Normally, any application we use is installed on our device – mobile, laptop or desktop – for us to use. We need a base on which the software can sit and run on: an operating system (OS). Any software that is installed on the OS interacts with, and is even integrated into, it.
When it comes to application virtualization, the OS is “isolated” from whatever application that is running on it, which becomes “encapsulated”. The application might appear like it has been installed on the OS, but every aspect of it is actually separated.
How does it Work?
The way it works is that instead of an application being installed on an OS, it uses a “virtualization layer” that takes on the job of the OS and handles all its requirements in its stead. All interfaces are directed to a file. The application will give to, and take everything from, this file. This means, since it is only interacting with a single file, it really doesn’t matter what the real (hosting) OS type or version is – it won’t make any difference as long as the file can meet all the requirements.
Why would you need Application Virtualization?
Although it might seem like a lot of work that serves no purpose, there are many reasons why you would want to run an application in virtual mode. Here are a few of them:
Increased Speed: remember we said the virtualized application only interacts with a single file? Well, not having to interact with many files located all over a hard disk, as is the case in normal application-OS interaction, makes it run a lot faster. The application doesn’t need to figure out where to find the files it requires – it knows where it is.
New Applications Run on Old OS: not everyone can afford to upgrade their OS every time Microsoft comes out with a new OS. If it isn’t the sheer cost of having to buy a new OS, it is the inability to buy the hardware required to accommodate the ever-increasing resource appetite that every new version comes with. And then there is the fact that we might not be able to replace the applications we currently use (and that are critical for our businesses) but are incompatible with the new OS.
What do we do? That’s right; we simply move to application virtualization. At one time (not too long ago, we might add) Windows XP was the most widely used and loved OS out there. Any application that was designed to run on it is likely to be incompatible with the latest versions of Windows.
The procedure to handle the situation is simply:
- Switch on your new OS
- Install a virtual machine
- Install the old OS on the virtual machine
- Install your old application on your old OS
Build up Security around You: as has already been said, any application that runs on a virtual server is separate from the base or hosting OS. This means, any security breaches that may occur while using the virtual application will remain contained within the virtual machine.
Any hacks will only manage to access the virtual world. Viruses that manage to get into the virtual machine will not hamper the functioning of the hosting OS or machine.
Testing and Configuration: applications that run in virtual mode don’t have to necessarily be old ones. The same OS as the one that is hosting the virtual machine can be used as a “sandbox” server. Any applications, and their configurations, can be tested on the virtual machine to see if they work well without the risk of a server meltdown.
Once all scenarios have been tested on the virtual machine, the applications can be re-installed on live servers. Of course, one can always leave them running in the virtual server and use them from there too.
Mixing it up: businesses (especially larger ones) often need to use many applications. This usually means they have to use more than one OS, say Windows and Linux, and provide two separate servers to run them on.
But that isn’t really necessary because an OS can also become a virtual application too. A server running Windows can be configured to run a virtual Linux OS – two birds with one stone.
Save Time and Energy: one cost that can bite into a business’ budget is that which goes to its IT department. With application virtualization, they can drastically cut the number of servers that they need. This means they conserve energy on top of cutting costs.
Then, there is the amount of man-hours that are spent on working on separate servers. A single host and virtual server needs to be backed up, configured or updated just once, for example – no matter how many virtual machines are running on it. This saves time and money.
In today’s technologically diverse and rapidly evolving world, businesses need to think more about virtualization. If they can’t do it themselves outsourcing the job to hosting providers that offer the services does work just as well.
