The virtues of virtualization

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An OS with virtue doesn't need virtualization...

OS virtualization is an expensive proposition, with significant overhead unless you make the hosted systems less like separate operating systems and more like cooperating multitasking applications. Better is to have an operating system that's designed from the start to run many instances of the same application. Unfortunately, Windows simply isn't designed for that. Even NT is designed around the idea of one computer per task.

For UNIX, virtualization is something you only need if you're hosting multiple entities (organizations, companies, individuals) who can't trust each other. For a managed server provider it's a godsend. But for individual applications, you're much better off taking advantage of UNIX' hierarchical file system and features like chroot() to keep the applications out of each other's hair. Why blow an extra two or three gigabytes for every 30 or 40 megabyte virtual-hosted website?

Virtualization is, to a system administrator, like an arm length rubber glove to a vetinarian. You're damned glad of it when you need it, but every day you *don't* need it is a better day for it.

Posted by: Resuna   Posted on: 12/07/06 You are currently: a Guest | Members login | Terms of Use

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