Virtualization
Understanding Servers, Virtualization & Cloud Access Methods (AWS vs Azure)
📌 Real‑World Cloud Scenario (AWS / Azure / GCP)
Cloud providers maintain data centers with thousands of physical servers.
Example: AWS has 100 physical servers in Mumbai Region. 1000 customers request servers → Not enough physical servers!
✅ Virtualization solves this by creating multiple VMs on each physical server. ✅ Every customer receives a secure, isolated VM. ✅ Pay‑as‑you‑go → You only pay for what you use.
This is the foundation of cloud computing.
Prerequisites for Virtualization:
1️⃣ Server
A server is a powerful computer that provides resources like storage, processing power, and applications to users or other computers over a network. Example: Hosting websites, databases, or applications.
2️⃣ Virtualization
Virtualization is the technology that allows us to divide a single physical server into multiple logically separated systems called Virtual Machines (VMs).
3️⃣ Hypervisor
Hypervisor is software/firmware responsible for creating and managing Virtual Machines.
It allocates CPU, Memory, Storage, Networking and ensures isolation among VMs.
Types of Hypervisors: ✅ Type 1 (Bare Metal):
Runs directly on hardware
Examples: VMware ESXi, Microsoft Hyper‑V, Citrix XenServer
✅ Type 2 (Hosted):
Runs on top of an existing OS
Examples: VMware Workstation, VirtualBox
4️⃣ Virtual Machines (VMs)
A Virtual Machine is a logically separated computer created inside a physical server using a hypervisor.
Each VM has its own OS (Windows/Linux),CPU, RAM, Storage (logically allocated) and Network configuration.
Even though they share the same physical hardware, VMs are fully isolated.
✅ One‑Line Summary
Virtualization uses a hypervisor to create multiple Virtual Machines inside one physical server, helping cloud providers like AWS & Azure scale.
AWS uses Pre‑Signed URLs, while Azure uses SAS tokens to give temporary secure access to files.
🎯 Great Learning!
Understanding these cloud fundamentals is key to becoming a strong DevOps Engineer.
