Chapter 5.2 Architecture Trends{0}
Virtualization has become an indispensable part of server technology, and most major companies, corporations and businesses depend on a good IT department to implement a good virtualization server system to process business transactions, order supplies and materials needed for production, facilitate warehouse shipping and deliveries, and showcase product on the internet, while servicing customer and business needs. In the past, companies operated their servers using one application and one operating system per server; this was a waste, since only about 10-15% of the server space was used. These servers would take up valuable space, and become very expensive to maintain, to store properly and to upgrade. Virtualization in essence has consolidated the multiples of servers into just one server, which is segmented into individual distinctive segments, which then can operate a completely different operating system and a different application on the same server, using a virtualization hardware manager to manage the different applications, thus making efficiency as high as 70% usage. This not only saves on physical storage space, but enables easier maintenance and more room to add on new systems. Most businesses maintain some sort of data center server using virtualization.
Desktop virtualization is another new technology that IT departments are seriously looking into. Due to the multi core processors in desktop computers, a computer can work as a virtual server, enabling any computer to work on different applications from completely different operating systems. A good example of this is Apple’s “Boot Camp” on the Macintosh, which enables a user to work in both Mac and Windows XP on the same computer. According to the article, “the Challenges of Virtualization” by author Jim Metzler, the problem with many of the past desktop virtualization systems often dealt with performance issues and limitations with graphic intensive applications, like 3D and synchronization with audio/video. As a solution, the server company, Citrix has developed a new High Definition user eXperience (HDX™) technology in their new XenDesktop 4 system. Within this system, HDX MediaStream can accelerate processing of multimedia; HDX RealTime improves audio and video encoding and streaming; and HDX 3D, which optimizes 2D and 3D graphics. This new technology enables even a simple desktop to serve as a multitasking virtualization server.
This new technology is related to virtualization, as it is another form of virtualization. I like the article because it shows that even a simple desktop user can use completely different apps and OS software on the same computer in a very economical and efficient cost.
Work Cited
Metzler, Jim. & Taylor, Steve. (September 20, 2010). “The Challenges of Virtualization”. Network World, from http://www.networkworld.com/newsletters/frame/2010/092010wan1.html