUALIZATION
• Storage Virtualization
• Combines multiple physical storage devices into a single logical storage pool.
• Improves storage utilization, backup, and disaster recovery.
Example: SAN, NAS,VMware vSAN
• Server Virtualization
• A physical server is divided into multiple virtual machines using a hypervisor.
• Maximizes hardware utilization and reduces cost.
Example: VMware ESXi, Hyper-V, KVM
• Data Virtualization
• Provides a unified view of data from multiple sources without physically moving it.
• Enables faster data access and real-time analytics.
Example: Denodo, IBM Data Virtualization

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SERVER VIRTUALIZATION

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VIRTUALIZATION VS. CLOUD COMPUTING

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 CHARACTERISTICS OF VIRTUALIZATION
• Partitioning
• A single physical machine can be divided into multiple virtual machines (VMs).
• Each VM runs its own operating system and applications independently.
• Isolation
• Virtual machines are isolated from one another.
• A failure, crash, or security issue in one VM does not affect other VMs.
• Encapsulation
• A virtual machine is packaged as a set of files.
• This makes it easy to copy, move, back up, or restore VMs across systems.

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 CHARACTERISTICS OF VIRTUALIZATION
• Hardware Independence
• VMs are not tied to specific physical hardware.
• They can run on different physical machines without modification.
• Resource Pooling
• Physical resources (CPU, memory, storage, network) are pooled and shared among VMs.
• Resources are dynamically allocated based on demand.
• Flexibility and Scalability
• Virtual machines can be created, resized, or deleted quickly.
• Supports rapid scaling of applications.

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 CHARACTERISTICS OF VIRTUALIZATION
• Improved Utilization
• Maximizes hardware usage by running multiple workloads on a single system.
• Reduces idle resources.
• Cost Efficiency
• Reduces hardware, power, and maintenance costs.
• Enables consolidation of servers.
• Fault Tolerance and High Availability
• VMs can be backed up, snapshotted, and migrated.
• Supports features like live migration and disaster recovery.

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 TAXONOMY OF VIRTUALIZATION TECHNIQUES

• Virtualization techniques are classified based on the type of resource being

virtualized, the level of abstraction, and the methodology used. These techniques
form the foundation of modern IT infrastructure and are pivotal in cloud
computing, data centers, and enterprise IT. Below is a detailed taxonomy of
virtualization techniques:
• Hardware Virtualization
• Description: Creates virtual machines that emulate physical hardware.
• Types:
• Full Virtualization:
• Virtual machines emulate complete hardware.
• Guest OS is unaware it’s running in a virtual environment.
• Example:VMware Workstation, Microsoft Hyper-V.

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 TAXONOMY OF VIRTUALIZATION TECHNIQUES
• Para-Virtualization:
• Guest OS is aware of virtualization and interacts with the hypervisor.
• Offers better performance than full virtualization.
• Example: Xen.

• Hardware-Assisted Virtualization:
• Relies on hardware features (e.g., Intel VT-x, AMD-V) to improve performance.
• Reduces overhead for virtualized environments.

• Operating System Virtualization

• Description: Allows multiple isolated user-space instances to run on a single OS kernel.
• Examples:
• Docker (containers), Linux Containers (LXC).

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 TAXONOMY OF VIRTUALIZATION TECHNIQUES
• Network Virtualization
• Description: Abstracts physical network resources into virtual networks.
• Types:
• Software-Defined Networking (SDN):
• Centralized management of network resources through software.
• Virtual LANs (VLANs) and Virtual Private Networks (VPNs):
• Logical partitioning and secure connectivity over shared networks.
• Storage Virtualization
• Description: Pools physical storage resources into a single virtual storage unit.
• Types:
• Block-Level Storage Virtualization:
• Aggregates multiple physical storage devices.
• Example: Logical Volume Managers (LVMs).

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 TAXONOMY OF VIRTUALIZATION TECHNIQUES
• File-Level Storage Virtualization:
• Provides a unified file system view over multiple storage locations.
• Example: Network Attached Storage (NAS).
• Application Virtualization
• Description: Abstracts applications from the underlying OS.
• Examples:
• Microsoft App-V,VMware ThinApp.

• Desktop Virtualization
• Description: Provides users with virtual desktops hosted on centralized servers.
• Examples:
• Citrix XenDesktop,VMware Horizon.

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 HARDWARE BASED VIRTUALIZATION
• A platform virtualization approach that allows efficient full virtualization with the help of hardware
capabilities, primarily from the host processor is referred to as Hardware based virtualization in
computing.
• To simulate a complete hardware environment, or virtual machine, full virtualization is used in which an
unchanged guest operating system (using the common instruction set as the host machine) executes in
sophisticated isolation.

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 HARDWARE BASED VIRTUALIZATION
• An abstract execution environment in terms of computer hardware in which guest
OS can be run, referred to as Hardware-level virtualization.
• In this, an operating system represents the guest, the physical computer hardware
represents a host, its emulation represents a virtual machine, and the hypervisor
represents the Virtual Machine Manager.
• When the virtual machines are allowed to interact with hardware without any
intermediary action requirement from the host operating system generally makes
hardware-based virtualization more efficient.
• A fundamental component of hardware virtualization is the hypervisor, or virtual
machine manager (VMM).

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 HARDWARE BASED VIRTUALIZATION
• Type-I hypervisors:
Hypervisors of type I run directly on top of the hardware. As a result, they stand in
for operating systems and communicate directly with the ISA interface offered by the
underlying hardware, which they replicate to allow guest operating systems to be
managed. Because it runs natively on hardware, this sort of hypervisor is also known
as a native virtual machine.
• Type-II hypervisors:
To deliver virtualization services, Type II hypervisors require the assistance of an
operating system. This means they're operating system-managed applications that
communicate with it via the ABI and simulate the ISA of virtual hardware for guest
operating systems. Because it is housed within an operating system, this form of
hypervisor is also known as a hosted virtual machine.

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 FEATURES OF HARDWARE-BASED VIRTUALIZATION ARE:
• Strong Isolation: Each virtual machine is fully isolated, so failures in one VM do not affect others.
• High Security: VMs are isolated from the host OS and other VMs, limiting the spread of malicious
code.
• Near-Native Performance: Direct access to hardware via the hypervisor provides high
performance.
• Flexible Resource Allocation: CPU, memory, and I/O resources can be dynamically allocated to
VMs.
• Snapshot & Live Migration: Supports VM snapshots for backup/recovery and live migration for
load balancing.
• Multi-OS Support: Allows multiple operating systems to run on the same physical server.
• High Compatibility: Works with most modern operating systems and integrates easily with
existing infrastructure.

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• Advantages of hardware-based virtualization
• It reduces the maintenance overhead of paravirtualization as it reduces (ideally, eliminates) the modification
in the guest operating system.
• It is also significantly convenient to attain enhanced performance.
• A practical benefit of hardware-based virtualization has been mentioned by VMware engineers and Virtual
Iron.
• Disadvantages of hardware-based virtualization
• Hardware-based virtualization requires explicit support in the host CPU, which may not available on all
x86/x86_64 processors.
• A “pure” hardware-based virtualization approach, including the entire unmodified guest operating system,
involves many VM traps, and thus a rapid increase in CPU overhead occurs which limits the scalability and
efficiency of server consolidation.
• This performance hit can be mitigated by the use of para-virtualized drivers; the combination has been
called "hybrid virtualization".

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 HARDWARE VIRTUALIZATION VENDORS AND
PRODUCTS
• VMware ESXi
• VMware ESXi is a Hypervisor that is specially designed for Hardware Virtualization. ESXi will
directly get installed in a server and gain straight control over the underlying resources of the
system. It consists of its own Kernel, so it can run without any OS. VMware ESX is the popular
version of ESXi, and it is compact. But remember, ESXi is smaller in size and does not have the ESX
service console.
• Microsoft Hyper-V
• Basically, it is one of the popular designed h7percuspr for supporting the x86 architecture. Hyper-V
takes care of the VM s and isolates them in the partition. Here each guest OS will be executed as a
partition.

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 HARDWARE VIRTUALIZATION VENDORS AND
PRODUCTS
• Xen
• Xen is also a popular and open-source hypervisor, and it has Linux Kernel supported
by the Linux Foundation. But remember, Xen is only supported by a limited chain of
Linux Distributors.
• However, the software completely supports
• Full Virtualization
• Hardware Virtualization
• Para-Virtualization

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• Advantages of Hardware • Disadvantages of Hardware
Virtualization Virtualization
• Lower Cost • High Initial Cost
• Efficient Resource Utilization • Security Issues
• Increased IT Flexibility • Scalability Issues
• Economical Infrastructure Usage • Data Availability Issues
• Efficient Backup and Recovery
• Advanced Features Support
• Improved Operational Efficiency

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 THANK YOU

Team – CLOUD INFRASTRUCTURE SERVICES

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