| Virtualization represents a huge monetary savings | | | | applications from the operating system, instead of |
| opportunity for businesses. Virtualization revolutionizes | | | | the operating system itself being compartmentalized |
| software licensing as we currently know it and | | | | itself. This method eliminates the need for separate |
| application developers are scrambling to develop new | | | | instances of the OS. This type of virtualization cannot |
| licensing models. | | | | support Windows, and never will, and its major |
| By enabling a single computing source to run as | | | | players are Sun and IBM. |
| multiple logical resources it can allow a single server | | | | Another virtualization method already utilized by |
| application access to innumerable users without | | | | Microsoft is built into its own Virtual Server 2007 |
| violating traditional licensing models that are figured | | | | software. This is a free tool that can run other |
| per user or per processor. Vendors using virtualization | | | | operating systems on top of Windows Server 2008, |
| software enables other applications to run on logical | | | | rather than creating a separate instance of the OS. |
| partitions at the application layer. This makes the | | | | Presently, the only operating systems that Virtual |
| software transparent regarding its physical location, | | | | Server will run are Windows operating systems but |
| thus rendering traditional per processor software | | | | plans are in the works for Virtual Server to support |
| licensing meaningless. Along with multi-core processors | | | | the SUSE flavor of Linux. |
| on the hardware end, virtualization is forcing new | | | | Finally, a virtualization method introduced by BEA |
| licensing methods on all software application | | | | Systems is the only method that abandons |
| developers even as this article is written. | | | | per-socket licensing altogether. LiquidVM is based on |
| Consolidating applications on fewer servers enables | | | | the Java platform and eliminates the OS altogether |
| businesses to run using less hardware. Oftentimes | | | | by running applications directly within LiquidVM. |
| servers are under-utilized with a significant amount of | | | | LiquidVM licensing is based on instances of the |
| processing power idling and unused. Running fewer | | | | virtualization software. |
| servers saves money not only in up-front hardware | | | | As noted previously, there are many software |
| costs but also by reducing energy bills and reducing | | | | vendors that have introduced products based upon |
| the number of IT staff required for server | | | | the open source platform. Open source licensing is |
| management. Plus, processing power is used | | | | often a great alternative to traditional licensing as |
| efficiently and more up to the capabilities each server | | | | software using this model is freely distributed within |
| can handle. | | | | an organization. |
| Keep in mind that the software industry will catch up | | | | However, a company wishing to implement |
| to the advantage virtualization currently presents to | | | | virtualization using its own XenSource initiative must |
| businesses and will come up with pricing schemes | | | | realize a lot of development talent will be required |
| that are more beneficial to their profit lines. Where | | | | and open source licensing inherently offers limited |
| per-chip licensing was a simple concept meaning one | | | | support. The open source virtualization licensing model |
| chip per piece of hardware hence one license | | | | works best for large companies with an internal IT |
| required, virtualization, with its transparent logical | | | | application development staff that can work with the |
| partitions, permanently obscures how to define this. | | | | open source code and customize it to the company's |
| Vendors are trying and are coming up with various | | | | needs. |
| methods to tackle the problem virtualization presents | | | | Smaller businesses just don't have extensive |
| to them. Most of these new pricing schemes are still | | | | application development personnel on hand so they |
| based on hardware instances but count on a | | | | might want to look at other virtualization licensing |
| per-socket basis, instead of per-core, which saves | | | | strategies that better suit their company. With |
| businesses a lot of money when they take | | | | hardware already in the market that inherently |
| advantage of virtualization. One idea floating around | | | | compliments virtualization such as multi-core |
| for a new licensing model involves pricing based on | | | | processors from AMD and Intel desktop users are |
| memory used or number of cores. | | | | also able to take advantage of the virtualized |
| New releases from perpetual competitors like | | | | processing environment. |
| Microsoft and Sun are now based on treating each | | | | Desktop users can install multiple instances of |
| virtualized server as a physical server and come | | | | Windows on the same PC, utilizing the different |
| prepackaged with a number of virtual machines that | | | | processing cores, without violating Microsoft's licensing |
| can be released under the licensing agreement. | | | | agreement. Full VMware virtualization allows IT |
| There are basically five ways to approach | | | | security personnel to create an operating system |
| virtualization and each method has its major player in | | | | environment independent of the "live" OS for testing |
| the market: | | | | purposes, etc. This allows the IT staff to fully test |
| The first method is not adopting virtualization at all. | | | | new software installations, for example, on virtual |
| This is the traditional computer architecture where | | | | desktops without bringing down the "live" OS for |
| applications are operating under a single operating | | | | these testing purposes. |
| system (OS) instance on a single piece of physical | | | | New software can be tested fully and end-user |
| hardware. As anyone can see, there is no hardware | | | | issues can be anticipated and fixed before the new |
| savings realized under this traditional model of the | | | | software is ever introduced to the end-users. |
| computing architecture. Multiple machines will still be | | | | Virtualization presents an excellent money-saving |
| required to tackle processes that a single, virtualized | | | | opportunity that businesses large and small can take |
| machine could handle. However, most applications still | | | | advantage of. No matter the size of the business, |
| use this model for their licensing schemes while | | | | you can benefit from less hardware to purchase and |
| virtualization revolutionizes the whole concept. | | | | support, and savings on skyrocketing energy bills. |
| Hypervisor virtualization represents the first method | | | | Also, less hardware means less space required to do |
| used to achieve transformation of a single processing | | | | the same job that was done before virtualization |
| environment into multiple virtual ones. First developed | | | | was introduced. New hardware is built to support |
| by IBM for its mainframe systems in the 1960s, this | | | | virtualization so there's really no reason not to take |
| method utilizes the "hypervisor" created between the | | | | advantage of it. As you consider implementing |
| hardware and operating system layer that essentially | | | | virtualization technology, know that virtualization has |
| virtualizes the operating system independently of the | | | | been around for decades. |
| hardware it is running on. Today major vendors using | | | | The primary reasons why it's grown in popularity are |
| this method of virtualization are VMware, XenSource | | | | because the software is much more compatible with |
| (open source) - recently acquired by Citrix, and | | | | multiple operating systems, bandwidth speeds are |
| Microsoft's Hyper-V which will work with open-source | | | | considerably faster and companies can now reduce |
| platforms. | | | | overall capital expenditures to cut back on hardware, |
| The next type of virtualization uses a rival | | | | IT support and consumption of electricity. |
| technology to the hypervisor highly utilized by | | | | Copyright © 2008 Coprofit, All rights reserved. |
| Microsoft. This method uses containers to virtualize | | | | |