Concept for system virtualization in the field of high availability computing

Inhaltsverzeichnis (Table of Contents)

• Abstract
• Table of contents
• Introduction
• Why virtualization?
• Brief history of virtual environments & virtualization.
• Server virtualization techniques & terminology.
• Server virtualization fundamentals.
• Hypervisor/Virtual machine monitor.
• Hardware support for virtualization
• Server virtualization software and techniques.
• VMWare GSX/ESX Server.
• Microsoft Virtual PC.
• XEN.
• Sharing drivers/hardware amongst virtual environments
• Virtuozzo / OpenVZ.
• Linux VServer Project.
• Performance and feature comparison
• Case study: Virtualization for highly available systems
• Motivation
• Definition and requirements of a highly available system
• Case study.
• Cost comparison.
• XEN installation and caveats.
• Redundant Disk Arrays.
• Highly available file server
• Alive and kicking with heartbeat.
• Deployment of the guest OS
• The role of Virtual Machine Migration (VMM)
• Results
• Bringing the worst case together.
• Limitations and problems in terms of practicability.
• Limitations in terms of availability
• Improvements to gain real high-availability.
• Summary and Outlook.
• Will Virtualization begin a new era in high availability computing?
• Natively supported operating systems ...
• Limitation of virtualization: Licensing aspects
• Problems of virtual environments.
• Virtualization rootkits... a new threat?
• Table of abbreviations
• Bibliography

Zielsetzung und Themenschwerpunkte (Objectives and Key Themes)

This work explores the concept of server virtualization, examining its current state, historical development, and potential applications in high-availability computing. The primary objective is to provide insights into the various virtualization techniques, their advantages and disadvantages, and to assess the feasibility of combining server virtualization with high availability solutions.

• Server Virtualization: Exploring different virtualization types and techniques, including full system emulation, paravirtualization, and native virtualization.
• Hardware Support: Analyzing the role of hardware in virtualization, including its limitations and potential for future developments.
• Software Solutions: Examining popular virtualization software packages, such as VMWare GSX/ESX Server, Microsoft Virtual PC, XEN, Virtuozzo/OpenVZ, and Linux VServer Project.
• High Availability: Investigating the use of server virtualization in creating highly available systems, focusing on redundancy, failover mechanisms, and virtual machine migration.
• Security and Isolation: Addressing security considerations in virtual environments, particularly in relation to isolation and the potential for new threats such as virtualization rootkits.

Zusammenfassung der Kapitel (Chapter Summaries)

The work begins with an introduction to server virtualization, highlighting its advantages and the motivation behind its increasing adoption. The chapter discusses the history of virtualization, tracing its origins from early time-sharing concepts to modern virtualization software. It then delves into the various techniques employed for virtualizing servers, outlining the functions, strengths, and weaknesses of each method.

Chapter 2 explores the fundamentals of server virtualization, focusing on the role of hypervisors and the hardware support necessary for successful virtualization. It addresses the limitations imposed by current hardware and discusses potential future developments in this area.

Chapter 3 provides a comprehensive overview of popular server virtualization software packages, including commercial solutions such as VMWare GSX/ESX Server and Microsoft Virtual PC, and open-source projects like XEN, Virtuozzo/OpenVZ, and Linux VServer Project. It compares these solutions based on their performance, features, and virtualization types.

Chapter 4 delves into the use of server virtualization in the context of high-availability computing. It examines the motivations behind integrating virtualization and high availability, outlining the requirements for creating a robust and redundant system. This chapter presents a case study demonstrating the implementation of XEN for high-availability, exploring various aspects such as cost comparison, XEN installation, and the role of virtual machine migration.

Schlüsselwörter (Keywords)

The key terms and concepts explored in this work include server virtualization, hypervisor, full system emulation, paravirtualization, native virtualization, hardware support, software solutions, VMWare GSX/ESX Server, Microsoft Virtual PC, XEN, Virtuozzo/OpenVZ, Linux VServer Project, high availability, redundancy, failover, virtual machine migration, security, isolation, virtualization rootkits.