What is the difference between cloud computing and virtualization?

The two concepts of virtualization and private cloud make many IT pros feel confused. Are they the same? What's the difference? We have virtualized most computing resources, so is the private cloud related to us? These are the questions that I often get asked. Before I answer these questions clearly, I would like to first clarify some of the necessary concepts.

Recently, many enterprises ' IT departments have introduced virtualization into their existing computing environments. Consolidating servers, imitating production environments, virtualizing test networks, securing corporate networks, adding disaster alternatives, and so on, all of which are only using virtualization applications. Some enterprises also have a high degree of virtualization of their IT facilities with the automation provided by various systems management solutions. I think a lot of IT pros have recognized the benefits of virtualization, including more efficient use of servers, saving costs by reducing physical carbon footprint, and so on. Now that we are entering the cloud, the question becomes "virtualization and private cloud?" Or "Do we already have highly virtualized computing resources and need a private cloud?" The answer to these questions is usually "what kind of business problem do you need to solve?" Started. And then evaluate whether the private cloud solution can solve the problem, or is virtualization enough? Of course, this assumes that we have a clear understanding of what virtualization is and what the private cloud is. The point is that virtualization and cloud computing are not the same thing. They want to solve the different dimensions of IT problems, but also to the enterprise will have different levels of impact, leading to different development prospects.

Virtualization

Briefly, in the IT environment, virtualization is about "isolating" computing resources, so that an object on a layer (such as an application, a task, a component) can operate independently without regard to other changes under that layer. A detailed discussion of virtualization is beyond the scope of this article. However, let us explain some of the terminology that virtualization and isolation are often chosen for specific reasons, but there are technical differences between virtualization and emulation, isolation, and redirection. "" Virtualization isolates a variety of computing resources and therefore provides the opportunity to reallocate and consolidate quarantined resources for better and more efficient use of these resources.

Cloud

Cloud computing, on the other hand, is the ability to access resources on demand. In general, there are many answers to what we expect to get from cloud computing. The definition of cloud computing given by the National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) outlines the basic features, how it is delivered, and what deployment patterns are considered cloud computing and so on. I have further simplified this definition, providing a more straightforward and simpler way to describe cloud computing, and here is what I've done with the 5-3-2 principle of cloud computing.

The nature of cloud computing stems from "service". In the context of cloud computing, a service means a state that can be taken on demand. So SaaS means that software, such as an application, can be used on demand, focusing on what is available within it rather than what is applied. PAAs provides a normal operating environment on demand, so the problem is how to deploy a combination of on-demand application functionality into this environment. Because the normal operating environment is available on demand, an application deployed to it can also run on demand. That is, the applications deployed to the PAAs environment can be delivered on demand, with the result being the same as SaaS. Again, IaaS refers to infrastructure that can be used on demand and pre-configured on demand. For IT professionals, provisioning infrastructure at the operational level is equivalent to deploying servers. In a cloud computing environment, all servers are virtualized and deployed as virtual machines, so IaaS ultimately becomes the ability to deploy virtual machines on demand.

"On demand" is not a word that is freely used. The word strongly hints at the five basic features of cloud computing. On-demand means high availability and always ready status, as it must be readily available and ready for each SLA. On-demand claims that standardization, automation, optimization and choreography must be in place, and as a whole they are presented as resource pools and resiliency. On-demand means that there must be audits and metrics, i.e. analysis, so capacity can be planned accordingly. This is why the Pay-as-you-go model based on consumption is included in the basic features of cloud computing.

The obvious difference between cloud computing and virtualization

As mentioned above, it is not difficult to understand the essential differences between virtualization and private clouds. Obviously, virtualization is the opposite of cloud computing, and it's not based on the 5-3-2 principle. For example, self-service mode is not a basic component of virtualization, but it is essential for cloud computing. One would certainly argue that some virtualization solutions include the Self service component. The problem is that self service is neither a requirement nor a sufficient condition for virtualization. In cloud computing, self-service is a vital concept that must be available to users at any time. Furthermore, in order to reduce long-term training and support all service levels, self service is clearly an efficient mechanism. In the long term, it is a critical factor in accelerating the ROI of cloud computing solutions to make them sustainable.

Virtualization is the core of a virtual machine that stems from the flexibility of infrastructure management, operations, and deployment. Virtualization refers to the ability to consolidate servers, manage virtual machines, streamline desktops, and so on.

At the same time, the cloud is related to "services" and "services" are related to cloud readiness and responsiveness to market opportunities. The cloud is concerned with how to move to the market. It is focused on how to get an applied enterprise core business application to take on demand, not just to deploy a virtual machine. The cloud is interested in not only the operation of virtual machines, but also the application of targets running on virtual machines.

So virtualization is by no means cloud computing. And cloud computing goes well beyond virtualization. So we'll explore in the next section how the private cloud delivers it as a service.