Today, virtualization is an enterprise-ready architecture that drives the economy. Virtualization provides a resilient solution to host business-sensitive data and applications on existing hardware and scale them as their workloads increase. It enables administrators to have dedicated hardware to run their virtual machines, regardless of location.
Deploying virtual desktop solutions to access business applications proves to be a promising solution for many enterprises as it builds an isolated replica of a physical device, accessible even during times of disaster.
Virtualization solutions such as virtual desktop infrastructure also enhance your existing hardware’s lifecycle, enable you to control IT costs, and improve your system’s security. This approach is made possible because of the hypervisor.
This blog will give you detailed insights into the Hypervisor, its types, and its benefits.
What is Hypervisor?
A Hypervisor is a software that creates a pool of emulations for the virtual desktop environment, known as a virtual machine (VM).
A virtual machine is a code operating on a server to run separate applications on a single server while utilizing the physical hardware’s resources.
The Hypervisor enables users to run VMs and computing resources to work on computer hardware by isolating the operating system. A hypervisor acts as a virtual machine monitor that comprises specific storage, desktop, and operating system (OS).
This software layer is the most critical segment of virtualization that makes modern cloud computing possible by fostering scalability, security, and global IT infrastructure management.
Simplify Your Virtual Desktop Management With Citrix Hypervisor.
How Do Hypervisors Play a Key Role in Virtualization?
Below mentioned is the role of hypervisors in virtualization:
- Enhances Hardware Utilization:
Hypervisors enable the physical host hardware to run multiple OS simultaneously while employing its own resources. Thus, it results in the utilization of most computing resources and extends the hardware’s capabilities, be it any endpoint.
- Provides Better Mobility:
Hypervisors make the VMs independent by separating them from the underlying hardware. They are invisible to each other. This isolation leads to easy migration of VMs from one physical machine to another, which eases load balances.
- Strengthens security:
Since there is no dependency of VMs on each other, it creates a secluded user environment. This implies that any malware, crash, damage, or one VMs will not impact the whole system, making hypervisors exceptionally secure.
Understanding How Hypervisors Work
Virtualization needs hypervisors to load the client operating system and allocate specified CPU resources to each guest virtual machine.
The hypervisor is responsible for creating and running the virtual desktops by partitioning the resources between the client OS and server hardware. This builds an isolation layer in the operating system to separate it from the underlying host machine that uses its resources.
The guest VMs access the resources from a pool of shared CPU, storage, and memory. The hypervisor then manages and provisions pooled resources present in the host’s hardware and move them to guest VMs. These resources are then shared by virtual machines to run the desired applications and programs.
Types of Hypervisors
There are two types of hypervisors:
Type 1: Bare metal or native hypervisors
Type 2: Embedded or hosted hypervisors
Let’s discuss both in detail.
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Type 1 Hypervisor: Bare Metal or Native
Type 1 or Bare-metal hypervisors are the ones that run on the host hardware without dependence on any software. They also manage the virtual machines and control the whole virtual desktop environment. These hypervisors have a separate monitor machine for administration purposes which makes it a central element of security.
These hypervisors have robust security as they are directly connected to the physical machine without anything in the loop, so the chances of data loss are significantly reduced. They also dedicate additional space for resources in a VM than needed. Thus, their efficiency is also high, and they only consume the necessary resources. These features are what make Type 1 hypervisor preferable for major enterprises.
Type 1 hypervisors act as a foundation for virtual desktop infrastructure (VDI), which facilitates remote access to the desktop environment from any device. It allocates a virtual machine to every user that they can access from any location. ACE provides this solution on the Citrix Receiver platform, where we manage your desktop environment- customizable as per business needs.
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Type 2 Hypervisor: Embedded or Hosted Hypervisors
Type 2 or hosted hypervisors are the ones that operate as an application on the OS. They are classified as hosted hypervisors as they depend on the host OS to function by isolating the OS from the host. Here, each hypervisor has multiple OS to run.
Hosted hypervisors are comparatively easier to set up than Type1 as they have OS to rely upon. Also, they are compatible with a wide range of devices. However, they are incapable of handling complex workloads.
Therefore, for a business that needs a faster and more efficient operation on complex applications, it is suggested to go for Bare metal hypervisors. On the other hand, hosted hypervisors would work for the ones requiring easy setup and multi-device compatibility.
Gain Agility with VDI
Container Virtualization vs. Hypervisor Virtualization
From server virtualization to container virtualization, every term comes down to different levels of abstraction. In short:
- Container virtualization is based on isolating the guests without virtualizing the hardware and by running the applications with their own memory, processes, devices, and more.
- Hypervisor virtualization runs software on physical hardware where they are isolated from each other to operate efficiently and securely.
Containers and hypervisors both play a substantial role in ensuring that applications run fast, but their deployment is different for IT administrators.
Recommended Read: Containers vs. Virtual Machines (VMs): What’s the Difference?
Hypervisors:
- Enable an operating system (OS) to run independently of the underlying hardware by using virtual machines
- Storage and memory resources are shared among VMs.
- Based on two deployments: Firstly, the bare metal that runs multiple operating systems on one server. Second, a hosted hypervisor establishes the connection as an application dependent on the operating system.
Containers:
- Allows applications to function independently of an OS
- Allow applications to run on any operating system— only with container engine
- Easy to deploy and can be ported since it’s in a container.
Hypervisors and containers serve different benefits to the users. Hypervisors have their own operating systems to work on, which are isolated. In contrast, containers act as a package for an application to make it fast and flexible to work.
Also Read:–Business Continuity Plan (BCP): What Is It? Know How Can ACE Hosted VDI Support You
ACE Virtualization Solutions and Hypervisors
As mentioned, hypervisors allow you to control diverse workloads, even in the most demanding business scenario. This industry-leading virtualization platform delivers enterprise-class performance. With ACE-managed VDI solutions, you can leverage the benefits of hypervisor by:
- Scale resources for virtual workloads as per data center needs
- Ensure a seamless way of moving workloads to the cloud
- Boost control over the virtualization environment
- Improve the performance of your workloads with high-end 3D graphics. Safeguard your virtual infrastructure against advanced security risks
The hypervisor is simply an optimized platform that enables the delivery of virtual apps and desktops on any device and multiple users in just a few minutes. These leading-edge virtualization solutions integrate with a single provider to create a holistic performance.
These include a smooth experience via round-the-clock support and VM migration. With a hypervisor, users can get an HD experience, robust security, and streamlined IT operations.
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