Virtualization

Terms related to virtualization, including definitions about virtualization technologies and words and phrases about server virtualization, desktop virtualization and storage virtualization.
  • virtual server - A virtual server, also known as a virtual machine (VM), is a partitioned space inside a real server and is transparent to users, replicating the functionality of a dedicated physical server.
  • virtual server farm - A virtual server farm is a networking environment that employs multiple application and infrastructure servers running on two or more physical servers using a server virtualization program such as VMware or Microsoft Virtual Server.
  • virtual switch (vSwitch) - A virtual switch (vSwitch) is a software program that enables one virtual machine (VM) to communicate with another.
  • virtual to physical (V2P) - Virtual to physical (V2P) involves transferring or porting a virtual machine (VM) onto a physical machine.
  • virtual to virtual (V2V) - Virtual to virtual (V2V) refers to the migration of an operating system (OS), application program and data from a virtual machine (VM) or disk partition to another virtual machine or disk partition.
  • virtualization - Virtualization is the creation of a virtual version of an actual piece of technology, such as an operating system (OS), a server, a storage device or a network resource.
  • virtualization architecture - A virtualization architecture is a conceptual model of a virtual infrastructure that is most frequently applied in cloud computing.
  • virtualization sprawl (VM sprawl) - Virtualization sprawl is a phenomenon that occurs when the number of virtual machines (VMs) on a network reaches a point where administrators can no longer manage them effectively.
  • VLAN (virtual LAN) - A virtual LAN (VLAN) is a logical overlay network that groups together a subset of devices that share a physical LAN, isolating the traffic for each group.
  • VM BIOS (virtual machine basic input/output system) - A VM BIOS (virtual machine basic input/output system) is the set of instructions that controls the booting process of a VM.
  • VMkernel - VMkernel is a POSIX (Portable Operating System Interface)-like operating system developed by VMware.
  • VMware - VMware is a virtualization and cloud computing software provider based in Palo Alto, Calif.
  • VMware AirWatch - VMware AirWatch is an enterprise mobility software provider based in Atlanta.
  • VMware Cloud on AWS - VMware Cloud on AWS is a hybrid cloud service that runs the VMware software-defined data center (SDDC) stack in the AWS public cloud.
  • VMware DRS (Distributed Resource Scheduler) - VMware DRS (Distributed Resource Scheduler) is a utility that balances computing workloads with available resources in a virtualized environment.
  • VMware ESXi - VMware ESXi, also called VMware ESXi Server, is a bare-metal hypervisor developed by VMware for vSphere.
  • VMware Horizon Client - VMware Horizon Client is software that establishes a connection between endpoint devices and Horizon View virtual desktops and applications.
  • VMware Lab Manager - VMware Lab Manager is a software development and testing tool that enables designers and engineers to pool network and storage resources .
  • VMware Partner Network - The VMware Partner Network is a global channel partner program with benefits and support to provide VMware's virtualization and cloud technology.
  • VMware resource pool - A VMware resource pool is the aggregated physical compute hardware -- CPU and memory, as well as other components -- allocated to virtual machines (VMs) in a VMware virtual infrastructure.
  • VMware snapshot - A VMware snapshot is a copy of a virtual machine (VM) in a VMware environment taken at a specific point in time.
  • VMware template - A VMware template is a perfect, model copy of a virtual machine from which you can clone, convert or deploy more virtual machines.
  • VMware vApp - A VMware vApp is a collection of virtual machines (VMs) and sometimes other vApps that host a multi-tier application, its policies and service levels.
  • VMware vCenter Mobile Access (VMware vCMA) - VMware vCenter Mobile Access (VMware vCMA) is a virtual appliance used by admins to manage a data center from mobile devices such as smartphones and tablets.
  • VMware vCenter Server Heartbeat (vCSHB) - VMware vCenter Server Heartbeat (vCSHB) is VMware's OEM version of NeverFail, which is designed to ensure the high availability and disaster recovery of vCenter Server whether on a LAN or a Wireless Wide Area Network.
  • VMware View Persona Management - VMware View Persona Management is a feature of Horizon View that stores and delivers user-specific data from a remote storage repository to virtual or physical desktops.
  • VMware VMCI (VMware Virtual Machine Communication Interface) - VMware VMCI (Virtual Machine Communication Interface) is a high-speed interface that virtual machines (VMs) on the same host use to communicate with each other and the host kernel modules.
  • VMware vSAN - VMware vSAN is an enterprise storage virtualization software that supports hyper-converged infrastructure (HCI).
  • VMware vSphere App HA - VMware vSphere App HA is virtual appliance introduced with vSphere 5.
  • VMware vSphere Client - The VMware vSphere Client is a web-based application that connects to the vCenter Server so IT administrators can manage installations and handle inventory objects in a vSphere deployment.
  • VMware vSphere Web Client plug-in - VMware vSphere Web Client plug-ins are programs that either come from VMware itself or from third-party developers and partners to extend the vSphere Web Client with custom menu selections and toolbar icons that provide access to custom capabilities and external functionality.
  • VMware Workspace ONE - VMware Workspace ONE is a management platform that allows IT administrators to centrally control end users' mobile devices and cloud-hosted virtual desktops and applications from the cloud or from an on-premises deployment.
  • VMware Workstation Pro - VMware Workstation Pro is a 64-bit hosted hypervisor intended to implement virtualization on Microsoft Windows and Linux endpoint computers, such as desktop systems.
  • vSphere HA (VMware High Availability) - VMware vSphere HA (High Availability) is a utility included in VMware's vSphere software that can restart failed virtual machines (VMs) on alternative host servers to reduce application downtime.
  • What are virtual agents and how are they being used? - A virtual agent is an AI-powered software application or service that interacts with humans or other digital systems in a human-like manner, most often using natural language.
  • What is a container image? - A container image is a fixed, static file with executable code to run an isolated process on IT infrastructure.
  • What is a content management system (CMS)? - A content management system (CMS) is a software application that lets users create, edit, collaborate on, publish and store digital content.
  • What is a graphics processing unit (GPU)? - A graphics processing unit (GPU) is a computer chip that renders graphics and images by performing rapid mathematical calculations.
  • What is a private cloud? Definition and examples - Private cloud is a type of cloud computing that delivers advantages similar to public cloud, including scalability and self-service, but through a proprietary architecture.
  • What is a remote desktop and how does it work? - A remote desktop is a program or an operating system feature that allows a user to connect to a computer in another location, see that computer's desktop and interact with it as if it were local.
  • What is a service mesh? - A service mesh is a dedicated infrastructure layer that controls service-to-service communication within a distributed application.
  • What is a software-defined data center (SDDC)? - A software-defined data center (SDDC) is a server management concept in which all infrastructure elements -- networking, storage and compute -- are virtualized and delivered as a service.
  • What is a virtual contact center? - A virtual contact center (VCC) is a type of call center in which an organization's representatives are geographically dispersed, rather than situated at workstations in one location.
  • What is a virtual hard disk (VHD)? - A virtual hard disk (VHD) is a disk image file format for storing the entire contents of a computer's hard drive.
  • What is a virtual hard drive? - A virtual hard drive file is a container file that acts similar to a physical hard drive.
  • What is a virtual machine (VM) and how does it work? - A virtual machine (VM) is a virtual emulation of a physical computer.
  • What is a virtual storage area network (VSAN)? How it works, benefits and use cases - A virtual storage area network (VSAN) is a logical partition in a physical storage area network, or SAN.
  • What is a VPN (Virtual Private Network)? Definition, Benefits & How It Works - A virtual private network (VPN) is a service that creates a safe, encrypted online connection.
  • What is an Amazon EC2 Instance? Types, features and pricing - An Amazon EC2 instance is a virtual server in Amazon's Elastic Compute Cloud (EC2) scalable compute platform for running applications on the Amazon Web Services (AWS) cloud.
  • What is app virtualization (application virtualization)? - App virtualization (application virtualization) is the installation of an application on one computer and enabling an end user's client computer to remotely access that application.
  • What is cloud automation? - Cloud automation is a broad term that refers to processes and tools that reduce or eliminate manual efforts used to provision and manage cloud computing workloads and services.
  • What is cloud computing? Types, examples and benefits - Cloud computing is a general term for the on-demand delivery of hosted computing and IT services over the internet with pay-as-you-go pricing.
  • What is Dell EMC? - Dell EMC is an American multinational technology company that offers products and services across all areas of computing, networking and storage.
  • What is desktop as a service (DaaS)? - Desktop as a service (DaaS) is a cloud computing offering in which a third party hosts the back end of a virtual desktop infrastructure (VDI) deployment.
  • What is Docker? - Docker is an open source software platform used to create, deploy and manage applications in virtualized environments called containers.
  • What is green networking? - Green networking is the practice of selecting energy-efficient networking technologies and products to minimize resource use whenever possible.
  • What is hardware virtualization? - Hardware virtualization, which is also known as server virtualization or simply virtualization, is the abstraction of computing resources from the software that uses those resources.
  • What is hardware-assisted virtualization? - Hardware-assisted virtualization is the use of a computer's physical components to support the software that creates and manages virtual machines (VMs).
  • What is hyperconverged infrastructure? Guide to HCI - Hyperconverged infrastructure is a software-centric architecture that tightly integrates compute, storage and virtualization resources in a single system that usually consists of x86 hardware.
  • What is image-based backup? - Image-based backup creates a copy of an operating system (OS) and all the data associated with it, including the system state and application configurations.
  • What is LXD (Linux container hypervisor)? - LXD, pronounced 'lex-dee,' is a unified platform for managing system containers and virtual machines (VMs).
  • What is network as a service (NaaS)? - Network as a service (NaaS) is a cloud model for delivering various network services virtually on a subscription basis.
  • What is network virtualization? Everything you need to know - Network virtualization is a method of combining the available resources in a network to consolidate multiple physical networks, divide a network into segments or create software networks between VMs.
  • What is PaaS? Platform as a service definition and guide - Platform as a service (PaaS) is a cloud computing model where a third-party provider delivers hardware and software tools to users over the internet.
  • What is SaaS (software as a service)? - Software as a service (SaaS) is a software distribution model in which a cloud provider hosts applications and makes them available to end users over the internet.
  • What is server sprawl and how to prevent it? - Server sprawl is when multiple underutilized servers take up more space and consume more resources than can be justified by their workload.
  • What is server virtualization? The ultimate guide - Server virtualization is a process that creates and abstracts multiple virtual instances on a single server.
  • What is storage virtualization? - Storage virtualization is the pooling of physical storage from multiple storage devices into what appears to be a single storage device or pool of available storage capacity.
  • What is virtual desktop infrastructure? VDI explained - Virtual desktop infrastructure (VDI) is a desktop virtualization technology wherein a desktop operating system, typically Microsoft Windows, runs and is managed in a data center.
  • What is virtual memory? - Virtual memory is a memory management technique where secondary memory can be used as if it were a part of the main memory.
  • What is virtual reality? How it's used and how it will evolve - Virtual reality, or VR, is a simulated three-dimensional (3D) environment that lets users explore and interact with a virtual surrounding in a way that approximates reality, as it's perceived through the users' senses.
  • What is VMware Aria Suite (formerly vRealize Suite)? - VMware Aria Suite, formerly called vRealize Suite, is a software platform designed to help IT administrators build and manage heterogeneous, hybrid cloud environments.
  • What is VMware Certified Professional (VCP)? - VMware Certified Professional (VCP) is a certification level designed to demonstrate technical competency with VMware vSphere and related technologies.
  • What is VMware Cloud Director (VCD)? - VMware Cloud Director (VCD), formerly vCloud Director (vCD), is a cloud services delivery platform that helps cloud service providers offer secure cloud resources to their enterprise customers.
  • What is VMware NSX? Definition, features and use cases - VMware NSX is a network virtualization feature that allows VMware Cloud Foundation (VCF) subscribers to replicate their entire network infrastructure with software.
  • What is VMware vCenter Server? - VMware vCenter Server is a centralized management platform for configuring, controlling and monitoring VMware vSphere virtual environments.
  • What is VMware vSphere? - VMware vSphere is a virtualization platform that includes a suite of products for deploying and managing virtual environments.
  • What is YAML (YAML Ain't Markup Language)? - YAML (YAML Ain't Markup Language) is a data serialization language used as the input format for diverse software applications.
  • white box server - A white box server is a data center computer that is not manufactured by a well-known name-brand vendor.
  • Windows as a service - Windows as a service is the approach Microsoft introduced with Windows 10 to deploy, update and service the operating system.
  • Windows containers - Windows containers provide abstracted, isolated, lightweight and portable operating environments for application development on a single system.
  • Windows file share witness (FSW) - A Windows file share witness is a file share that is available to all nodes in a high-availability cluster.
  • World Wide Name (WWN) - A World Wide Name (WWN) is a unique identifier that is hard-coded into each Fibre Channel (FC) device by the device's manufacturer.
  • XaaS (anything as a service) - XaaS is a collective term that refers to the delivery of anything as a service.
  • zero client - Zero client, also known as ultrathin client, is a server-based computing model in which the end user's computing device has no local storage.