Virtualization – technology that allows to run virtual machines indepedently from the hardware platform. It allows us to have multiple virtual computers, operating next to each other and under control of different operating systems, on one physical machine. Proxmox is virtualization environment that we use on daily basis.
What are the benefits of virtualization of IT resources?
- running several virtual machines on one server, we better use our hardware resources.
- virtual machines can be easily moved from one physical server to another, the backup procedures are easier. These factors increase the security of applications.
- application migrations, shifting applications to more efficient systems, upgrading to a new version of the operating system – these tasks using virtualization are easier to plan and execute.
The first of the ways in which virtualization can be used in the company, are open source virtual machine monitors: XEN, OpenVZ, KVM, having features more sophisticated than the most popular commercial solutions. Their huge advantage is that they use little hardware resources. They allow full use of the hardware on which logically separate virtual servers are running.
The second way is to run virtual servers with the help of providers of such services. The largest provider of such virtual systems on the Internet is an American company Amazon and its AWS (Amazon Web Services). For an amount of ca. 80 PLN per month, you can run 32-bit virtual server with Xeon class processor, 1.7 GB of RAM and 160 GB of disk space. Huge advantage of this service is a very short time needed to run an instance (couple of minutes) and the fact that this can be done via the Internet, without having to phone or signing any contracts.
