Analytics: Virtualization is the most beneficial complement to cloud computing

The rise of server virtualization and the evolution of cloud computing the two technologies are like peanut butter and jelly, or more like the combination of tuna and pistachio fruit? The answer to this question depends on who you ask. In general, however, virtualization is seen as a complement to cloud computing, not an essential one.

Kusnetzky Group chief analyst Dan Kusnetzky says virtualization is one of the many technologies that are useful for cloud computing. Not all cloud computing applications need to use virtual machine technology. However, cloud computing can use virtual access, Application Virtualization, and/or storage virtualization.

Cloud computing is just a fashionable slogan for Subbaraman Iyer, vice president of I2M Management Services, a major project management company in South-East Asia. He argues that there is very little connection between cloud computing and virtualization, although the drivers of the two technologies are the same. In general, cloud computing is simply an alternative solution that does not use internal data centers or resources that are specifically managed by any vendor. Cloud computing is a huge virtual infrastructure in which computing and storage resources are charged for use. Its tempting benefit is its scalability and the ability to access applications anywhere.

On the other hand, Web strategists and Internet Service Advisor Errett cord that cloud computing and virtualization are mutually reinforcing.

Virtualization allows the user company to reduce the number of servers used; cloud computing and virtualization are two aspects of the same effort. The effort is to create a network that leverages resources efficiently and has sufficient resources to cope with fault tolerance and disaster recovery.

Middleware software companies such as Boomi and Cohesiveft eliminate the gap between enterprise application software and cloud computing by making virtual systems that can run on cloud computing platforms.

Walt Disney Business analyst Steven Algieri called virtualization the biggest single reason you can upgrade with the cloud. Most of the services you need to upgrade are customer-facing services, he says. A common example is a Web server. If this network server is running a database-driven content management system, all of which are in a large database on another server, it is easy to start new instances with a front-end network server that is statically set up. All that is needed is a simple internal script to get the user's details, such as IP address and database address.

' That's how Amazon's EC2 service works, ' says Algieri. You create a virtual machine image. Then, Amazon will create many instances based on your needs. Use a technology like Rightscale and then provide the ability to manage these instances.

Cord, an Internet service consultant, said, plus you pay for the service time you use, the mainframe computer is back!

"If the cloud behaves more like an operating system platform, providing a client access to one of the main interfaces of its application," said Charles Kinnan, founder and software architect of the Milyli company, an emerging enterprise that makes product lifecycle management rich in Internet applications. Virtualization is clearly a key part of this equation and is the biggest benefit of cloud computing.

However, this does not seem to be the way for cloud computing customers to go. Because they advertise cloud computing with a variety of devices, displays, and input methods, customer software has the opportunity to still be able to operate on these devices, to tailor each device, and to upload and download data to cloud computing.

Kinnan says such a number of web-friendly client platforms are becoming popular, such as Adobe's Flex for PCs and Microsoft's Silverlight platform. I think most cloud computing will depend on the client software that connects to the data storage service.

In the data center, if this assumption is correct, that is, the data center will evolve to an ultra-high-density service server farm configured with a low speed processor, where applications can be transformed freely, and trying to implement an operating system connected to a user's management can be a nightmare. Therefore, it is significant to have a high level of setup or automatic setting for a virtual server.

In short, Kinnan that cloud computing servers will become Plug and Play data centers.

In the long run, there is no consensus as to how excellent trends in virtualization and cloud computing can be combined and how well they can be combined. However, while virtualization is not absolutely necessary for cloud computing, virtualization is certainly helpful.