..VIRTUALIZATION

Virtualization refers to the abstraction of IT resources from their physical hardware- or software-based constructs. It’s often defined as a technique for hiding the physical characteristics of computing resources from the way in which other systems, applications or end users interact with those resources. This includes making a single physical resource – such as a server, an operating system, an application or storage device – appear to function as multiple logical resources; or it can include making multiple physical resources – such as storage devices or servers – appear as a single logical resource.

Widely used since the 1960s or earlier, the term virtualization has been applied to many different aspects and scopes of computing – from entire computer systems to individual capabilities or components. The common theme of all virtualization technologies is the hiding of technical detail through encapsulation. Virtualization creates an external interface that hides an underlying implementation by multiplexing access, by combining resources at different physical locations or by simplifying a control system.