Server virtualization allows for cheaper and more efficient web hosting by allocating resources to each subscriber and allowing virtual servers to run separately. It can also be used for redundancy and compatibility. There are three ways to accomplish it: full virtualization, paravirtualization, and OS-level virtualization.
There was a time when an organization looking for web hosting had to choose between a shared server and a dedicated server. This could be a difficult choice because while dedicated hosting offered a server that only one organization had access to, guaranteeing memory, bandwidth and complete control, it could be extremely expensive. A shared server, on the other hand, usually meant sharing memory and bandwidth resources as well as the IP address. If someone else on the server turns out to be a resource hog or floods the Internet with spam, you could find yourself stranded through no fault of your own, as ISPs have targeted the spammer who shares their turf. Server virtualization uses software to make a server act as if it were a number of separate servers, solving the problem.
Server virtualization, also known as Virtual Dedicated Server (VDS) or Virtual Private Server (VPS), is cheaper than a dedicated server and solves the resource sharing issues of a shared server by allocating resources to each subscriber and allowing each virtual server to run completely separately from others, even running separate operating systems if desired. Server virtualization also has applications within organizations, as it can allow incompatible tasks and processes to run on the same server completely without interaction or overlap, making more efficient use of the server. Another benefit of virtual servers is to allow for redundancy within a single piece of hardware. A second virtual server could contain the sample application and/or the same data to be used as a backup in case of failure.
Server virtualization can be accomplished in three different ways. The former is referred to as the full virtualization or virtual machine model; the second as paravirtualization or paravirtual machine model (PVM); and the third is called OS-level virtualization or OS-level (operating system) virtualization. The virtual machine model requires hypervisor software, which acts as a platform for virtual server operating systems, keeping them separate and independent, which requires a lot of processing power. The PVM model allows virtual servers to be aware of each other and coordinate the use of resources. With OS-level server virtualization, there is only one host OS, and the virtual servers are guests, meaning they all need to be separate and run on the same OS, but allow the system to be more efficient.
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