What is Virtualization?

Virtualization is a method of running multiple independent virtual operating systems on a single physical computer/server. It allows the same amount of processing to occur on fewer servers by increasing the server utilization.

Virtualization is the creation of a virtual version of something such as a hardware platform, operating system, a storage device or network resources

Virtualization can be viewed as part of an overall trend in enterprise IT that includes autonomic computing, a scenario in which the IT environment will be able to manage itself based on perceived activity and utility computing, in which computer processing power is seen as a utility that clients can pay for only as needed

Goal of virtualization is to centralize administrative tasks while improving scalability and work loads

Types of Virtualization

Software	Operating system-level virtualization, hosting of multiple virtualized environments within a single OS instance Application virtualization and Workspace virtualization, the hosting of individual applications in an environment separated from the underlying OS
Memory	Memory virtualization, aggregating RAM resources from networked systems into a single memory pool Virtual memory, giving an application program the impression that it has contiguous working memory, isolating it from the underlying physical memory implementation
Storage	Storage virtualization, the process of completely abstracting logical storage from physical storage Distributed file system
Data	Data virtualization, the presentation of data as an abstract layer, independent of underlying database systems, structures and storage Database virtualization, the decoupling of the database layer, which lies between the storage and application layers within the application stack
Network	Desktop virtualization, the concept of separating a desktop environment from its physical computer (and its associated operating system) and storing it on another machine across a network, such as a center server. Thin clients employ desktop virtualization. Network virtualization, creation of a virtualized network addressing space within or across network subnets

Benefits of Virtualization

• Efficiency in the underlying hardware requirement
• Better architecture for availability, security and performance
• Simplified ongoing maintenance and management
• Reduction of hardware acquisition costs'

Virtualization power savings



Hyper-V dramatically improves capacity utilization because it allows for the consolidation of underutilized servers. This translates to less space required, less cooling necessary, and fewer kilowatt hours of power – all of which saves money and reduces the environmental footprint

Windows server 2008 Power Efficiency



Windows Server 2008 includes feature such as

• Advanced Configuration and Power Interface (ACPI)

• Processor Power Management (PPM)

These features simplify power management in Windows Server 2008 and can be managed easily across servers and clients using Group Policies.

References
http://www.google.com.sg/url?sa=t&source=web&cd=3&ved=0CCMQFjAC&url=http%3A%2F%2Fdownload.microsoft.com%2Fdownload%2FE%2F5%2F9%2FE59693E1-19E3-4765-B63F-6E9CCAC4FD3A%2FVirtualization_Overview.pdf&rct=j&q=virtualization%20microsoft%20pdj&ei=0hVOToWDBMarrAf12Z2jAw&usg=AFQjCNGiWq2vxb6CikArEydvI-KufcqKjg&sig2=-2qrtB4ffiiAbX0FOPntgw&cad=rja
http://blogs.technet.com/b/windowsserver/archive/2008/06/10/new-windows-server-2008-power-management-whitepaper-released.aspx