What are the Benefits of Virtualization in Cloud Computing?

Virtualization, a process that allows engineers to essentially divide a computer system into multiple different ‘virtual’ computers, has become increasingly common in cloud computing. That’s because it offers greater efficiency, scalability, and security for any cloud infrastructure, and ultimately helps organizations devise a strong foundation for cloud computing.

Read this guide to learn some of the many key benefits of virtualization.

What is Virtualization in the Cloud?

In its most basic form, virtualization inserts a layer between physical hardware and the ‘operating system’ that is being used to control that hardware. For example, using virtualization software, a person may be able to run the Windows operating system on a Macbook computer. This person could then have both a Windows desktop side-by-side with their regular Macbook desktop. When this type of virtualization is run in the cloud, the Windows and Mac virtual computers are run in a datacenter accessed over the internet, rather than from physical machines themselves.

The above is an example of desktop virtualization, just one of the many types of virtualization within cloud computing. A form of virtualization that has become increasingly prominent is the segmentation, or partitioning, of different computer hardware components into virtual machines. Therefore, virtualization allows cloud users to purchase only the necessary computing resources required for their workload. To add perspective, the common types of virtualization seen today include:

• Hardware virtualization
• Operating system virtualization
• Server virtualization
• Storage virtualization
• Application virtualization
• Network virtualization
• Desktop virtualization
• Data virtualization

The Importance of Virtualization in Cloud Computing

Understanding the relation between virtualization and cloud computing, as well as the benefits, can be challenging. In this context, virtualization allows for the creation of a virtual environment of storage devices and the server’s operating system itself. Put plainly, multiple users in an organization can share a single physical resource or application.

Cloud computing and virtualization work hand-in-hand, bolstering each other as each continues to develop. Here are some of the crucial benefits virtualization brings.

5 Virtualization Benefits in Cloud Computing

You may feel uncertain about moving away from one single physical server. From greater resiliency to lower IT costs, we encourage you to consider these advantages of virtualization.

1. Reduced cost of IT infrastructure

With data being gathered and maintained on virtual servers instead of one or more physical servers, the lack of rigorous electricity use can help lower overhead bills. These cost savings from a reduction in physical hardware are one of the most economical benefits of increased virtualization.

2. Users can access applications and servers remotely

With users able to access apps and a data center from anywhere on any device, the scalability for an organization can increase exponentially. Employees can access crucial servers virtually, and all their information is automatically backed up to the virtual environment.

3. Increase scalability

There are two primary types of scalability associated with virtualization in cloud computing: horizontal and vertical. Horizontal scaling can be challenging as it involves the amount of hardware and software used. On an on-premise location, there may only be a limited amount of hardware allowed.

However, virtualization in the cloud allows for great vertical scaling, which involves growing and re-allocating features such as memory, bandwidth, and the CPU cores associated with your network. Additions to these items can be added to a virtual machine through the hypervisor’s management system. Rather than needing to purchase more hardware, organizations can take advantage of vertical scaling with virtualization to increase software applications.

4. Reduction of system failure risk

When taking advantage of virtual environments across an organization, data loss becomes less frequent. This is due to the fact that even if one system goes down, backup data has been stored throughout virtualized cloud services and networks. These files can then be accessed from any device, reducing the risk of file loss.

5. Flexible data transfers

Data can be transferred to and retrieved from virtual servers at any moment. Both users and cloud vendors will not need to waste their time trying to locate different drives where data may be. Data can be quickly and accurately assigned to the correct people while also restricting who has access to what data.

Bolster your organization today

Virtualization and cloud computing are the way of the future. The benefits offered to an organization when using this technology can allow for lower operating costs, increased security, less downtime, more efficient disaster recovery, and more. Consider implementing a virtualization strategy in the workflow of your organization today. Building such a plan can be daunting, but don’t hesitate to reach out to your certified experts at Warwick for assistance with this project.