Virtualization World

Michael R. Wood is a Business Process Improvement & IT Strategist Independent Consultant. He is creator of the business process-improvement methodology called HELIX and founder of The Natural Intelligence Group, a strategy, process improvement and technology consulting company. He is also a CPA, has served as an Adjunct Professor in Pepperdine's Management MBA program, an Associate Professor at California Lutheran University, and on the boards of numerous professional organizations. Mr. Wood is a sought after presenter of HELIX workshops and seminars in both the U.S. and Europe.

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Topics: Applications Delivery, Business Intelligence, Information Technology, Strategy

Of all the technologies that have emerged over the past decade, virtualization seems to be one of the most real. I know, virtual being real sounds like a contradiction, but virtualization has quietly been working its way in to everyday data centers and appears to have survived the “fad” phase. Yet, what virtualization is, where it can be utilized, the costs and benefits remains a mystery to many. In an effort to demystify this genre of computing, I offer this short introduction to the world of virtualization.

The best way to define virtualization is by example and use. Basically, the following areas of an IT infrastructure can be virtualized: 

• Platform (hardware, networks & operating system software)
• Memory (CPU)
• Storage (Disk and Solid State)

In general, think of virtualization in terms of movable walls within a hotel conference center. While the structure defines the maximum limits of overall space, the interior can be rapidly reconfigured without any construction. Virtualization is kind of like that but without the confines of wall tracks. An over-simplification for sure, yet it does help get the concept across.

Platform virtualization uses software to emulate a physical environment thus allowing a single computer to act like another or even many. This allows a computer to run multiple operating systems, thereby …

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