Pros and cons of Virtualization in Cloud Computing

Virtualization is the creation of Virtual Version of something such as server, desktop, storage device, operating system etc.

Thus, Virtualization is a technique which allows us to share a single physical instance of a resource or an application among multiple customers and an organization. Virtualization often creates many virtual resources from one physical resource.

• Host Machine –
  The machine on which virtual machine is going to create is known as Host Machine. 
  
• Guest Machine –
  The virtual machines which are created on Host Machine is called Guest Machine.

Why Virtualization in Cloud Computing ?
Virtualization is very important concept in cloud computing. In cloud computing, a cloud vendor who will provide cloud services have all physical resources like server, storage device, network device etc. and these physical services are rented by cloud vendors so that user’s will not worry about these physical services.

But it is very costly to provide physical services per customer on rent because firstly it becomes very costly and also user’s will not use the fully services. So this problem can be solved by Virtualization. It is very cool approach for not only efficient use of Physical services but also reduce costs of vendors. Thus cloud vendor’s can vitalize their single big server and provide smaller spec server to multiple customer’s 

Pros of Virtualization in Cloud Computing :  

• Utilization of Hardware Efficiently –
  With the help of Virtualization Hardware is Efficiently used by user as well as Cloud Service Provider. In this the need of Physical Hardware System for the User is decreases and this results in less costly.In Service Provider point of View, they will vitalize the Hardware using Hardware Virtualization which decrease the Hardware requirement from Vendor side which are provided to User is decreased. Before Virtualization, Companies and organizations have to set up their own Server which require extra space for placing them, engineer’s to check its performance and require extra hardware cost but with the help of Virtualization the all these limitations are removed by Cloud vendor’s who provide Physical Services without setting up any Physical Hardware system.
• Availability increases with Virtualization –
  One of the main benefit of Virtualization is that it provides advance features which allow virtual instances to be available all the times. It also has capability to move virtual instance from one virtual Server another Server which is very tedious and risky task in Server Based System. During migration of Data from one server to another it ensures its safety. Also, we can access information from any location and any time from any device.
• Disaster Recovery is efficient and easy –
  With the help of virtualization Data Recovery, Backup, Duplication becomes very easy. In traditional method , if somehow due to some disaster if Server system Damaged then the surety of Data Recovery is very less. But with the tools of Virtualization real time data backup recovery and mirroring become easy task and provide surety of zero percent data loss.
• Virtualization saves Energy –
  Virtualization will help to save Energy because while moving from physical Servers to Virtual Server’s, the number of Server’s decreases due to this monthly power and cooling cost decreases which will Save Money as well. As cooling cost reduces it means carbon production by devices  also decreases which results in Fresh and pollution free environment.
• Quick and Easy Set up –
  In traditional methods Setting up physical system and servers are very time-consuming. Firstly Purchase them in bulk after that wait for shipment. When Shipment is done then wait for Setting up and after that again spend time in installing required software etc. Which will consume very time. But with the help of virtualization the entire process is done in very less time which results in productive setup.
• Cloud Migration becomes easy –
  Most of the companies those who already have spent a lot in the server have a doubt of Shifting to Cloud. But it is more cost-effective to shift to cloud services because all the data that is present in their server’s can be easily migrated into the cloud server and save something from maintenance charge, power consumption, cooling cost, cost to Server Maintenance Engineer etc.

Cons of Virtualization :

• Data can be at Risk –
  Working on virtual instances on shared resources means that our data is hosted on third party resource which put’s our data in vulnerable condition. Any hacker can attack on our data or try to perform unauthorized access. Without Security solution our data is in threaten situation.
• Learning New Infrastructure –
  As Organization shifted from Servers to Cloud. They required skilled staff who can work with cloud easily. Either they hire new IT staff with relevant skill or provide training on that skill which increase the cost of company.
• High Initial Investment –
  It is true that Virtualization will reduce the cost of companies but also it is truth that Cloud have high initial investment. It provides numerous services which are not required and when unskilled organization will try to set up in cloud they purchase unnecessary services which are not even required to them.