In this video, we'll talk about open source virtualization options.
So what exactly is virtualization?
Well, virtualization allows you to run a complete operating system in software.
A main benefit of doing this is efficient hardware use.
In the old days, you would be installing a server on a computer, and if your server is
only running at 20% of the computer's capacity, then 80% of the computer capacity is wasted.
That is why there is virtualization.
So you would install a hypervisor on that computer, and you can run five machines that
each are running at 20% to fully use the computer capacity.
Another benefit is that it allows you to run other operating systems on top of your computer,
which is excellent for learning.
Chances are that you are using it right now to study the topics in Linux Plus.
In virtualization, the hardware that is present in the host operating system is presented
by virtualized drivers.
That means that the virtualization layer has its own driver that allows you to communicate
with the real hardware drivers of the underlying host operating system.
Now, these virtual drivers are engineered in such a way that you get direct access to
the hardware devices with a minimal performance loss.
Linux is an excellent platform for virtualization.
And the Linux kernel offers KVM, which is kernel-level virtualization.
It's embedded in the Linux kernel, so you don't have to do anything in addition to use it.
KVM virtualization is very efficient, and for that reason, it is frequently used in
commercial applications.
Voxmox is an open-source solution that provides scalable virtualization that is based on KVM.
And it's rapidly increasing in popularity, particularly since one of the main vendors
of virtualization solutions, VMware, has tripled their prices.
Alternatively, Oracle VirtualBox and VMware Workstation are frequently used for running
virtual machines on Linux or on top of macOS or Windows, which makes them excellent for
learning.
So for learning Linux, it's common to install Linux as a virtual machine on either operating system.
A technology that is used a lot in learning environments is nested virtualization.
And this is so nice because it allows you to run a virtual machine within a virtual machine.
Let's go to the next lesson where you will learn more about running KVM virtual machines.