Ever thought to yourself, what in the world are they talking about? Me too, friend, me too. After 5 years of teaching, learning about the multitudes of different tech talks (some with the same acronyms even) had my head spinning. Hearing the word "virtualization" and realizing it's a subset of the cloud was a game changer for me but it got me thinking: why in the world don't we just say "migrating to the cloud" or something easy like that? Like so many things, the answer isn't so simple. So to help you out (and myself, clearly), we have 5 analogies you can use to help conceptualize and explain virtualization.
Virtualization can be a difficult topic to explain. Essentially, it’s the creation of a virtual, cloud-based network, storage, or server instead of an on-premise “real one.” You separate the software layer from the hardware layer, while placing a new layer between them to act as a liaison. This is often down through using a cloud environment to create a secure, off-premise network for your to access your data. You then have access to your data anywhere and at any time with added layers of security to protect your sensitive information. Curious the pros and cons of on-premise or cloud solutions? We've got a blog for that, too.
Still, the above definition is watered down and simplistic in nature. There are lots of other aspect of creating a virtual network like Backup and Disaster Recovery or clean copies of data. Explaining what virtualization is can be challenging, but we developed five analogies to help you create a better mental picture.
Where do we begin? It all starts with a flight simulator.
The first analogy we’ll use requires a flight simulator. A flight simulator, both for regular PC games or an official training facility, is a software designed to emulate the experience of being a flight pilot. The software provides all of the systems and features of a real plane. In other words, you simulate watching the fuel gauges, the engine status, navigation, airspeed, altitude, wind speed, etc. However, no matter how real the simulation is, you are never in charge of a real airplane.
Virtualization works in the same way. When you control the software of the simulator, the software responds independently of controlling the hardware of a real airplane. With virtualization, you can interact with the software (Windows, Mac, or Linux) independent of the hardware it’s being run on. The virtual layer between the software and the computer hardware allows you to make the computer believe it's the real thing, the same way a flight simulator gets tricked thinking it’s letting you fly a real plane.
With the flight simulator analogy, you have to assume that only one software install (Windows) is running on one piece of hardware (the PC or endpoint). That means it matches one software layer with one hardware layer, which hardly seems practical.
Imagine that all software are riders, and all hardware are a type of vehicle. A motorcycle would be the equivalent of a laptop or PC. Servers are the equivalent of a car. Although each car can comfortably seat three to five riders, many cars on the road carry only one.
What is virtualization in this situation? It's like a carpool: servers, like a car, are capable of carrying greater capacity beyond a single rider. Virtualization takes the drivers (the software) from the different cars (servers), and lets them all ride in a single car. Each layer of software then operates independently of their original “car.” Essentially, more data and storage in one server.
VMware takes the analogy another step further. A bus (the host server) is even more powerful than an SUV and capable of carrying more passengers. If the host hardware is even bigger and more powerful, it could house an entire bus-load of highly-suggestive passengers. Even though more than 20 or so individual riders are sitting on a bus, they all think they are driving their own small car. By doing this, you maximize the usage of your servers, using them to their full potential.
More people online, same destination, better and more efficient output overall!
Specific to VMware, their high availability makes them the train in this prolonged vehicle analogy. A train is powerful, can take multiple cars, and the passengers can move freely between the cars without stopping the train. You can even allocate or limit specific passengers to specific parts of the train to spread them out. Likewise, VMware’s high availability allows you to move virtual software around freely without stopping any function to the hardware itself.
Transportation analogies aside, virtualization is the network infrastructure of the future. It has proven, over the years, to be the most efficient way to handle business' infrastructure.
We can summarize the benefits of how virtualization works as follows:
Do you have additional questions about virtualization? Contact Centre Technologies today to find out what creating a virtual network can do for your business.