"In computing, virtualization or virtualisation (sometimes abbreviated v12n, a numeronym) is the act of creating a virtual (rather than actual) version of something at the same abstraction level, including virtual computer hardware platforms, storage devices, and computer network resources."
The process of creating a software-based version of a computing resource, such as a server or storage device.
Virtual Machines: A software implementation of a physical machine that operates like a physical computer.
Hypervisors: A layer of software that separates the physical hardware and the virtual machines.
Cloud Computing: A model for providing on-demand resources through the Internet.
Networking and Security: Networking topics such as network virtualization, software-defined networking, and security policies are vital for virtualization.
Storage: Virtualization changes how businesses build, buy, and deploy storage resources.
Server and Desktop Virtualization: The process of creating virtualized servers and virtual desktops.
Containerization: Containerization enables the running of applications and services with a lightweight, isolated virtual environment.
Cloud vendors: Understanding the services cloud vendors like Amazon Web Services (AWS), Microsoft Azure, and Google Cloud Platform provide.
Infrastructure-as-a-Service (IaaS): Building and managing IT infrastructures in the cloud.
Platform-as-a-Service (PaaS): Platform-as-a-Service provides a cloud-based environment to develop, test, and deliver applications.
DevOps: An approach that emphasizes collaboration and communication between development and operations teams.
Automation: Automation in virtualization equipment speeds up and simplifies the implementation of virtualization.
Application Programming Interfaces (APIs) and Software Development Kits (SDKs): APIs and SDKs allow integration with applications and services.
Machine Learning: Machine learning can be used to optimize IT infrastructures and automate processes in virtualized environments.
Service-Level Agreements (SLAs): Understanding SLAs is essential to understanding cloud vendors' services and ensuring business continuity.
Disaster Recovery: Disaster recovery is essential for virtualized environments to ensure business continuity.
Backup and Recovery: Backup and recovery processes are different in virtualized environments than in physical infrastructures.
Licensing Management: Licensing management is an essential aspect of virtualization to lower costs and ensure compliance.
Virtual desktop infrastructure (VDI): VDI is the delivery of virtual desktops over the internet for remote workforces.
Internet of Things: IoT devices require useful ways to store the generated data and retrieve the data when requested. Virtualization can optimize data storage and retrieval in IoT.
Server Virtualization: Separates physical server hardware into multiple virtual servers, each with its own operating system and resources.
Storage Virtualization: Combines multiple storage devices into a single virtual storage pool, allowing easy management and allocation of storage resources.
Desktop Virtualization: Hosts multiple virtual desktops on a single physical machine, allowing users to access their individual desktops from any device.
Network Virtualization: Abstracts network resources and functions from the underlying hardware, allowing multiple virtual networks to share the same physical network infrastructure.
Application Virtualization: Separates software applications from the underlying operating system and hardware, making it easier to deploy and manage applications on a large scale.
Operating System Virtualization: Divides a single physical server into multiple virtual machines, each running its own isolated operating system instance.
Data Center Virtualization: Virtualizes an entire data center or cloud infrastructure, combining multiple virtualization technologies to optimize resource allocation and efficiency.
Hybrid Virtualization: Combines two or more virtualization technologies, such as server virtualization and storage virtualization, to create a more comprehensive virtualization infrastructure.
Content Delivery Virtualization: Optimizes content delivery by replicating content across multiple servers and caching content closer to end-users.
CPU Virtualization: Allows a single physical processor to be divided into multiple virtual CPUs, each running its own operating system or process.
Memory Virtualization: Combines memory from multiple physical servers into a single virtual pool, allowing applications to access a larger pool of memory than any single server.
Platform Virtualization: Abstracts the underlying computing platform from the user or application, allowing applications to run on multiple platforms without modification.
Security Virtualization: Enhances security by partitioning network resources and isolating potentially malicious or vulnerable applications.
Database Virtualization: Enables databases to be easily deployed, managed, and accessed across multiple platforms and locations.
Desktop as a Service (DaaS): Provides virtual desktops that can be accessed remotely through a service provider, eliminating the need for on-premises hardware and software.
Disaster Recovery as a Service (DRaaS): Provides virtualized resources for disaster recovery, such as virtual servers and storage, that can be quickly deployed in the event of a disaster.
"Virtualization began in the 1960s, as a method of logically dividing the system resources provided by mainframe computers between different applications."
"An early and successful example is IBM CP/CMS."
"The control program CP provided each user with a simulated stand-alone System/360 computer."
"Since then, the meaning of the term has broadened."