Virtualization vs. Private Cloud - A Glance at the Key Differences

Virtualization vs. Private Cloud debate is often confusing for people in the tech industry. Here's an effort to differentiate between them. Read more.

The Virtualization vs. Private Cloud debate is something that confuses at least some people in the tech industry. Since virtualization is essentially a component of the cloud, be it public or private, there is a base in these qualms but rest assured that they are different. How so? Let us show you.

What is virtualization? How is it related to cloud computing?

Virtualization is a technology that separates computer environments from the bounds of physical infrastructures. It enables you to run multiple operating systems and applications on the same machine simultaneously. In other words, virtualization software allows enterprises to reduce their IT infrastructure spending while increasing efficiency, utilization, and flexibility.

Virtualization is fundamental to cloud computing. With virtualization, you need a human being to interact with the hypervisor to create a virtual machine (VM). With cloud computing, the need for an admin is switched out by Application Programmable Interfaces (APIs) capable of handling the automation to communicate with the hypervisors.

There are many practical applications to virtualization. For example, developers can test their programs and software in multiple environments on the same machine. Server consolidation is another useful application and a significant benefit of virtualization. Instead of having various servers for different functions, server virtualization enables users to split a single server for multiple purposes.

Virtualization vs. Private Cloud

The primary cloud attributes remain the same for private clouds, and so remains the connection between virtualization. Private Cloud environments layer on top of virtualization. Hence, server virtualization is a significant component of private clouds. They are not mutually exclusive technologies. With proper virtualization, private clouds offer efficiency and business agility that take the modern data center to new heights.

The result here is more than just virtualization vs. private cloud. It is more like virtualization within a private cloud. Here are some of the attributes that highlight private cloud environments, with the aid of virtualization

• Self-service model – Users can deploy new services on their own, with minimal guidance from IT admins. This is possible with a certain level of automation and orchestration capabilities.
• Multi-Tenancy – Not to be confused with different tenants in a public cloud server. With multi-tenancy, a private cloud can securely support and manage different computing environments such as development, test, and production, etc., as different tenants.
• Simplified scaling – As the cloud environment grows, enterprises will have to add more resources such as compute, storage, etc. Private clouds are made using a hyper-converged infrastructure model, where these resources are combined into nodes to create the desired infrastructure and thus are easy to scale.
• Use-based Payment Model - similar to public clouds, enterprises pay as they go in a private cloud according to their usage of cloud resources.
• SDS and SDN – Software-defined storage (SDS) makes storage administration efficient and straightforward. Software-Defined Networking (SDN)supports the private cloud as a solution with enough networking capabilities to support clusters of VMs for development, testing, and production.

The Private Cloud Solution

Both private clouds and virtualization have grown and are growing as symbiotic yet independent technologies in front of us, providing much-needed agility and flexibility to users. At VEXXHOST, we offer the right cloud platform for enterprises combining the attributes of virtualization and cloud. Our OpenStack-based cloud solutions, including dedicated and highly secure private cloud environments, are capable of realizing a company's operational objectives with ease.

Speaking of private clouds, you can now run on a fully agile and customized cloud from VEXXHOST, with no licensing fees and smooth 2-week migration. In fact, we're ready to put our money where our mouth is. We're so confident in being able to save you at least 20% or more on your current cloud infrastructure expenditure that if proven wrong- we'll give you $1,000 credit to our public cloud.

Excited? Find out more.