Welcome to our “DEFINITIONS” Series
Today, we are diving into the world of virtualization stack. What is it and how does it work? Let’s explore!
Virtualization stack can be best understood as a software infrastructure that enables the creation and management of virtual machines (VMs) on a physical server. It provides the necessary layers of technology to virtualize hardware resources, allowing for the efficient utilization of computing resources.
Key Takeaways:
- Virtualization stack is a software infrastructure for creating and managing virtual machines.
- It enables efficient utilization of computing resources by virtualizing hardware resources.
Now, let’s break down the components of a virtualization stack:
1. Hypervisor:
The hypervisor, also known as the Virtual Machine Monitor (VMM), is the core component of the virtualization stack. It acts as a liaison between the physical hardware and the virtual machines. The hypervisor’s primary role is to abstract and share the underlying hardware resources, such as CPU, memory, and storage, among multiple VMs.
2. Virtual Machine Manager:
The Virtual Machine Manager (VMM) is the management layer of the virtualization stack. It provides tools and interfaces for administrators to create, configure, and manage virtual machines. The VMM also handles tasks such as monitoring VM performance, managing VM snapshots, and allocating resources to different VMs.
3. Virtual Machine:
A virtual machine is an isolated software environment that emulates a complete computer system, including the operating system, applications, and virtualized hardware. Multiple VMs can run concurrently on a single physical server, each with its own dedicated resources and independent operating system instance.
4. Infrastructure Layer:
The infrastructure layer includes various components such as networking, storage, and security that support the virtualization stack. It ensures seamless communication between virtual machines, manages storage resources for VMs, and provides security measures to protect the virtualized environment.
5. Physical Hardware:
The physical hardware refers to the underlying physical server that hosts the virtual machines. It includes the CPU, memory, storage devices, and network interfaces. The virtualization stack leverages the resources of the physical hardware to create and manage the virtual machines.
In conclusion, virtualization stack is a powerful software infrastructure that enables the creation, management, and efficient utilization of virtual machines. With its components working together, organizations can maximize their computing resources, enhance scalability, and reduce costs. So, if you’re looking to optimize your infrastructure and embrace the benefits of virtualization, the virtualization stack is a crucial concept to understand.
Key Takeaways:
- Virtualization stack facilitates the creation and management of virtual machines on a physical server.
- It consists of components like the hypervisor, virtual machine manager, virtual machines, infrastructure layer, and physical hardware.
