Data center virtualization is a process that includes designing, developing, deploying, and transferring data centers by using a hypervisor. Virtualized data center, also known as software-defined data centers, enables organizations to remotely access information and applications. It uses a hypervisor, also known as a virtual machine monitor, VMM, or virtualizer, to imitate the resources of the physical servers and other resources to create virtualized data centers.
How does data center virtualization work?
Similar to other virtualization methods used on other systems or platforms, data center virtualization uses a hypervisor that abstracts the physical devices by mimicking their resources. While creating a virtualized data center, the hypervisor creates and manages a virtual machine. The hypervisor also helps align communication with a CPU. It uses resources, such as CPU, memory, and storage as a pool and can reallocate them easily between virtual machines.
How is virtualization applied in a data center?
Transforming a traditional data center to a virtualized data center includes various processes, technologies, and tools, which are required for the operation of the data center. The virtualization process enables the existing data center to host multiple virtualized data centers, that are used and located in the same physical infrastructure. Virtualized data center platforms can be managed from a physical location for private clouds, a remote location for public clouds, or a combination of both for hybrid clouds. Private cloud or in-house teams are responsible for the operation, deployment, management, and protection of on-site virtualized servers.
Benefits of data center virtualization
With the popularity of server virtualization solutions, many organizations switched from physical on-site data centers to virtualized data center solutions. The most significant benefit of data center virtualization is scalability. Virtual data centers are simple, fast, and cheaper to set up compared to an on-site data center. It is also easier to set them to be able to respond to unexpected rises in demand. They can also be downsized easily if it has too many resources compared to demand.
Also, virtualized resources can be accessed from anywhere, increasing their functionality. This enhanced functionality also enables versatile collaboration and sharing opportunities with cloud applications. Data center virtualization allows organizations to eliminate their spending on the management and maintenance of physical servers. Also, virtual solutions come with consumption-based models, which means organizations only pay for what they use. When combined with its scalability features, virtual data centers allow organizations to save costs drastically.
Data center virtualization certifications
Data center virtualization certifications validate candidate skills to implement, manage, and troubleshoot a vSphere infrastructure. There are few data center virtualization certifications that are very prestigious. VMware’s VMware Certified Technical Associate Data Center Virtualization and VMware Certified Professional Data Center Virtualization certifications are the most common and widely-known certifications at the moment.
Why is data center virtualization required?
With cloud computing becoming more popular every day, the demand for more flexible IT solutions is also increasing. The flexibility and cost savings of data center virtualization solutions made them popular quickly and most organizations switched from traditional data centers to virtual data centers quickly. Its benefits made the virtual data centers so popular among large organizations, it almost became a necessity to be competitive in a market.