Module 2- Virtualization

Basics of Virtualization - Types of Virtualizations, Taxonomy of

Virtualization Techniques, Implementation Levels of Virtualization

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 Contents
3.1 Basics of Virtualization
3.1.1 Introduction
3.1.2 Characteristic of Virtualized Environments
3.3 Taxonomy of Virtualization Techniques
3.3.1 Execution Environment
1. Machine Reference Model
2. Hardware Level Virtualization
3. Hardware Virtualization Techniques
4. Operating system-level virtualization
5. Programming language-level virtualization
6. Application-level virtualization
3.3.2 Types of Virtualization
[Link] Virtualization.
[Link] Virtualization.
[Link] Virtualization.
[Link] Virtualization.
[Link] Virtualization.
[Link] virtualization.
3.4 Implementation Level of Virtualization
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 3.1 Basics of Virtualization

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 3.1.1 Introduction
Virtualization
• Virtualization is the creation of a virtual rather
than actual version of something, such as an
operating system, a server, a storage device or
network resources
• One of the fundamental concepts of Cloud
Computing

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 What is Virtualization?

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 Why are virtualized environments so popular
today?
– Increased performance and computing capacity
● PCs are having immense computing power.
– Underutilized hardware and software resources
● Limited use of increased performance & computing
capacity.
– Lack of space
● Continuous need for additional capacity.
– Greening initiatives
● Reduce carbon footprints
● Reducing the number of servers, reduce power
consumption.
– Rise of administrative costs
● Power and cooling costs are higher then IT equipments.
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 Virtualized Environments
• Virtualization is a method of logically dividing
the system resources between different
applications
• Application Virtualization
• Desktop Virtualization
• Server Virtualization
• Network Virtualization
• Storage Virtualization
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 Applications
Application - level
Virtualization

Programming Languages
Programming
Execution Stack
Language level
Virtualization

Operative Systems
OS- level Virtualization

Hardware
Hardware - level
Virtualization

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 ● Three major components of Virtualized
Environments
– Guest – system component that
interacts with Virtualization Layer.
– Host – The host represents the original
environment where the guest is
supposed to be managed.
– Virtualization Layer –The virtualization
layer is responsible for recreating the same
or a different environment where the guest
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will operate. Virtualization-Module 2
 Virtual Image Applications Applications
Guest

Virtual Hardware Virtual Storage Virtual Networking

Virtualization Layer
Software Emulation

Host Physical Hardware Physical Storage Physical Networking

Virtualization Reference Model

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 3.1.2 Characteristics of VE
• Increased Security
• Managed Execution
✔ - Sharing
✔ - Aggregation (the formation of a number of things into a cluster)
✔ - Emulation – (imitation of behavior of a computer or other electronic
system with the help of another type of system)
✔ - Isolation
• Portability

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 Increased Security
– Ability to control the execution of a guest
– Guest is executed in emulated environment.
– Virtual Machine Manager control and filter the
activity of the guest.
– Hiding of resources.
– Having no effect on other users/guest
environment.

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 Managed Execution types
– Sharing
● Creating separate computing environment within the
same host.
● Underline host is fully utilized.
– Aggregation
● A group of separate hosts can be tied together and
represented as single virtual host.
– Emulation
● Controlling & Tuning the environment exposed to
guest.
– Isolation
● Complete separate environment for guests.
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 Managed Execution

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 Portability

– safely moved and executed on top of different

virtual machine.
– Application Development Cycle more flexible and
application deployment very straight forward
– Availability of system is with you.

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 3.3 Taxonomy of Virtualization
Techniques

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 Taxonomy of Virtualization Techniques
• Virtualization covers a wide range of emulation techniques
that are applied to different areas of computing.
• A classification of these techniques helps to better
understand their characteristics and use.
• Virtualization is mainly used to emulate execution
environment , storage and networks.
• Execution Environment classified into two :-
– Process-level – implemented on top of an existing operating
system.
– System-level – implemented directly on hardware and do not or
minimum requirement of existing operating system

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 Taxonomy of virtualization

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 Paravirtualization is a type of virtualization where software instructions
from the guest operating system running inside a virtual machine can
use “hypercalls” that communicate directly with the hypervisor. This
provides an interface very similar to software running natively on the
host hardware.
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 3.3.1 Execution Virtualization
● It defines the interfaces between the
levels of abstractions, which hide
implementation details.
● Virtualization techniques actually replace
one of the layers and intercept the calls
that are directed towards it.

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 1. Machine Reference Model

● The model for Hardware is expressed in terms of the Instruction Set

Architecture (ISA).
– ISA for processor, registers, memory and the interrupt management.
● Application Binary Interface (ABI) separates the OS layer from the
application and libraries which are managed by the OS.
– System Calls defined
– Allows probabilities of applications and libraries across OS.
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 Machine Reference Model [Cont.]

● API – it interfaces applications to libraries

and/or the underlying OS.
● Layered approach simplifies the
development and implementation of
computing system.
● ISA has been divided into two security
classes:-
– Privileged Instructions
– Nonprivileged Instructions
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 ISA: Security Classes
● Nonprivileged instructions
– That can be used without interfering with other
tasks because they do not access shared
resources. Ex. Arithmetic , floating & fixed point.
● Privileged instructions
– That are executed under specific restrictions
and are mostly used for sensitive
operations, which expose (behavior-
sensitive) or modify (control-sensitive) the
privileged state.
● Behavior-sensitive – operate on the I/O
● Control-sensitive – alter the state of the CPU
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 Privileged Hierarchy:
Security Ring
● Ring-0 is in most privileged level
, used by the kernel.
● Ring-1 & 2 used by the OS-level
services
● and , R3 in the least privileged
level , used by the user.
● Recent system support two
levels :-
– Ring 0 – supervisor mode
– Ring 3 – user mode
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 2. Hardware-level virtualization
● It is a virtualization technique that provides an
abstract execution environment in terms of
computer hardware on top of which a guest OS
can be run.
● It is also called as system virtualization.
● A fundamental element of hardware virtualization is
the hypervisor, or Virtual Machine Manager (VMM).
● It recreates a hardware environment, where guest
operating systems are installed.
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 Hardware-level virtualization

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 Hypervisor
● Hypervisor: It is a piece of s/w that enables
us to run one or more VMs on a physical
server(host).
● Two major types of hypervisor
– Type -I
– Type-II

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 Type-I Hypervisor
● It runs directly on top of the hardware.
● Takes place of OS.
● Directly interact with the ISA exposed by the
underlying hardware.

● Also known as native virtual machine.

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 Type-II Hypervisor
● It require the support of an
operating system to provide
virtualization services.
● Programs managed by the
OS.
● Emulate the ISA of virtual
h/w.
● Also called hosted virtual
machine.

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 Virtual Machine Manager (VMM)
● Main Modules :-
– Dispatcher: Entry Point of VMM, Context Switching: Switch the CPU between
different VMs, ensuring that each VM gets its share of processing time.
– Allocator: The allocator is responsible for managing resources (like CPU, memory,
and I/O devices) between different VMs
– Interpreter: The interpreter is responsible for translating instructions from the
guest VMs into something that the underlying hardware or hypervisor can
understand.

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 Virtual Machine Manager (VMM)

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3. Hardware virtualization Techniques (T1, T2,
T3,T4)
● Hardware virtualization techniques are methods used to
create virtual instances of computing resources, allowing
multiple operating systems or applications to run on a
single physical machine as if they had their own dedicated
hardware.
● This is typically achieved through a Virtual Machine
Monitor (VMM) or hypervisor, which manages the
interaction between virtual machines (VMs) and the
physical hardware.
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● T1: Hardware-assisted virtualization
● Description: Modern CPUs from Intel and AMD provide hardware
support for virtualization, which reduces the need for software-
based instruction emulation.
● How It Works: Special CPU extensions (Intel VT-x and AMD-V) are
used to run VMs in a more isolated and secure environment.
These extensions allow guest OSes to execute privileged
instructions directly on the hardware without hypervisor
intervention.
● Example: Any modern hypervisor like VMware ESXi, KVM, and
Hyper-V can use these CPU extensions.
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 – Also known as native virtualization, in this
technique, underlying hardware provides
special CPU instructions to aid
virtualization.
– This technique is also highly portable as the
hypervisor can run an unmodified guest OS.
This technique makes hypervisor
implementation less complex and more
maintainable.

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•.

T2: Full virtualization

Description: Full virtualization completely simulates the underlying
hardware, allowing unmodified guest operating systems (OS) to
run as if they were on a physical machine.
How It Works: The hypervisor or VMM intercepts and translates
privileged instructions from the guest OS into actions performed on
the host's physical hardware.
Example: VMware Workstation, KVM.
Advantages:
•No need to modify the guest OS.
•High isolation between VMs.
Challenges: Performance overhead due to the need to trap and
emulate
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 - This process was introduced by IBM in the year 1966.
It is considered to be the first software solution for
server virtualization. It uses binary translation and a
direct approach method.
- In this, the guest OS is fully isolated using the
virtual machine from the virtualization layer and
hardware.
• Examples of full virtualization include Microsoft and
Parallels systems.
• It is considered to be less secure in comparison to
paravirtualization.

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T3: Paravirtualization
– Paravirtualization is a virtualization technique that differs from both
full virtualization and hardware-assisted virtualization in how it
handles the interaction between the guest operating system (OS) and
the hypervisor, particularly regarding security rings and privileged
instruction handling.
Key Characteristics:
•Modified Guest OS: The guest OS is modified to communicate with the
hypervisor via hypercalls, which are explicit API calls made by the guest OS
to the hypervisor, replacing privileged instructions.

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 Paravirtualization is a type of virtualization where software instructions
from the guest operating system running inside a virtual machine can
use “hypercalls” that communicate directly with the hypervisor. This
provides an interface very similar to software running natively on the
host hardware.
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 • Paravirtualization is the category of CPU virtualization
which uses hyper calls for operations to handle
instructions at compile time. In paravirtualization, guest
OS is not completely isolated but it is partially isolated
by the virtual machine from the virtualization layer and
hardware.

• VMware and Xen are some examples of paravirtualization.

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T4: Partial virtualization
– Partial emulation of the underlying hardware
Also known as Selective Virtualization: Why?
•In partial virtualization, only certain hardware components or features
are virtualized. For instance, the CPU or memory may be virtualized, while
other resources like the I/O devices may be directly accessed by the guest
OS without the need for hypervisor intervention.

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 When entire operating systems cannot run in the virtual machine, but some or many
applications can, it is known as Partial Virtualization. Basically, it partially simulates the
physical hardware of a system. This type of virtualization is far easier to execute than full
virtualization.

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Comparison between the Full Virtualization and
paravirtualization in Operating System
[Link] Full Virtualization ParaVirtualization

In paravirtualization, a virtual
In Full virtualization, virtual machines
machine does not implement full
permit the execution of the instructions
1 isolation of OS but rather provides a
with the running of unmodified OS in an
different API which is utilized when
entirely isolated way.
OS is subjected to alteration.

While the Paravirtualization is more

2. Full Virtualization is less secure.
secure than the Full Virtualization.

Full Virtualization uses binary translation While Paravirtualization uses

3. and a direct approach as a technique for hypercalls at compile time for
operations. operations.

Paravirtualization is faster in
Full Virtualization is slow than
4. operation as compared to full
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 [Link] Full Virtualization ParaVirtualization

Full Virtualization is more portable and Paravirtualization is less portable and

5.
compatible. compatible.

Examples of full virtualization are Examples of paravirtualization are Microsoft

6.
Microsoft and Parallels systems. Hyper-V, Citrix Xen, etc.

The guest operating system has to be

It supports all guest operating systems
7. modified and only a few operating systems
without modification.
support it.

The guest operating system will issue Using the drivers, the guest operating system
8.
hardware calls. will directly communicate with the hypervisor.

It is less streamlined compared to para-

9. It is more streamlined.
virtualization.

It provides less isolation compared to full

10. It provides the best isolation.
virtualization.
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 4. Operating system-level virtualization

● It offers the opportunity to create different

and separated execution environments for
applications that are managed concurrently.
● No VMM or hypervisor
● Virtualization is in single OS
● OS kernel allows for multiple isolated user
space instances
● Good for server consolidation.
10/22/2024 ● Ex. chroot , Jails, OpenVZ etc.
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 5. Programming language-level
virtualization
● It is mostly used to achieve ease of deployment of
application, managed execution and portability
across different platform and OS.
● It consists of a virtual machine executing the byte
code of a program, which is the result of the
compilation process.
● Produce a binary format representing the machine
code for an abstract architecture.
● Example
– Java platform – Java virtual machine (JVM)
– .NET provides Common Language Infrastructure (CLI)
● They are stack-based virtual machines
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 Advantage of programming/process- level VM

● Provide uniform execution environment

across different platforms.
● This simplifies the development and
deployment efforts.
● Allow more control over the execution of
programs.
● Security; by filtering the I/O operations
● Easy support for sandboxing
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 6. Application-level virtualization
● It is a technique allowing applications to
run in runtime environments that do not
natively support all the features
required by such applications.
● In this, applications are not installed in the
expected runtime environment.
● This technique is most concerned with :-
– Partial file system
– Libraries
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 3.3.2 Types of Virtualization

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 1. Application Server Virtualization
• Application virtualization helps a user to have remote
access of an application from a server.
• The server stores all personal information and other
characteristics of the application but can still run on
a local workstation through the internet.
• Example of this would be a user who needs to run
two different versions of the same software.
• Technologies that use application virtualization are
hosted applications and packaged applications.
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 2. Network Virtualization
● It combines h/w appliances and specific software
for the creation and management of a virtual n/w.
● It can aggregate different physical networks
into a single logical network.
● The ability to run multiple virtual networks with
each has a separate control and data plan. It
co-exists together on top of one physical
network. It can be managed by individual
parties that potentially confidential to each
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 2. Network Virtualization
•Network virtualization provides a facility to create and
provision virtual networks—logical switches, routers,
firewalls, load balancer, Virtual Private Network (VPN),
and workload security within days or even in weeks.

Examples of Network Virtualization :

Virtual LAN (VLAN) –
• The performance and speed of busy networks can be
improved by VLAN.
• VLAN can simplify additions or any changes to the
network.
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 3. Desktop Virtualization

• Desktop virtualization allows the users’ OS to be

remotely stored on a server in the data centre. It
allows the user to access their desktop virtually,
from any location by a different machine.
• Users who want specific operating systems other
than Windows Server will need to have a virtual
desktop.
• Main benefits of desktop virtualization are user
mobility, portability, easy management of software
installation, updates, and patches.
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 4. Storage Virtualization
• Storage virtualization is an array of servers that are
managed by a virtual storage system. The servers
aren’t aware of exactly where their data is stored,
and instead function more like worker bees in a hive.
• It makes managing storage from multiple sources to
be managed and utilized as a single repository.
• storage virtualization software maintains smooth
operations, consistent performance and a
continuous suite of advanced functions despite
changes, break down and differences in the
underlying equipment.
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 5. Server Virtualization
- The central-server(physical server) is divided into multiple
different virtual servers by changing the identity number,
processors. So, each system can operate its own
operating systems in isolate manner. Where each sub-
server knows the identity of the central server.
- It causes an increase in the performance and reduces the
operating cost by the deployment of main server
resources into a sub-server resource.
- It’s beneficial in virtual migration, reduce energy
consumption, reduce infrastructural cost, etc.
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 6. Data Virtualization
- This can be defined as the type of Virtualization wherein
data are sourced and collected from several sources
and managed from a single location.
- No technical knowledge from where such data is
sourced and collected, stored, or formatted for such
data.
- The data is arranged logically, and the interested parties
and stakeholders then access the virtual view of such
data. These are reports are also accessed by end-users
on a remote basis.
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 3.4 Virtualization and cloud computing
• Virtualization plays an important role in cloud
computing
• Virtualization technologies are primarily used
to offer configurable computing environments
and storage.
• Hardware virtualization is an enabling factor
for solutions in the (IaaS) market segment
• programming language virtualization is a
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 Server consolidation and virtual machine migration

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 Pros and cons of virtualization
• Advantages of Virtualization
✔Reduced spending
✔Portability
✔Efficient use of resources.
✔Easier backup and disaster recovery
✔Better business continuity
✔More efficient IT operations

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 Pros and cons of virtualization
• Disadvantages of Virtualization
✔Software licensing considerations
✔Possible learning curve
✔Security holes and new threats

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3.4 Implementation levels of virtualization
 Implementation Levels of Virtualization

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 Levels of Virtualization
1) Instruction Set Architecture Level (ISA)
- ISA virtualization can work through ISA emulation.
This is used to run many legacy codes that were written
for a different configuration of hardware. These codes
run on any virtual machine using the ISA.
- With this, a binary code that originally needed some
additional layers to run is now capable of running on
the x86 machines. It can also be tweaked to run on the
x64 machine. With ISA, it is possible to make the
virtual machine hardware agnostic. ((refers to anything designed to be
compatible across the most common systems))

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 - For the basic emulation, an interpreter is needed, which
interprets the source code and then converts it into a
hardware format that can be read. This then allows
processing. This is one of the five implementation levels of
virtualization in cloud computing.

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 Levels of Virtualization
2) Hardware Abstraction Level (HAL)
- HAL lets the virtualization perform at the level of the hardware.
This makes use of a hypervisor which is used for functioning.
- At this level, the virtual machine is formed, and this manages
the hardware using the process of virtualization.
- It allows the virtualization of each of the hardware components,
which could be the input-output device, the memory, the
processor, etc.
- Multiple users will not be able to use the same hardware and
also use multiple virtualization instances at the very same time.
This is mstly used in the cloud-based infrastructure.
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 Levels of Virtualization
3) Operating System Level
- At the level of the operating system, the virtualization model is
capable of creating a layer that is abstract between the operating
system and the application. This is an isolated container that is on
the operating system and the physical server, which makes use of
the software and hardware. Each of these then functions in the
form of a server.
- When there are several users, and no one wants to share the
hardware, then this is where the virtualization level is used.
Every user will get his virtual environment using a virtual
hardware resource that is dedicated. In this way, there is no
question of any [Link]-Module 2
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 Levels of Virtualization

4) Library Level
- The operating system is cumbersome, and this is when the
applications make use of the API that is from the libraries at
a user level. These APIs are documented well, and this is
why the library virtualization level is preferred in these
scenarios. API hooks make it possible as it controls the link
of communication from the application to the system.

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 Levels of Virtualization
5) Application Level
- The application-level virtualization is used when there is a
desire to virtualize only one application and is the last of the
implementation levels of virtualization in cloud computing.
One does not need to virtualize the entire environment of the
platform.
- This is generally used when you run virtual machines that use
high-level languages. The application will sit above the
virtualization layer, which in turn sits on the application
program.
- It lets the high-level language programs compiled to be used in
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the application level of the virtual machine run seamlessly.
 Technology examples
• Xen: paravirtualization
• VMware: full virtualization
• Microsoft Hyper-V: full virtualization

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 Xen: paravirtualization
• Xen is an open-source initiative
• Developed by a group of researchers at the
University of Cambridge
• XenSource.
• Desktop virtualization or server virtualization
• Xen Cloud Platform (XCP)
• [Link]

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 In computer software, an application binary interface (ABI)
is an interface between two binary program modules. During a trap, the execution of a process is set as a
Often, one of these modules is a library or operating high priority compared to user code
system facility, and the other is a program that is being run
by a user
Xen architecture and guest OS management.

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VMWare: Full
Direct execution protocol: To make a program run as fast
as one might expect, not surprisingly OS developers came
up with a technique, which we call limited direct execution.
Virtualization The “direct execution” part of the idea is simple: just run
the program directly on the CPU.

• Underlying hardware is replicated made

available
and to the guest operating system
• VMware implements full in
virtualization Desktop environments the
• Type II hypervisor in Server Environment
• Type I in Desktop and
hypervisor Server
Environments In computing, binary translation is a form of binary
recompilation where sequences of instructions are
• Direct Execution translated from a source instruction set to the target
instruction set
• Binary Translation
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 A full virtualization reference model.

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 Virtualization solutions by VMware
• End-user (desktop) virtualization

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 VMware workstation architecture.

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 Virtualization solutions by VMware
• Server virtualization
• VMWare GSX
• VMWare ESXi

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 VMware GSX server architecture.

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 VMware ESXi server architecture.

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 GSX (aka VMware Server) is a virtualization layer that run on host OS
(Linux or Windows), use Host OS drivers and can have same
limitation of the host OS environment (for example the 4GB limit for a
Windows Server Standard). ESX is a bare metal virtualization layer (or
type-1 hypervisor).

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 Virtualization solutions by VMware
• Infrastructure virtualization and cloud
computing solutions
• VMware provides a set of products covering
the entire stack of cloud computing,

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 VMware Cloud Solution stack.

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 Microsoft Hyper-V: Server Virtualization

• formerly known as Windows Server

Virtualization
• support a variety of guest operating systems.

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 Microsoft Hyper-V architecture.

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