The Virtualization Model

One model can be used for virtualization technologies, such as Software Defined Compute (SDC), Software Defined Networking (SDN), and Software Defined Storage (SDS), as shown in the picture below.

2015-04/virtualization-model.jpg

The model shows 3 layers: at the bottom, physical devices, then a virtualization layer that creates abstract system resources, and at the top a number of virtual devices that are compiled using the abstract system resources. It is a well-known way of implementing a virtual machine environment, but it also applies to networking and storage.

When the virtualization layer is programmable, using APIs, it can be controlled by (external, third party) software, to support software defined computing, software defined storage, or software defined networking.

The number of physical devices is typically independent of the number of virtual devices. The physical devices can be commodity hardware, or enterprise grade hardware, or a mixture. Because of the virtualization layer the physical hardware can be upgraded, replaced or phased out independent of the operation of the virtual devices.

The virtualization layer provides a resource pool that enables virtual devices to be configured. Ideally, the virtualization layer should decrease the performance, as delivered by the physical devices, by no than 10%.

The virtualization layer can provide advanced features, such as:

  • Storage (SDS): deduplication, RAID, Snapshots;
  • Compute (SDC): Live migration, virus scanning;
  • Networking (SDN): VLANs, filtering, IDS, firewalls, virus scanning;

and provides APIs for scripting (orchestration), as provided by software such as OpenStack.


This entry was posted on Thursday 23 April 2015

Earlier articles

Quantum computing

Security at cloud providers not getting better because of government regulation

The cloud is as insecure as its configuration

Infrastructure as code

DevOps for infrastructure

Infrastructure as a Service (IaaS)

(Hyper) Converged Infrastructure

Object storage

Software Defined Networking (SDN) and Network Function Virtualization (NFV)

Software Defined Storage (SDS)

What's the point of using Docker containers?

Identity and Access Management

Using user profiles to determine infrastructure load

Public wireless networks

Supercomputer architecture

Desktop virtualization

Stakeholder management

x86 platform architecture

Midrange systems architecture

Mainframe Architecture

Software Defined Data Center - SDDC

The Virtualization Model

What are concurrent users?

Performance and availability monitoring in levels

UX/UI has no business rules

Technical debt: a time related issue

Solution shaping workshops

Architecture life cycle

Project managers and architects

Using ArchiMate for describing infrastructures

Kruchten’s 4+1 views for solution architecture

The SEI stack of solution architecture frameworks

TOGAF and infrastructure architecture

The Zachman framework

An introduction to architecture frameworks

How to handle a Distributed Denial of Service (DDoS) attack

Architecture Principles

Views and viewpoints explained

Stakeholders and their concerns

Skills of a solution architect architect

Solution architects versus enterprise architects

Definition of IT Architecture

What is Big Data?

How to make your IT "Greener"

What is Cloud computing and IaaS?

Purchasing of IT infrastructure technologies and services

IDS/IPS systems

IP Protocol (IPv4) classes and subnets

Infrastructure Architecture - Course materials

Introduction to Bring Your Own Device (BYOD)

Fire prevention in the datacenter

Where to build your datacenter

Availability - Fall-back, hot site, warm site

Reliabilty of infrastructure components

Human factors in availability of systems

Business Continuity Management (BCM) and Disaster Recovery Plan (DRP)

Performance - Design for use

Performance concepts - Load balancing

Performance concepts - Scaling

Performance concept - Caching

Perceived performance

Ethical hacking

The first computers

Open group ITAC /Open CA Certification


Recommended links

Ruth Malan
Gaudi site
Esther Barthel's site on virtualization
Eltjo Poort's site on architecture


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The postings on this site are my opinions and do not necessarily represent CGI’s strategies, views or opinions.

 

Copyright Sjaak Laan