Running Head: Virtualization

How will virtualization change the way government agencies do business in the future?

Virtualization
Abstract:
Server and application virtualization is a hot topic among many government information technology program managers. Today’s government agencies are focusing on reducing expenses while improving the capabilities that information technology provides its customers. This is a difficult task to accomplish with shrinking budgets. A key technology that can help reduce costs in multiple ways is virtualization. Virtualization is the creation of a virtual (rather than actual) version of something, such as an operating system, a server, a storage device or network resources. There are many advantages and disadvantages associated with virtualization. Each government agency that is considering virtualization needs to investigate both aspects and make the informed decision according to their business needs and their customers. Depending on the environment that some agencies operate in, virtualization may not be a logical or realistic choice for many of its information technology needs due to security policies that may be in effect. This is especially true within the intelligence community (IC) and Department of Defense (DoD) where they are required to keep different security classifications of data physically separated. Even though system security classification and policy effect government IT environments, the emergence of virtualization will change how government agencies initiate policies and standard operating procedures because virtualization impacts budget, manpower, and business processes while using less equipment and resources.

Introduction
One of the information technology trends that has taken a foothold in the market in recent years is virtualization. Government agencies and private sector corporations are all working towards finding ways to reduce their IT infrastructure and save costs. One of the ways to accomplish this is through the use of server and application virtualization. Virtualization refers to the abstraction of the resources of a computer. The software that allows the virtualization to take place is called hypervisor or Virtual Machine Monitor (VMM). The software creates an abstraction layer between the hardware of the physical machine (host) and the operating system virtual machine which is known as the guest machine. Virtualization allows an organization to create a virtual version of a device or resource such as a server, a storage device, network or even an operating system, which divides the resource into one or more execution environments.
Typically in a virtual environment, numerous virtual appliances are simulated on a central computer or server. There are several advantages and disadvantages to the use of virtualization. One disadvantage for the functioning virtual or guest machine is that they require fairly powerful servers. The overall question associated with this is will that one machine be able to replace multiple machines and achieve cost savings? The answer to that question will have to be answered by the implementing organization when they conduct the research for the systems when they decide the time is right to move towards virtualization. Overall, virtualization in most aspects of information technology is the trend that agencies are moving towards. The stability of the products on the market and the inherent advantages of this technology have been proven many times throughout the industry. For government agencies, cost is always a prime consideration and that is even more true in todays economic situation. Virtualization, if implemented correctly, offers t Even though system security classification and policy effect government IT environments, the emergence of virtualization will change how government agencies initiate policies and standard operating procedures because virtualization impacts budget, manpower, and business processes while using less equipment and resources.
What is virtualization? In simple terms, virtualization is the act of running multiple OS on the same physical system. Today, it is common to see many data centers running applications that requires a dedicated server that is often too powerful for the purposes of the application as it is. There is no reason why we should install a domain controller on a 3GHz Dual Core Xeon with 2 Gigs of RAM when this server will be used to perhaps up to 3%). Given that the purpose of this article is not to explain virtualization and how it works, I will give you the link to VMware is the leader in the field. Therefore, you can find the information you need
History
Virtualization technology was developed in 1960 for the separation of large mainframe computers and was designed to provide more efficient use of equipment. Modern computers are based on the x86 architecture are facing the same problems (sluggishness and low rates of use) that mainframes of the time. VMware has invented virtualization in x86-1990 to cope with low utilization rates and other problems. While working on the technology it was decided to set objectives. Today, VMware is the global leader in virtualization x86. Trust us more than 190.000 customers, including all companies in the Fortune 100.
For the first time virtualization, IBM has implemented technology for more than 30 years ago. It was used for the logical separation of the mainframe to the individual virtual machines. These pieces are provided "multitasking" mainframe: the simultaneous execution of multiple applications and processes. Since that time, mainframes were expensive resources; they were designed with the division for the effective use of investments.
Technology Behind it
Virtualization is a framework or method to divide the logical computing resources, such as hardware, software, time-sharing, and others in each virtual machine execution independently of the OS. Finally, it seemed, virtualization enables the independent operating in an existing operating system by using existing hardware. So if you want any other Linux operating system, such as learning, you can use virtualization to run Linux on top of an existing operating system. Originally used for new virtualization software, but today showed that more than one test environment and test. The concept of this amazing technology can be a bit complicated, but it has been expected for decades to mature.
Advantages of Virtualization
Hardware cost savings by reducing the amount of servers
The support of virtualization can be integrated into the processor or assisted by one, the material is charging, for example, to virtualize memory access or to protect the physical processor accesses the lower level. This simplifies virtualization software and reduced performance degradation. One of the issues for which more companies are often interested in virtualization, which previously required since two machines can now use only one. But not only is here, but we can also save time with the ease of management or cloning virtual disks, to be held as any other file, with the advantages that it has partnered.
License savings
Microsoft offers something very beneficial in terms of licenses for Windows Server virtual environments. Indeed, if you purchase a Business license, that license can be used on a single physical server or virtual servers 4. If a license is purchased Datacenter, it can install an unlimited number of Windows OS in virtual mode. It is very convenient when the license management is difficult.
Reduced Manpower
Virtualization reduces the number of human to operate system, as one person can operate multiple systems through one system with the help of virtualization.
Less infrastructure to support - Reduce the server rooms needed, cooling needs will be reduced
Virtualization also decreases the server rooms and the cooling system, which reduces the electricity bill. Fewer infrastructures due to fewer servers ease the management of the systems.
Performance Vs Normal Servers
Virtualization is on the rise in recent years. If it is widely used in business computing-on servers for example - you may wonder how it can be used to Mr. All-The-World. For an individual, the benefits can be:
• Out of curiosity (to see how virtualization)
• To test different operating systems without having to install multi-boot or have multiple machines
• To simplify his administration rather than administering a single machine with multiple accounts, which increases gradually as the machine and requires occasional complete re-installation, installing a virtual machine, it simplifies administration (one single file / directory to save / reinstall, secure environments, etc.). Thus the basic system is minimal and stable, only the modified virtual images (and corrupt). Each user can have his favorite OS.
• For advanced users who have a home machine (server) on which they want to simplify the administration (security, simplified backup / restore, logical grouping and / or functional services, etc.).
Disadvantages of Virtualization
Single Point of failure
One of the biggest drawbacks is that virtualization single point of failure. When a machine that runs everything virtualized solution fails, or if virtualization solutions yourself, everything collapses.
It may sound scary, but really, this risk is relatively easy to give. Excess capacity and regular backup of virtualized operating systems (along with virtualized applications) are the guarantees against data loss and downtime due to single points of failure.
Requires High end machines
Virtualization can save money because it requires less hardware and can reduce the number of physical machines in the company, but that does not mean that it is possible archaic top-notch computer solutions to implement virtualization. Hardware Virtualization Services solutions are samples and require a very powerful machine. If the used machines are not strong, it is still possible to deploy virtualization solutions, but there is not enough RAM and CPU power to them, it will seriously disrupt their work. Anyway, it is still cheaper to add 4 GB of RAM on the machine more powerful than a new machine right now? A virtualized operating system will never reach the same levels of performance if they are directly installed in the iron. Since the hypervisor introduces an intermediate layer in the management of the hardware to manage requests for access and competition to it, the virtual machine performance is inevitably affected.
Application Virtualization may not be possible
While in most cases not possible to predict whether a particular program will misbehave in virtualized or not, there are many programs that are known to decrease performance in virtualized. Databases are one of the most common examples of such applications. The database requires regular hard drive operations and slow reading or writing to disk, because virtualization can do the entire application unusable. So far we have used the system for all our needs. But when multiple servers or virtualized production environments rely on the stability of their hosts, we carefully before you apply updates and patches.
Virtualization and its many uses
Server Virtualization that runs multiple instances of operating systems
Server virtualization allows a single physical server to coordinate the use of resources so that multiple operating systems to simultaneously operate independently and without interference between them. With virtualization is achieved by reduced hardware costs, management, procurement and energy consumption. It also provides vital functionality for your business: ensuring business continuity. The current dependence of the systems necessary to run our servers with high availability. With the virtualization of servers dramatically reduce downtime for planned or unplanned shutdowns of servers with an unbeatable value for money.
Virtualization to applications
Application virtualization is an alternative to installing applications to users on each workstation individually or centrally run these applications in the terminal environment. Application virtualization allows you to install software only once, later transferring applications to users automatically at their request. Such applications use the resources of user workstations, and the management of all settings, applications is centralized, as well as their installation. This solution greatly simplifies the administration of workstations and allows the installation of applications through a single management console, shared applications among themselves, not allowing the conflict occurs because of incompatibilities.
Desktop PCs
Desktop virtualization is a relatively new term introduced in the 90's, which describes the process of separation between the desktop, which includes data and programs that users use to work, the physical machine. The desktop "virtual" is stored remotely on a central server rather than on the personal computer's hard drive. This means that when users work on your desktop from your laptop or PC, all programs, applications, processes and data are stored and run centrally, allowing users to remotely access their desktops from any device that can connect remotely to your desktop such as a laptop, PC, Smartphone or thin client. The user will experience is geared to be identical to that of a standard PC, but from a thin client device or the like, and from the same office or remotely. Many commercial solutions also add the ability to switch some client sessions entrants (using a connection breaking software) systems towards desktop sharing traditional and the Terminal Services of Microsoft or application servers from Citrix , blade servers , or computers and individual physical desktop unused.
Network infrastructures
Virtual infrastructure, physical resources are shared on multiple computers in your infrastructure. With a virtual machine, you can share resources from one physical computer between different virtual machines for maximum efficiency. Resources are distributed across multiple virtual machines and applications. Your company needs to drive the dynamic allocation of physical resources for infrastructure applications, as these needs evolve and change. Consolidate your x86 servers and storage networks into a single pool of computing resources that can be used in applications where appropriate and where they are needed. This resource optimization provides greater flexibility in the enterprise and includes a reduction of capital expenditure and operating costs. A virtual infrastructure, natural resources are shared on multiple computers in your infrastructure. With a virtual machine, you can share resources from one physical computer between different virtual machines for maximum efficiency. Resources are distributed across multiple virtual machines and applications. Your company needs to drive the dynamic allocation of physical resources for infrastructure applications, as these needs evolve and change. Consolidate your x86 servers and storage networks into a single pool of computing resources that can be used in applications where appropriate and where they are needed. This resource optimization provides greater flexibility in business and includes reduced capital and operating costs.
Virtualization for rapid test and development of applications
Development business requires continuous development of IT-infrastructure. Often to support new applications are installed additional servers, which in turn causes an increase in the number of working servers, maintenance costs and reduces the speed and reliability. Virtualization restricts the rapid growth of servers, simplifies server management and improves utilization of server resources, performance and network reliability. This is achieved by consolidating multiple applications on a small number of corporate servers.
Managing Virtualization
Virtualization is growing out of control in your IT environment? As a vine that has grown over the account, you can manage virtualization without consume all available IT resources, choking focused initiatives business. Without adequate control to IT managers will find it increasingly more difficult to manage the lifecycle of virtualization, to achieve and maintain cum regulatory virtual infrastructure, and define and implement the commitments performance. If you decide to tackle the main challenges of virtualization management, a way that maximizes their investment in the physical environment, will be giving the first important step toward business service management
Examples of Virtualization in use
Desktop virtualization is a new expertise, the promise for foremost adoptions just starting to appear, most IT administration groups are not certain how much it will play in their IT strategies. Merrill Lynch is the article of delay and sees. According to Birnbaum businesses designing to virtualized 10 per hundred of its 63,000 workers 'computers' in the end, and as numerous as half inside five years, encompassing numerous wireless workers. It is a gigantic effort that desktop virtualization is prepared for a high benchmark and a huge Wall Street. And Merrill is the IT scheme to invest in brutal enterprise weather, a business that has in writing about 30 billion dollars in dwelling borrowings throughout the deployment and functioning deficiency in the last three quarters. To Birnbaum, this finances is a stateless desktop virtualization more appealing because of the promise for "radically" smaller functioning charges, save about 50 per hundred of the total cost of ownership and administration of desktops and servers, he says. "Great win is to get out of desktop administration in all areas," states Birnbaum. Merrill Lynch will use programs from Microsoft, Red Hat, VMware, and two start-ups, Autodesk pitch and Qumran, to convey out its virtualization scheme, as asserted by Birnbaum. Citrix Systems is the second biggest contestant in desktop virtualization, likely with the broadest set of tools. Birnbaum remarks that Merrill proposes to check the Citrix Presentation Server. Merrill Lynch is most enterprises in desktop virtualization. Forrester's Lambert states that is just beginning to discover the business to address such a broad distribution. But with this new expertise could be a wait-and-see mind-set altered in the past - the outcomes of the boat previous than anticipated some.
Security Concerns of Virtualization
One compromised virtual machine could contaminate all virtual appliances on one personal server. A strike on one of the visitor virtual appliance to get away from other virtual appliances residing on the identical personal owner, it is the large-scale risk to security in a virtualized natural environment, in our eyes. Whether and when attacks concentrated on virtual appliances are gladly accessible, the attacker values only an strike on a virtual appliance that can origin impairment to other virtual appliances on a shut mesh, and finally get away from VMM virtual natural environment and get access to the host. In a usual strike, an attacker could strike goals in a time appliance; despite of intent "attacking a computer to damage on the identical machine" virtualized environments to eradicate this limit and create-to-many scenario for the attack. A strike on visitors owner their own or even a strike on visitors, or own them all. Therefore, we accept as factual that the large-scale security virtualization, this "host-to-host attacks, where an attacker profits origin or manager privileges on the hardware, then from a virtual appliance to another. If the attacker's own hypervisor, he / she own all the facts and numbers transient through the hypervisor and are adept to flavor, angle, or spoof anything. Without some kind of fail-safe, visitor functioning schemes should in no way to understand that they are on the stage at risk. This "hyper- -jacking 'scenario is especially scary when we gaze at the foremost virtualization stage which boasts 10, 50, and even hundreds of servers hosted on a lone part of hardware. The promise risk of mislaying command and earnings are significant.
Emerging Hardware that supports virtualization
Current virtualization renaissance stimulated exciting new research in virtual machines on both software and hardware side. Intel and AMD have incorporated direct support for virtualization into their CPU designs. Although this proposal may be a stand-alone simplify virtual machine monitor (VMM), techniques such as par virtualization and hosted VMM is still very effective support virtual machines.
Sampling of vendors that offer virtual infrastructures or solutions
Microsoft
Microsoft virtualization solutions span the data center to the desktop. For Microsoft, virtualization is helping IT departments reduce costs and enhance business continuity. Our solutions cover both physical and virtual infrastructure and are managed easily from a single console. Microsoft virtualization solutions using the familiar Windows interface and working in perfect symbiosis with technology based on Windows. Through this they are supported by an extensive network of experienced partners who can quickly meet your business needs.
Citrix
Citrix Deserver is a complete, managed server virtualization platform built on the powerful Xen hypervisor. Xen technology is widely acknowledged as the fastest and most secure virtualization software in the industry. Deserver is designed for efficient management of Windows® and Linux® virtual servers and delivers cost-effective server consolidation and business continuity.
HP
HP solutions for virtualization in servers, HP Integrity and HP 9000. Virtualization is one of the most effective method transitions more efficient use of server platforms forms, providing secure access to resources according to the company's development strategy of the customer and the need to adapt to new conditions for the semi-radiation advantages in business.
VMware
With virtualization, improve efficiency and availability of your resources and applications. Start by abandoning the old model "a server, an application" and run multiple virtual machines on each physical machine. Lighten the burden of your administrators, who spend more time managing the servers that innovate. In a non-virtualized datacenter, nearly 70% of a typical IT budget is spent on basic maintenance of existing infrastructure, leaving little for innovation. An automated data center, based on the platform of VMware virtualization, proven in production, you can respond more efficiently and faster to market changes. Sphere VMware provides the resources, applications, servers and even necessary when you need and where you need it. Generally, VMware customers reduce their overall IT costs by 50 to 70% by consolidating their resource pools and distributing machines highly available with VMware vSphere.
Conclusion
Government agencies and corporations are watching the development of virtualization applications, servers and storage systems (SAN) closely. Althought the applications are an important piece of the overall puzzle, we also need to pay attention to the physical infrastructure and cabling. Disordered optic and copper cable lines operate with a relatively large number of failures and problems with the plug is damaged, and fiber optic cables to increase spending by physically limiting the scalability and connectivity. Not all people who are engaged in designing, aware of the fact that, according to studies, the majority of cases, a network failure occurs because of problems with cable lines, which is quite a serious problem. If properly organized virtualization of physical infrastructure, the owner of the data center will be able to extend the lifetime of the data center. This technology will help reduce energy costs realted to cooling and hardware. The reduction in equipment can also reduce the IT footprint that is needed in a datacenter. References
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