Virtualization
Also known as: Server Virtualization
Virtualization splits a single physical server into several independent, isolated virtual servers running side by side.
Virtualization is the technique of running several independent virtual servers on top of one physical server at the same time. It exists because a modern server usually has far more processing power than any single application needs, and that power would otherwise sit idle.
In practice, a piece of management software called a hypervisor runs on the physical server and divides its processing power, memory, and storage among several virtual machines. Each virtual machine behaves like its own independent server with its own operating system, and the others do not notice anything about it.
A common misunderstanding is assuming virtual servers are automatically fault-tolerant. If the physical server they run on fails, all of them go down at the same time - virtualization saves on hardware and simplifies management, but it replaces neither backup nor high availability.
What it means in practice
For a business this means: virtualization lowers hardware and power costs because fewer physical machines are needed, but it turns the remaining physical server into a single critical point of failure. NDVDL always plans virtualization together with backup, and additional redundancy where it is warranted.
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