Virtualization vs Cloud Computing: Which Is Better?

In the present arena Virtualization and Cloud Computing, are the two most talked about technologies. Similar to the technologies that were only available to large-scale enterprises in their initial stage, Virtualization and Cloud Computing have also scaled down for small-scale enterprises as well. Although both these technologies share a common conception of maximizing computer resources, there underlies a huge difference in them. In layman language, the biggest difference between the two is that Virtualization is a technology and Cloud Computing is the service that is based on this technology. Due to a nebulous knowledge of the two technologies, even the administrators at times get confused.

So here we are. Let us begin with an introduction of Virtualization and Cloud Computing and understand what they actually are.

What Is Virtualization?

Virtualization is defined as the process of separating physical infrastructures for creating separate dedicated resources. This makes it possible to run multiple operating systems or applications on the same server at the same instance. The technology behind this process is Virtual Machine Monitor that does the task of separating environments from physical infrastructure. There are different kinds of virtualization like server virtualization, which divides a single server into multiple servers.

What Is Cloud Computing?

As discussed earlier, cloud computing is a service whose foundation is based on Virtualization. Cloud computing cannot exist without Virtualization. In this, the shared computing resources, data or software are delivered on service per demand basis via internet. This is most preferred by small-scale organizations as they get their hands on massive applications and resources via Internet.

Advantages of Virtualization

1. Apt For Small Scale – With the help of virtualization, one will need to maintain less number of servers and can make better use of the server capacity.
2. Increase In Infrastructure Efficiency – Virtualization decrease the number of physical servers required for working and hence will lead to increase in the efficiency of the organization.
3. Higher Availability – During maintenance of a particular server, the other servers remain unaffected and the maintenance can be done without worrying about the downtime issue.
4. Increased Privacy – Since virtualization for a single organization is limited to the people of that very organization, it decreases the risk of external interference.
5. Customized According To Budget – The IT administrators can decide what all resources need to be virtualized and thus can customize the virtual machines according to the requirement.

Advantages of Cloud Computing

1. Cost Efficient – Cloud computing is available at a much lower expense than the other technologies. It lowers the company’s total expenditure as it eliminates the charges for storage, software updates, maintenance, etc.
2. Easy & Quick Setup – It is easily deployable and the entire system gets functional in a short time. in addition to this, you don’t need to invest time for installing servers, appliances, etc.
3. Pay Only For What You Use – In cloud computing, you need to pay only for the services that you are using. You do not need to invest in any other systems such as anti-viruses, email services, off-site storage and so on.
4. Increased Scalability – It enables the organization to change operational and storage needs accordingly and thus imparts flexibility to it. The services are deployed automatically when required.

Conclusion

Both Virtualization and Cloud Computing have their deployment perks. They both aim at maximizing the applications and resources whilst providing flexibility to the users. The organizations should process their requirements and incorporate the technology that suits them better.