Virtualization Technology

Prof D M Dhamdhere CSE Department IIT Bombay

Moving towards Virtualization

Department of Computer Science and Engineering, IIT Bombay

Some Benefits of Virtualization

Server consolidation
Also called workload consolidation

Better security and reliability for applications using same host Testing of software concurrently with production use of a host Disaster management

Moving towards Virtualization

Department of Computer Science and Engineering, IIT Bombay

What is Virtualization?
To understand virtualization, let us begin with a virtual resource

Moving towards Virtualization

Department of Computer Science and Engineering, IIT Bombay

Virtual Resources
Definition
Illusion of a resource, supported by an OS through use of a real resource

Motivation
To have more number of resources available To have more of a resource available, e.g., virtual memory

Historical
The concept originated in 1960s!
Moving towards Virtualization
Department of Computer Science and Engineering, IIT Bombay

Virtual Resources
A virtual resource is an abstraction The OS implements the abstraction through use of real resources The implementation can be changed without affecting the application using the virtual resource An application can be migrated to any host offering the same abstractionportability
Moving towards Virtualization
Department of Computer Science and Engineering, IIT Bombay

Virtual Resources
Use of virtual resources started with I/O devices
Motivation: Have more I/O devices available Each user could have own I/O device

Then came virtual memory

Motivation: Have larger memory

And then .. Virtual machines

Motivation?
Moving towards Virtualization
Department of Computer Science and Engineering, IIT Bombay

Virtual Machines
Motivation: Provide a machine to each user so that a user could use an OS of own choice

Moving towards Virtualization

Department of Computer Science and Engineering, IIT Bombay

Virtual Machines
A virtual machine could be used in other contexts as well
Motivation?
Since it is an abstraction, it can be made to have desirable properties, e.g., simplicity Some programming languages have their own virtual machines, e.g., Pascal, Java If implemented on several hosts, it provides portability

Moving towards Virtualization

Department of Computer Science and Engineering, IIT Bombay

What is Virtualization?
Definition:
Virtualization is the process of mapping the resources and interfaces of a virtual resource into the resources and interfaces of a host machine.

Issues in virtualization
Complexity Correctnessincludes reliability, security Performance! (overhead of the mapping)
Moving towards Virtualization
Department of Computer Science and Engineering, IIT Bombay

Overview of Virtualization
Virtual device virtualization
Map an operation on a virtual resource into an operation of a real resource, e.g. virtual disks
Could be achieved through minimal overhead OS may map several virtual devices into same real device

Virtual memory virtualization

Virtual memory manager maps parts of the virtual memory into real memory
Overhead: loading and removal of pages
Moving towards Virtualization
Department of Computer Science and Engineering, IIT Bombay

Overview of Virtualization
Virtual machine virtualization
Application running under a virtual machine executes an instruction of the virtual machine (we call it the guest machine) The actual operation should be implemented through execution of instructions of the real machine (we call it the host machine) It should incur minimal overhead
Hence it should be achieved through minimal interpretation

Moving towards Virtualization

Department of Computer Science and Engineering, IIT Bombay

Overview of Virtualization
Who performs virtualization of virtual machines?
A virtual machine operating system (VM OS) A virtual machine monitor (VMM)
Also called a hypervisor Not a full-fledged operating system

Moving towards Virtualization

Department of Computer Science and Engineering, IIT Bombay

Overview of Virtualization
VM/370
Provides virtual machines that have a subset of the capabilities of the real machine Implements a virtual machine through virtualization
Low overhead: Does not interpret each instruction Lets an applications code execute on the real machine most of the time

Multiplexes various virtual machines

Overlaps their operation so that each virtual machine receives a fair opportunity to operate
Moving towards Virtualization
Department of Computer Science and Engineering, IIT Bombay

Overview of Virtualization
VM/370
Schedules a virtual machine Makes arrangement to regain control at critical times Issue: Ensure non-interference between virtual machines

Moving towards Virtualization

Department of Computer Science and Engineering, IIT Bombay

Overview of Virtualization
VM/370
Ensures non-interference
Does not allow a virtual machines OS (i.e, guest OS) to execute privileged instructions Runs the guest OS in user mode of CPU Drawback: loses the distinction between a guest OS and an application running under a guest OS

Moving towards Virtualization

Department of Computer Science and Engineering, IIT Bombay

Overview of Virtualization
VM/370
How does it control overhead?
Allows a virtual machine to use instructions of the CPU directly during its operation No overhead at such times OS of the guest machine is in control Interrupts occurring during guest OS operation can be handled directly by the guest OS

Moving towards Virtualization

Department of Computer Science and Engineering, IIT Bombay

Performing Virtualization
Full virtualization
Host machine and guest machine have identical capabilities
Ad hoc arrangements may be need to ensure noninterference

Paravirtualization
Some host machine instructions are not virtualized; their use is replaced by use of other instructions
Moving towards Virtualization
Department of Computer Science and Engineering, IIT Bombay

Performing Virtualization
Paravirtualization (contd)
Achieved in two ways
Port a guest OS to work under a VM OS or VMM Replaces use of nonvirtualized instructions by other instructions while installing a guest OS Perform dynamic binary translation Perform substitutions of nonvirtualized instructions during operation Allows a guest OS to be used readily

Moving towards Virtualization

Department of Computer Science and Engineering, IIT Bombay

Supporting Virtualization
Hardware features
Provide more CPU modes
Prevents interference by letting host OS, guest OS and application use different CPU modes

Provide easily virtualizable features

Moving towards Virtualization

Department of Computer Science and Engineering, IIT Bombay

Supporting Virtualization
Software support
Ensure noninterference Provide performance isolation Reduce overhead
Replace control transitions of the kind application host OS guest OS by application host OS Replace data transfers application guest OS host OS device by application .. device

Moving towards Virtualization

Department of Computer Science and Engineering, IIT Bombay

Benefits of Virtualization Revisited

Workload consolidation
Create several virtual machines on a host

Security and reliability of applications

Create a virtual machine for each application

Test an application concurrently with production use of a host

Use separate virtual machines

Disaster management
Port a virtual machine
Moving towards Virtualization
Department of Computer Science and Engineering, IIT Bombay

References
These slides are based primarily on Chapter 4 of the book:
Operating SystemsA Concept-Based Approach, D. M. Dhamdhere, McGraw-Hill, 2008

Moving towards Virtualization

Department of Computer Science and Engineering, IIT Bombay