What is VMware virtualization?
VMware virtualization is a technology that allows you to create virtual counterparts of physical servers, network components and storage. This makes it possible to run multiple isolated virtual machines (VMs) with different operating systems and applications on a single physical server. This approach optimizes the use of hardware resources, reduces infrastructure costs and increases the flexibility of the IT environment.
How does it work?
The foundation of VMware virtualization is the hypervisor, a special layer of software that manages the allocation of physical server resources (CPU, memory, disk space) to virtual machines. There are two types of hypervisors:
Type 1 (hardware) – installed directly on the “hardware” (e.g., VMware ESXi). It provides high performance and is used in enterprise environments.
Type 2 (host-based) – runs on top of the underlying OS (like VMware Workstation). It is suitable for testing and development.
Each VM functions as an independent computer: it has its own virtual NIC, processor, disk, and OS. The hypervisor isolates VMs from each other, which prevents conflicts and increases security.
Benefits of the technology
Resource savings – consolidating multiple servers into a single physical server reduces hardware costs and power consumption.
Scalability – easily add new VMs or modify existing VMs without downtime.
Fault tolerance – features like vMotion allow you to move VMs between servers without interruption.
Testing and development – you can run environments with different OSes on the same server to debug applications.
Applications
Cloud solutions: Deploy private or hybrid clouds (VMware vSphere).
Disaster Recovery: Rapidly recover data through virtualized copies of systems.
Server consolidation: reduce the number of physical devices in data centers.
Bottom line
VMware virtualization is a key tool for optimizing IT infrastructure. It allows companies to efficiently utilize resources, improve system reliability and adapt to changing business challenges. The technology is suitable for both large corporations and small projects that require flexibility and economy.
