Virtual machines (VMs) 6 – Compute

Key features:

• High performance: VMware offers advanced features such as memory overcommitment, live migration (vMotion), and distributed resource scheduling (DRS) that enhance VM performance and resource utilization
• Robust management tools: VMware provides a suite of management tools such as vCenter Server, which enables centralized VM management, monitoring, and resource allocation
• High availability: VMware offers features such as fault tolerance and automatic VM restart, ensuring continuous availability of critical applications
• Scalability: With VMware, organizations can scale their virtual infrastructure horizontally and vertically, adding more VMs or expanding resources as needed
• Ecosystem and compatibility: VMware has a broad ecosystem of third-party vendors and supports a wide range of operating systems, making it compatible with diverse application environments

Hyper-V

Hyper-V is a hypervisor-based virtualization technology developed by Microsoft. It is an integral component of Windows Server operating systems and provides a robust platform for creating and managing VMs.

Key features:

• Integration with the Microsoft ecosystem: Hyper-V seamlessly integrates with other Microsoft technologies, such as Active Directory, System Center Suite, and Windows PowerShell, providing a cohesive virtualization solution within the Microsoft ecosystem.
• Live migration and high availability: Hyper-V supports live migration, allowing VMs to be moved between physical hosts with minimal downtime. It also provides features such as failover clustering for the high availability of VMs.
• Extensive management tools: Hyper-V offers various management tools such as Hyper-V Manager, Windows Admin Center, and PowerShell, enabling efficient VM management, monitoring, and automation.
• Secure virtualization: Hyper-V incorporates security features such as shielded VMs and BitLocker encryption to protect VMs and their data from unauthorized access.
• Scalability: Hyper-V supports scaling VM deployments through features such as dynamic memory allocation and virtual machine queues (VMQs), enabling efficient utilization of resources.

Both VMware and Hyper-V are mature and widely adopted VM technologies, each with its own strengths and capabilities. Organizations often choose between them based on factors such as specific requirements, existing infrastructure, ecosystem compatibility, and budget considerations. It’s important for organizations to assess their needs and evaluate these technologies to determine which one aligns best with their virtualization goals and objectives.

Here’s an example of how to set up Hyper-V on a Windows machine:

1. Check system requirements: First, ensure that your computer meets the system requirements for Hyper-V. You need a 64-bit Windows operating system with Second Level Address Translation (SLAT) and Data Execution Prevention (DEP) features enabled in the BIOS.
2. Enable the Hyper-V feature: Hyper-V is a Windows feature that needs to be enabled. Open Control Panel and go to Programs > Programs and Features > Turn Windows features on or off. Check the Hyper-V box and click OK. Windows will install the necessary components and prompt you to restart your computer.
3. Configure Hyper-V settings (optional): Once Hyper-V is installed, you can configure its settings. To do this, use the Hyper-V Manager application. You can access it through the Start menu or by searching for Hyper-V Manager in the search bar.
4. Create a VM: With Hyper-V installed, you can now create VMs. In Hyper-V Manager, right-click on the server name and select New > Virtual Machine. The Virtual Machine Wizard will guide you through creating the VM, where you’ll specify settings such as the VM name, memory, network, and storage.
5. Install an operating system on the VM: After creating the VM, you need to install an operating system on it. In Hyper-V Manager, right-click on the VM you just created and select Connect. This will open a console where you can start the VM and install the OS from an ISO file or installation media.
6. Manage VMs: You can manage your VMs through Hyper-V Manager. This includes starting, stopping, pausing, and deleting VMs, as well as adjusting their settings.
7. Enable nested virtualization (optional): If you need to run VMs within a VM (nested virtualization), you can enable this feature in Hyper-V. This is useful for scenarios such as running Docker within a VM.

Remember that Hyper-V is a powerful tool that allows you to create and manage virtualized environments on Windows machines, enabling you to run multiple operating systems and applications in isolated environments for testing, development, or production purposes.

The previous section covered VMware, Hyper-V, and VMs, and you learned about leading virtualization platforms that enable the creation and management of multiple virtual environments on a single physical host. VMs were introduced as self-contained instances of an operating system, offering benefits such as resource optimization, cost savings, and simplified testing and development. The section highlighted the versatility of VMs in various use cases, including software testing, application development, and server consolidation. You also understood the significance of choosing the appropriate virtualization solution based on specific needs and project requirements.