Welcome to ELVInfra - Virtualization Solutions for Your Business

In the realm of IT, traditional physical computer hardware was originally designed to run a single operating system or a single computer application, resulting in underutilized servers. If an organization needed to run multiple operating systems simultaneously, it would require multiple servers, each dedicated to a specific operating system. This approach proved to be costly and demanded substantial resources for operation and maintenance. The introduction of virtualization solutions, however, has revolutionized this conventional model.

Virtualization is a technique that abstracts hardware functionality, making it manageable through software, thereby enhancing flexibility. It is an indispensable tool for delivering cloud-based services and optimizing on-premises infrastructure. Virtualization solutions empower businesses to run multiple operating systems and applications on a single server, substantially boosting work efficiency, agility, and security.

An Introduction to Virtualization Solutions and How They Work:

In simpler terms, a virtualization solution involves creating a software-based virtual version of various components, such as computing, storage, networking, servers, or applications. These virtual elements function identically to their physical counterparts. This process entails creating multiple virtual environments within a single physical system, with each virtual environment utilizing the hardware of the underlying physical system.

This virtualization solution is achieved by employing a thin layer of software known as a hypervisor. The hypervisor is the pivotal software responsible for creating the actual virtualization effect. It allows the division of a physical system into distinct and isolated virtual environments, referred to as virtual machines. The hypervisor allocates resources like RAM, storage, and CPU power to each virtual machine as required, promoting more efficient hardware utilization.

Different Types of Virtualization:

Virtualization takes on multiple forms, depending on the type of IT resources that need to be virtualized. These various types of virtualization often work in tandem to deliver IT capabilities remotely or through cloud-based instances.The key types of virtualization include:

Desktop Virtualization: Desktop virtualization replicates a user workstation atop existing hardware, enabling remote access to the workstation from connected devices. Users can access their virtualized desktop either via a private (corporate network) or public (internet) connection and interact with it as if it were running on their local device. This requires underlying hardware to host the virtual desktops and relies on a host operating system that runs virtualization software. The virtualization software allows the allocation of hardware resources to multiple guest operating systems, creating virtualized desktops accessible over a network.

Application Virtualization: Application virtualization involves installing and running applications atop an intermediary layer that sits between the operating system and the application. This intermediary layer emulates the operating system, allowing the application to interact with it as if it were the actual OS. This approach offers advantages in terms of flexibility and management, as it decouples dependencies between the operating system and the applications. For example, macOS applications can run on a Windows machine if they are virtualized.

Server Virtualization: Server virtualization, also known as hardware virtualization, is the practice of running multiple instances of operating systems on the same hardware. A hypervisor partitions the underlying physical infrastructure into two or more instances, each running its own operating system and applications. This results in the creation of virtual machines, which behave as individual workstations running separate workloads, all while sharing the same underlying hardware. Compared to desktop virtualization, server virtualization is generally less flexible and often runs a predefined set of applications, communicating the output to users.

The Benefits of Virtualization Solutions:

Cost Savings: Virtualization solutions are cost-effective as they eliminate the need for substantial investments in physical hardware resources, equipment, additional personnel, and maintenance. They no longer require vast physical spaces.

High Flexibility and Scalability: Users can access their computer applications and data from any computing device, anywhere in the world, as long as they have internet access. Virtualization solutions offer high scalability, allowing users to easily upgrade or downgrade resources like RAM, CPUs, and storage space as needed.

Enhanced Security and Disaster Recovery: Virtualization solutions enhance data security by incorporating layers of cloud safeguards, such as encryption, routers, switches, and continuous monitoring. This ensures the safety of data stored in secure cloud environments. In case of device loss, users can still access their data, as virtualization solutions include automatic daily backups.

Five Virtualization Solution Providers:

ELV Infra: ELV Infra delivers fully integrated cloud PC virtualization solutions designed to enhance IT resource efficiency, cost optimization, and security. Their suite of pre-packaged desktop virtualization solutions simplifies cloud-based virtualization services for small and medium-sized businesses. ELV Infra's managed service streamlines customer onboarding, installation of business apps, and data migration, providing a personalized experience.



VMware:

VMware is a major player in the virtualization space, renowned for being the first company to commercially virtualize the x86 architecture. VMware offers an extensive portfolio of products, with vSphere and Horizon being its standout products. vSphere is a suite of server virtualization products, including the ESXi hypervisor and vCenter management software. Horizon is VMware's primary virtual desktop infrastructure product, offering desktop virtualization for both on-premises and cloud-based devices.

Citrix: Citrix provides a range of virtualization and remote access products, including Citrix Hypervisor and Desktop-as-a-Service