Personal Virtualization Evolutionary/Revolutionary Advances in Computing

Evolutionary/Revolutionary Advances in Computing

What is Virtualization? Virtualization is technology that abstracts software from hardware, allowing operating systems to run without hardware-specific drivers and instructions.

Virtualization is technology that abstracts software from hardware, allowing operating systems to run without hardware-specific drivers and instructions.

How It Works Virtualization is done by a Hypervisor - a streamlined communication layer that sits between the hardware and the operating system, providing connectivity to devices and virtualization management features.

Virtualization is done by a Hypervisor - a streamlined communication layer that sits between the hardware and the operating system, providing connectivity to devices and virtualization management features.

Why Virtualize? A virtualized computer is one file, which can be easily backed up, copied and moved.

A virtualized computer is one file, which can be easily backed up, copied and moved.

Why Virtualize? Backups can be quickly restored to different hardware when a system fails.

Backups can be quickly restored to different hardware when a system fails.

Why Virtualize? Multiple virtual computers, running a variety of operating systems and applications, can run on one system.

Multiple virtual computers, running a variety of operating systems and applications, can run on one system.

Why Virtualize? To conserve energy by reducing and maximizing power consumption.

To conserve energy by reducing and maximizing power consumption.

Why Virtualize? To save money by eliminating the expense of maintaining multiple PCs.

To save money by eliminating the expense of maintaining multiple PCs.

Why Virtualize? To provide instant testing environments.

To provide instant testing environments.

Why Virtualize? So you can run that handful of Windows apps that you need while primarily using a Mac or Linux OS.

So you can run that handful of Windows apps that you need while primarily using a Mac or Linux OS.

Why Virtualize? So you can test the web site you’re developing in all browsers on all platforms.

So you can test the web site you’re developing in all browsers on all platforms.

Why Virtualize? To take advantage of pre-configured application servers that are available as plug and play, virtualized downloads.

To take advantage of pre-configured application servers that are available as plug and play, virtualized downloads.

Cloud Computing Cloud services (like Amazon’s EC2/AWS) can host Virtual Machines (VMs), allowing you to work from home or your office on the same virtual PC.

Cloud services (like Amazon’s EC2/AWS) can host Virtual Machines (VMs), allowing you to work from home or your office on the same virtual PC.

Limitations Currently, Macs can’t be (easily) virtualized on other platforms. For Mac/Windows/Linux on one box, the box has to be a Mac.

Currently, Macs can’t be (easily) virtualized on other platforms. For Mac/Windows/Linux on one box, the box has to be a Mac.

Limitations This is all still pretty new. Some applications don’t perform well in virtualized environments.

This is all still pretty new. Some applications don’t perform well in virtualized environments.

Limitations Smaller vendors might resist supporting virtualized applications; large vendors, for the most part, won’t.

Smaller vendors might resist supporting virtualized applications; large vendors, for the most part, won’t.

Products VMWare View (Windows),VMWare Fusion (Mac) Parallels (Mac) Xen or KVM (Linux, open source) VirtualBox (All, open source)

VMWare View (Windows),VMWare Fusion (Mac)

Parallels (Mac)

Xen or KVM (Linux, open source)

VirtualBox (All, open source)

Resources Techsoup’s Greentech Program Techcafeteria Blog Vendor pages Delicious: peterscampbell/virtualization+nten

Techsoup’s Greentech Program

Techcafeteria Blog

Vendor pages

Delicious: peterscampbell/virtualization+nten