Virtualization Setup: All You Need to Know

Have you ever feared crashes, bugs, or unintended outputs impacting your primary system?

Whether you are a novice or a seasoned professional, this fear is universal and real.

But what if we say there is a way to create a safe, isolated environment for all your digital works without risking your main system?

The answer lies in virtualization. 

Virtualization is a technology that lets multiple operating systems run at once on a single computer. It creates virtual versions of servers, storage, networks, and other physical machines without extra hardware. 

This flexibility and scalability led to an increasing dependence on it. From 2023 to 2033, the virtualization software is expected to grow at a CAGR of 22.3 percent. This underscores its value and the increasing dependence on it. 

In this guide, we will discuss what virtualization is, and we will walk you through setting up your virtual environments. 

Let’s start by understanding what virtualization is.

Understanding Virtualization: A Simple Analogy

To better understand virtualization, let’s break it into simple terms. Consider a huge building with multiple apartments in it. 

The building is your system, and each apartment represents a virtual machine. Each virtual machine can have its own operating system, applications, and data, completely isolated from the others.

This is what virtualization is. A computer’s hardware components are divided into multiple virtual machines (VMs), and each VM acts like an independent system.  

Now that we know what virtualization is, you might be curious about how to set up your own virtual environments. However, before we move on, knowing the prerequisites for setting up virtualization is necessary.

Requirements to Enable Virtualization

Setting up virtualization calls for a series of hardware and software requirements. Meeting these requirements is the key foundation to set up virtualization successfully.

Let us discuss the hardware requirements first and then move to the software requirements.

Hardware Requirements

The following are four main hardware requirements you need before setting up virtualization.

CPU

The first hardware requirement you have to consider is whether your CPU can support virtualization. Intel VT-x or AMD-V are two common virtualization extensions that allow your CPU to manage VMs efficiently.

Ensure you have the appropriate CPU to set up virtualization.

RAM

The amount of RAM required completely depends on the virtual machine’s number and complexity.

Storage

Virtualization comprises various components such as a host operating system, hypervisor, and virtual machines. In order for them to work together, ensure you have sufficient storage space to accommodate these components.

We recommend using SSDs for better performance.

Network Interface

The network interface connects your physical computer to a network. Each VM has its own virtual network interface and is managed by its hypervisor. This provides each VM with its own IP addresses and network configurations.

Now that you know the hardware requirements let us see the software requirements.

Software Requirements

Three important software requirements you need for setting up virtualization are:

Hypervisor

A hypervisor is software that creates and manages virtual machines (VMs). It allows multiple operating systems to run on a single hardware host.

The hypervisor is the foundation of virtualization technology. This is the core component that makes virtualization possible.

Let us take the above-discussed example of the apartment.

The building is our system, and each apartment is a virtual machine. The building owner has appointed a caretaker. They will ensure each apartment gets its fair share of resources, like electricity (CPU power) and water (RAM). This caretaker is the hypervisor. 

Hypervisors are of two types:

• Type 1 or bare metal: This hypervisor runs directly on the host’s hardware and does not require an operating system. It is commonly used in enterprise environments. A few examples include VMware ESXi, Microsoft Hyper-V, Citrix XenServer.
• Type 2 or hosted: In this type, the hypervisors run as an application on an existing operating system and rely on the host OS for operations. It is ideal for personal use and testing. A few examples include VMware Workstation, Oracle VirtualBox, and Parallels Desktop. 

If you want better performance and scalability, we recommend using bare metal. On the other hand, if you are looking for personal use and can use existing hardware, then we recommend a hosted hypervisor.

Host Operating System

The host operating system is the primary OS in your computer. This is where the virtualization environment is built.

Think of the host operating system as the owner of the building. They manage the entire building’s infrastructure, from the foundation to the roof. 

In the virtualization context, the host OS manages the physical hardware resources like the CPU, RAM, and storage.

Guest Operating System

The guest operating system is an operating system that runs within a VM. 

Consider our apartment example. The tenants that live in each apartment are the guest operating system. 

They use the resources provided to them and live in a separate home. Therefore, multiple tenants (OS) live in a single building (computer) with their resources (CPU, memory, and more). 

Now that we know your hardware and software requirements, let us discuss the general steps to set up virtualization. 

How to Set Up Virtualization

The first and foremost step is to outline virtualization’s primary purpose clearly. This can be either for testing purposes or for resource optimization.

Once you have a basic idea of your objective, you can calculate the hardware requirements. This includes the CPU specifications, memory needs, storage requirements, and network capabilities.

Also, ensure your system’s infrastructure is compatible with the virtualization setup.

Choose a Hypervisor

The next step is to choose the right hypervisor. 

Research various hypervisors and find the right hypervisor that suits your needs. Always consider factors such as:

• Functionality
• Scalability
• Compatibility with your hardware and software
• Virtualization goals.

Some of the popular options we recommend are Microsoft Hyper-V (for Windows), KVM (for Linux), Xen (for open-source systems), and VMware vSphere/ESXi (for enterprises).

If you are a large company, we recommend Type 2 hypervisors like VMware; however, if it is for a single system, you can use open-source hypervisors like KVM.

Verify Hardware Compatibility

As we mentioned above, ensure your hardware is compatible with virtualization requirements.

This includes the following:

• CPU supports virtualization extensions 
• The system has sufficient RAM to support the host operating system and virtual machines.
• You have enough storage space.
• You have enough network capacity, including bandwidth, latency, and throughput.

Choose a Virtualization Method

The next step is to choose the virtualization method that fits your requirements.

There are two virtualization methods:

• Full virtualization

Full virtualization is a type of virtualization where the hypervisor mimics our system’s hardware. This allows the guest operating systems (OS) to run as if installed directly on physical hardware. This does not call for any modifications to run the virtualized environment.

• Containerization

Containerization is a simple form of virtualization. It shares the host system’s kernel and runs in isolated user spaces.

If you want more compatibility and isolation, we recommend full virtualization. Conversely, if you need more performance and scalability, we recommend containerization. 

Always remember that each method has its own limitations.

Install Virtualization Software

Once you choose the virtualization method, you can install the virtualization tool. 

If you choose full virtualization, install hypervisors and other necessary tools. If you choose containerization, download the right software, like Docker, for your OS.

To install the hypervisor, create a bootable USB or DVD using the hypervisor image. 

Next, boot your computer from the installation media. Then, follow the on-screen instructions.

You will have now successfully installed the hypervisor.

You can follow our guide on How to Install Docker on RockyLinux for a seamless installation. 

Configure Hypervisor Settings

Now that you have installed the hypervisor, we need to configure it. 

Use the hypervisor’s web-based console or command-line interface to configure network settings. Once you have setup your network settings including IP address and subnet masks, enable virtualization in your BIOS or UEFI settings.

Next, configure the security settings. This includes accessing controls and firewall rules to protect the virtual environment.  

Create Virtual Networks

In this step, we must create virtual networks within a hypervisor or virtualization platform. This allows various VMs to connect. 

Also, create a virtual switch to manage and isolate traffic between different VMs. We will also assign IP addresses and implement network policies to manage traffic. 

Create Storage Datastores

As we discussed, storage is an important factor that defines how good virtualization works. 

So, create a storage container to save virtual machine files and attach them to the hypervisor. Create storage policies and ensure sufficient storage space for your virtualized environment.

Create and Manage Virtual Machines or Containers

In this step, we will create and manage virtual machines and containers. You can use the hypervisor’s management console or CLI to create VMs.

Provide CPU, RAM, storage, and network adapters to each VM. Use GUI or web-based interfaces to monitor the status and performance of your virtual machines or containers. 

Optimize Virtualization Environment

It is time to optimize the virtualization environment for better performance and security. You must consider the host, guest, network, storage, and security configurations.

Always update virtual machine settings and software. Regularly check resource usage. Adjust CPU, RAM, and storage for optimal performance.

Always secure your system and network with a firewall, encryption, and authentication.

Also, read How to Install VirtualBox on Ubuntu.

Test and Troubleshoot Virtualization Environment

Now, let’s test your virtualization setup. This includes checking its functionality, network connectivity, and app performance.

You can use commands such as ping and traceroute to check the connectivity and latency of your virtual machines or containers.

Backup and Monitoring

This is one of the most important steps you have to follow regardless of the process you undertake. 

Always create backups of your virtual machines or containers to protect your data against loss or corruption. Also, install monitoring software. It will track resource use, find bottlenecks, and detect issues.

We have now covered the major steps for virtualization setup. Follow the steps we mentioned and set up your virtualization environment today.

Conclusion

Virtualization is one of the key tools for businesses today. Its flexibility, scalability, efficiency, and cost-effectiveness have increased adoption. 

Virtualization helps you optimize resources and protect your main systems. By following these steps, you’ll create a flexible virtual environment. 

As you set up virtualization, consider RedSwitches. Our servers offer strong performance and easy scalability. With RedSwitches, you get reliable hardware and 24/7 support. Start with RedSwitches to boost your virtualization setup today!

FAQs

1. What is a virtualization setup?
   Virtualization setup is creating and configuring virtual environments on a physical computer. It involves installing a hypervisor, creating virtual machines, and configuring their settings.
   
2. Should virtualization be enabled?
   Yes, enabling virtualization enhances resource usage. It also improves efficiency and allows for flexible IT management.
3. How do I set up virtualization on my computer?
   
   To setup virtualization, follow these steps:
   Install hypervisor
   Create virtual machines
   Install guest operating system
   Configure virtual machine settings
4. How do I know if virtualization is enabled?A few ways to check if virtualization is enabled are:
   Check BIOS/UEFI settings
   Use a hardware monitoring tool
   Verify in the operating system
5. How do I check my computer supports virtualization?
   To check if your CPU supports virtualization, run the command systeminfo. If the VM Monitor Mode Extensions line says Yes, then your CPU supports virtualization.

Reference: Virtualization Software Market