UNIT-1

INTRODUCTION TO VIRTUALIZATION
Explain Virtualization
Virtualization is a technology that allows for the creation of virtual instances or representations
of physical resources, such as servers, storage devices and networks, using specialized software called a
hypervisor or Virtual Machine Monitor (VMM). These virtual instances can then be used to run
multiple operating systems, applications or services independently and concurrently on a single physical
host machine.
Cloud Computing
Cloud computing is a model of delivering IT services over the internet, allowing users to access
resources on demand without having to manage the underlying infrastructure. It provides a
scalable, flexible, and cost-effective way to access computing resources.

• Users pay for the services they use.

• Users can scale up or down as their needs change.

• Users can access cloud resources from anywhere with an internet connection.
• Users can benefit from cost savings by not having to buy and maintain physical data centers and
servers.

Key characteristics of cloud computing:

• On-demand self-service: Users can access resources as needed without requiring
significant interaction with service providers.
• Rapid elasticity: Resources can be scaled up or down quickly to meet changing
demands.
• Measured service: Cloud providers charge for resources based on usage,
ensuring transparency and cost control.
Types of cloud deployment models:
• Public cloud: Services are delivered over the internet to multiple customers.
• Private cloud: Services are dedicated to a single organization, often
managed within its own data center.
• Hybrid cloud: A combination of public and private clouds, allowing organizations
to leverage the benefits of both.
Cloud service models:
• Infrastructure as a Service (IaaS): Provides fundamental computing resources, such
as servers, storage, and networking.
• Platform as a Service (PaaS): Offers a development and deployment platform for
building applications.
• Software as a Service (SaaS): Delivers applications over the internet, allowing users
to access them through a web browser.

Relationship between Virtualization and Cloud Computing

• Virtualization is often a foundational technology for cloud computing.
• Many cloud providers use virtualization to create and manage virtual machines that
are then offered to customers as cloud services.
• By leveraging virtualization, cloud providers can efficiently allocate resources, improve
scalability, and enhance flexibility.
CLOUD COMPUTING ARCHITECTURE :
• Cloud computing service models Infrastructure as a service (IaaS), Platform as a service (PaaS), Software as
a service (SaaS).
• Cloud computing providers Amazon Web Services (AWS) and Microsoft Azure.
IAAS :
• IaaS stands for Infrastructure as a Service. It's a cloud computing model that provides virtualized resources
like storage, networking, and computing power over the internet.
• Amazon Web Services (AWS): A popular IaaS provider
• Microsoft Azure: Offers virtualized computing resources over the internet
How does IaaS work:
• The cloud provider manages IT infrastructure
• The provider delivers these resources to subscribers via virtual machines (VMs)
• Subscribers can access these VMs through an internet connection

Benefits of IaaS:
• IaaS can make workloads more flexible, faster, easier, and more cost efficient
• IaaS can scale up or down as needed, providing greater flexibility compared to on-premise infrastructures .
IaaS components :
• Network: Includes virtualized elements like switches, routers, gateways, and bridges.
• Storage: Includes various types of cloud storage.
Compute: Includes several layers of compute components.
 PASS :
• Platform as a Service (PaaS) is a cloud computing model that provides a complete environment for building,
running, and managing applications.
• Google App Engine-A scalable serverless PaaS platform that is part of the Google Cloud ecosystem.
• Microsoft Azure
• A cloud-hosted system that allows developers to create, distribute, and maintain applications.
Benefits of PaaS
• Faster app development: Developers can focus on coding instead of maintaining hardware or updating
software
• Cost savings: Avoids the expense of buying and managing software licenses and infrastructure
• Scalability: Automatically scales to meet demand
• Security: Often includes built-in security and data protection
SASS :
• Software as a Service (SaaS) is a cloud-based model for delivering software applications to users. SaaS is
one of the most popular cloud computing models.
• EXAMPLES:
• Zoom-A video conferencing and webinar platform that became popular during the pandemic .
• Canva-A free online platform that helps users create graphics, logos, and videos.
Limitations of Virtualization:
While virtualization offers many benefits, such as cost savings, resource optimization, and scalability, it also has
several limitations:
1. Performance Overhead :
• Virtual machines (VMs) are slower than physical machines due to hypervisor management and resource
sharing.
• Applications requiring high processing power (e.g., real-time processing, gaming, or database-intensive
tasks) may face performance issues.
2. Increased Complexity
• Managing virtualized environments requires specialized skills.
• Troubleshooting performance issues, network configurations, and resource allocation can be complex.
3. Hardware Limitations
•Some hardware features (e.g., graphics processing units (GPUs), special peripherals) may not work well in a
virtualized environment.
•Older hardware may not support virtualization technologies like Intel VT-x or AMD-V.
4. Security Risks
• If the hypervisor is compromised, all virtual machines running on it are at risk (Hyperjacking attacks).
• VM escape attacks allow a malicious VM to break out and access the host system.
5. Licensing and Compliance Issues
• Software vendors may have strict licensing policies for virtualized environments.
• Some enterprise applications may not be licensed to run on virtual machines.
6. Resource Allocation Challenges
• Over-provisioning (assigning more resources than available) can lead to system slowdowns.
• Under-provisioning can cause VMs to struggle for CPU, memory, or storage.
7. Dependency on the Hypervisor
• If the hypervisor crashes, all virtual machines running on it fail.
• Performance depends on how efficiently the hypervisor manages multiple VMs.
8. Backup and Recovery Complexity
• Backing up virtualized environments requires specialized tools and processes.
• Restoring individual VMs can be more complex than restoring a traditional physical server.
9. Latency in I/O Operations
• Disk and network input/output (I/O) operations are slower compared to a physical system.
• Applications needing low-latency (e.g., financial trading platforms) may face bottlenecks.
10. Not Suitable for All Workloads
• Some workloads (e.g., high-performance computing (HPC), real-time processing) perform better on
bare-metal servers rather than virtual machines.

Types of Hardware Virtualization:

Introduction to Hardware Virtualization-
Hardware virtualization is a technology that allows multiple operating systems (OS) to run on a single physical
machine by abstracting hardware resources.
It is achieved through a hypervisor, which creates and manages virtual machines (VMs) that operate independently.
Types of Hardware Virtualization:
• 1. Full Virtualization
• 2. Para-Virtualization
• 3.Partial Virtualization
1. Full Virtualization
• Full virtualization is a virtualization technique that allows for the complete simulation of underlying
hardware in a virtual machine (VM).
• Including the virtualization of the CPU, memory, and other hardware components.
• This approach allows unmodified operating systems to run within the virtual environment.
• In this approach, the guest operating system is unaware that it's running in a virtualized environment, as it
interacts with virtualized hardware that emulates real hardware.
• Full virtualization relies on a hypervisor, also known as a Virtual Machine Monitor (VMM), which sits
between the physical hardware and guest operating systems. The hypervisor manages and controls the
allocation of physical resources to virtual machines.
• Imagine you have a Windows 11 installation DVD.
• If you install it on a real laptop, it works normally.
• If you install it inside a VM using full virtualization, it also works normally without any changes because
the VM simulates a real computer.
• This is different from some other virtualization types (like paravirtualization), where the OS must be
modified to work inside a VM.
• One notable example of full virtualization is VMware's ESXi hypervisor and Microsoft Hyper-V.
• It creates virtual machines (VMs) that can run various operating systems,
• such as Windows, Linux, or others, without requiring any modifications to the guest OS.

2.Paravirtualization:
In full virtualization (like in VMware or VirtualBox), the guest OS runs as if it were on real hardware, unaware
that it is virtualized. The hypervisor emulates hardware, which introduces overhead and reduces performance.
In paravirtualization, the guest OS knows it is running in a virtualized environment and interacts with the
hypervisor through hypercalls instead of hardware emulation. This reduces overhead and improves speed.
 • Paravirtualization is a virtualization technique where the
guest operating system (OS) is modified to work efficiently
with the hypervisor.
• It doesn't completely simulate the underlying hardware.
• Xen is a hypervisor that supports paravirtualization.
• Guest operating systems running on Xen are modified to
interact with the hypervisor directly.

Steps of How Paravirtualization Works

• Guest OS Modification
• The guest OS is modified to recognize it is running inside a virtual machine (VM).
• It replaces direct hardware instructions with hypercalls—special calls that communicate with the hypervisor.
Hypercalls to Hypervisor :
• Instead of executing privileged CPU instructions (like accessing memory or I/O directly), the guest OS sends
requests to the hypervisor.
• The hypervisor handles these requests efficiently, avoiding the need to trap and emulate CPU instructions.
• Hypervisor Manages Resources
• The hypervisor efficiently manages CPU, memory, disk, and network access.
• Since the OS doesn’t try to execute hardware-restricted instructions, performance improves.
• Optimized Performance
• The hypervisor directly provides what the OS needs without unnecessary translation.
• This leads to lower CPU usage, reduced latency, and better I/O performance.
Example Scenario: Disk Access
In Full Virtualization:
• A guest OS issues a disk read request as if it were running on real hardware.
• The hypervisor intercepts it, translates it, and then performs the disk operation.
• This translation adds overhead(extra processing, memory, or resource usage required to perform a task
beyond the minimum necessary effort.).
In Paravirtualization:
• The guest OS directly sends a hypercall to the hypervisor requesting a disk read.
• The hypervisor immediately performs the action without translation.
• This speeds up the process significantly.
Real Computer Example :
In full virtualization, the guest OS is not modified, so the hypervisor must translate every instruction, which
slows things down.
In para-virtualization, the guest OS is modified to communicate directly with the hypervisor using special
instructions (hypercalls), making it run faster.
 • Advantages of Paravirtualization
✅ Faster erformance – Avoids unnecessary hardware emulation.
✅ Lower CPU Overhead – Uses efficient hypercalls instead of trapping privileged instructions.
✅ Better I/O Performance – Disk and network access are faster due to optimized hypervisor
communication.
• Disadvantages of Paravirtualization
• ❌ Guest OS Modification Required – The OS must be changed to support hypercalls.
❌ Not Compatible with All OSes – Some proprietary OSes (e.g., older Windows versions) do not support
it.
Examples of Paravirtualization:
• Xen Hypervisor: Xen supports paravirtualization, allowing guest OSes to use hypercalls for optimized
performance.
• KVM (Kernel-based Virtual Machine): Uses paravirtualized drivers (VirtIO) to improve I/O performance.
• VMware Tools: VMware provides paravirtualized drivers to enhance performance for guest OSes.
3.Partial Virtualization :
Partial Virtualization is a type of virtualization in which only some components of a computer system are
virtualized, not the entire hardware system. It allows the guest operating system to run partially, but not
fully, in an isolated virtual environment.

 Host System and VMM (Virtual Machine Monitor):

 A VMM or hypervisor runs on the host machine.

 It creates virtual environments (VMs), but only partially emulates the hardware.

 Guest OS Installation:

 A guest operating system is installed inside the virtual machine.

 But since not all instructions are virtualized, the guest OS needs to be modified to avoid using certain
privileged instructions directly.

 Execution of Instructions:

 Non-privileged instructions (normal user-level operations) are handled by the VMM.

 Privileged instructions (like accessing hardware directly) are executed by the actual physical hardware,
not through the VMM.

 Control Transfer:

 Whenever a privileged operation is needed, the system may switch control from the guest OS to the host
hardware, or allow direct access (which saves time but reduces isolation).

 Performance and Isolation:

 This approach reduces overhead and increases speed, but it offers less isolation and security than full
virtualization.
 Hypervisor :
• A hypervisor, also known as a virtual machine monitor or VMM, is software that creates and runs virtual
machines (VMs). A hypervisor allows one host computer to support multiple guest VMs by virtually sharing
its resources, such as memory and processing.
• Importance: Enables virtualization by allowing multiple operating systems to run on a single physical
machine.
Types of Hypervisors :
Type 1 (Bare Metal):
installed directly on the computer’s hardware instead of the operating system.
It does not require any base server operating system. It has direct access to hardware resources.
Examples of Type 1 hypervisors include VMware ESXi, Citrix XenServer, and Microsoft Hyper-V
hypervisor.
- High performance and security. Such kinds of hypervisors are very efficient because they have direct
access to the physical hardware resources(like Cpu, Memory, Network, and Physical storage). This causes
the empowerment of the security because there is nothing any kind of the third party resource so that attacker
couldn’t compromise with anything.
One problem with Type-1 hypervisors is that they usually need a dedicated separate machine to perform
their operation and to instruct different VMs and control the host hardware resources.
Type 2 (Hosted):
- installed on an existing operating system(OS).
- Examples: VMware Workstation, Oracle VirtualBox.
- Easier to install but less efficient.
Such kind of hypervisors allows quick and easy access to a guest Operating System alongside the host
machine running.
Here there is no direct access to the physical hardware resources so the efficiency of these hypervisors lags
in performance as compared to the type-1 hypervisors, and potential security risks.
Hypervisor Type-1 And Type- 2

How Hypervisors Work:

1. Allocate CPU, memory, and storage,network iterface to VMs.
2. Ensure isolation between virtual machines.
3. Provide an interface to manage and monitor VMs.
4. Optimize hardware resource utilization.
 TYPE-1 Hypervisor:
The hypervisor runs directly on the underlying host system. It is also known as a “Native Hypervisor” or
“Bare metal hypervisor”. It does not require any base server operating system. It has direct access to
hardware resources. Examples of Type 1 hypervisors include VMware ESXi, Citrix XenServer, and
Microsoft Hyper-V hypervisor.

Pros & Cons of Type-1 Hypervisor:

Pros: Such kinds of hypervisors are very efficient because they have direct access to the physical hardware
resources(like Cpu, Memory, Network, and Physical storage). This causes the empowerment of the security
because there is nothing any kind of the third party resource so that attacker couldn’t compromise with
anything.
Cons: One problem with Type-1 hypervisors is that they usually need a dedicated separate machine to
perform their operation and to instruct different VMs and control the host hardware resources.

TYPE-2Hypervisor:
A Host operating system runs on the underlying host system. It is also known as ‘Hosted Hypervisor”. Such
kind of hypervisors doesn’t run directly over the underlying hardware rather they run as an application in a
Host system(physical machine). Basically, the software is installed on an operating system. Hypervisor asks
the operating system to make hardware calls. An example of a Type 2 hypervisor includes VMware Player
or Parallels Desktop. Hosted hypervisors are often found on endpoints like PCs. The type-2 hypervisor is
very useful for engineers, and security analysts (for checking malware, or malicious source code and newly
developed applications).
Pros & Cons of Type-2 Hypervisor:
Pros: Such kind of hypervisors allows quick and easy access to a guest Operating System alongside the host
machine running. These hypervisors usually come with additional useful features for guest machines. Such
tools enhance the coordination between the host machine and the guest machine.
Cons: Here there is no direct access to the physical hardware resources so the efficiency of these hypervisors
lags in performance as compared to the type-1 hypervisors, and potential security risks are also there an
attacker can compromise the security weakness if there is access to the host operating system so he can also
access the guest operating system.

Advantages of Hypervisors
Efficient resource utilization.
Cost savings (less hardware needed).
Isolation and security between VMs.
Flexibility and scalability.
Easy backup and recovery.
Choosing the Right Hypervisor The choice between Type 1 and Type 2 hypervisors depends
on your specific needs and requirements. Consider factors such as:

• Performance: If you need optimal performance and resource utilization, a

Type 1 hypervisor is generally the better choice.
• Scalability: For large-scale deployments and high-performance workloads, a
Type 1 hypervisor can handle the demands.
•Ease of use: If you're new to virtualization or prefer a simpler setup, a Type 2 hypervisor may
be more suitable.
•Cost: Type 1 hypervisors often require specialized hardware, which can increase costs.
 Key Differences Between Type 1 and Type 2 Hypervisors

Feature Type 1 (Bare-Metal) Type 2 (Hosted)

Installation Directly on hardware On top of an existing OS

Hardware
Direct Indirect (through host OS)
Access

Performance Generally higher Lower due to host OS overhead

Better suited for large-

Scalability Limited by host OS resources
scale environments

Personal use, development,

Use Cases Data centers, server farms
smaller environments

Need of Virtualization
Virtualization is needed in modern computing environments due to several practical, financial, and
operational benefits. Below are the main reasons:

1. Cost Savings

 Hardware Utilization: Virtualization allows multiple virtual machines to run on a single

physical server, using resources more efficiently.

 Fewer Physical Servers: Less hardware means lower purchasing and maintenance costs.

 Energy Efficiency: Reduces electricity consumption and cooling needs, saving money.

"Instead of buying 10 servers, we can run 10 virtual servers on one machine."

2. Simplified Administration

 Centralized Management: Admins can manage all virtual machines from a single dashboard.
 Easy Backups & Snapshots: Take quick snapshots of VMs for backup or recovery.
 Cloning & Templates: Easily duplicate machines or use templates to create new VMs.

"Managing virtual servers is easier because everything is in one place."

3. Fast Deployment

 Quick Setup: New virtual machines can be created in minutes, unlike physical servers that take
hours or days.
 Testing and Development: Developers can spin up testing environments quickly, try different
configurations, and discard them easily.

"Want a new server? Click a few buttons – it’s ready!"

4. Reduced Infrastructure Requirements

 Space-Saving: Fewer physical machines means less space needed in server rooms.
 Less Hardware, More Flexibility: Organizations can do more with less equipment.
 Consolidation: Run many services on fewer physical systems.

"Virtualization reduces the need for big server rooms and bulky hardware."

5. Resource Optimization
• Improved Hardware Utilization: By partitioning a physical server into
multiple virtual machines (VMs), organizations can maximize the use of
their hardware resources. This prevents underutilization and reduces the
need for additional physical servers.
• Dynamic Resource Allocation: Virtualization enables flexible resource
allocation based on demand. VMs can be scaled up or down to
accommodate fluctuating workloads, ensuring optimal performance and
cost-effectiveness.

VIRTUALIZATION REFERENCE MODEL

(VIRTUALIZATIONARCHITECTURE)
Three major Components falls under this category in a virtualized environment:
1.GUEST:
The guest represents the system component that interacts with the virtualization layer rather than with
the host, as would normally happen. Guests usually consist of one or more virtual disk files, and a VM
definition file. Virtual Machines are centrally managed by a host application that sees and manages each
virtual machine as a different application.

2.HOST:
The host represents the original environment where the guest is supposed to be managed. Each guest
runs on the host using shared resources donated to it by the host. The operating system, works as the
host and manages the physical resource management, and the device support.
3.VIRTUALIZATIONLAYER:
The virtualization layer is responsible for recreating the same or a different environment where the guest
will operate. It is an additional abstraction layer between a network and storage hardware, computing,
and the application running on it. Usually it helps to run a single operating system per machine which
can be very inflexible compared to the usage of virtualization.

What are the different types of virtualization?

You can use virtualization technology to get the functions of many different types of physical
infrastructure and all the benefits of a virtualized environment. You can go beyond virtual machines to
create a collection of virtual resources in your virtual environment.

1.Server virtualization

Server virtualization is a process that partitions a physical server into multiple virtual servers. It is an
efficient and cost-effective way to use server resources and deploy IT services in an organization. Without
 server virtualization, physical servers use only a small amount of their processing capacities, which leave
devices idle.

2. Storage virtualization

Storage virtualization combines the functions of physical storage devices such as network attached storage
(NAS) and storage area network (SAN). You can pool the storage hardware in your data center, even if it
is from different vendors or of different types. Storage virtualization uses all your physical data storage
and creates a large unit of virtual storage that you can assign and control by using management software.
IT administrators can streamline storage activities, such as archiving, backup, and recovery, because they
can combine multiple network storage devices virtually into a single storage device.

3. Network virtualization

Any computer network has hardware elements such as switches, routers, and firewalls. An organization
with offices in multiple geographic locations can have several different network technologies working
together to create its enterprise network. Network virtualization is a process that combines all of these
network resources to centralize administrative tasks. Administrators can adjust and control these elements
virtually without touching the physical components, which greatly simplifies network management.

The following are two approaches to network virtualization.

4. Software-defined networking

Software-defined networking (SDN) controls traffic routing by taking over routing management from data
routing in the physical environment. For example, you can program your system to prioritize your video
call traffic over application traffic to ensure consistent call quality in all online meetings.

5. Network function virtualization

Network function virtualization technology combines the functions of network appliances, such as
firewalls, load balancers, and traffic analyzers that work together, to improve network performance.

6. Desktop virtualization

Most organizations have nontechnical staff that use desktop operating systems to run common business
applications. For instance, you might have the following staff:

 A customer service team that requires a desktop computer with Windows 10 and customer-relationship
management software
 A marketing team that requires Windows Vista for sales applications

You can use desktop virtualization to run these different desktop operating systems on virtual machines,
which your teams can access remotely. This type of virtualization makes desktop management efficient
and secure, saving money on desktop hardware. The following are types of desktop virtualization.
difference between para and full virtualization :

Feature
Full Virtualization Para Virtualization
Virtualizes part of the hardware; the guest
Virtualizes the entire hardware, so
Definition OS is modified to interact with the
the guest OS runs unchanged.
hypervisor.
Guest OS ✅ Required (OS must be aware it's
❌ Not required
Modification virtualized)
Higher (less overhead, more direct
Performance Lower (due to instruction emulation)
communication)
Hardware Some direct access allowed (optimized
Through hypervisor/emulation
Access calls)
Supports any OS (even unmodified Only supports modified OS that are aware
Compatibility
ones) of the hypervisor
Xen (with modified Linux kernel), Oracle
Example VMware, VirtualBox
VM (Paravirtual mode)