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Does OS virtualize disk or not?

Hello,

It was said that OS doesn’t do a virtualization to disk because we need to share the same file to make different operation on the same file. But in Design Goals section, more specifically in Requirement, The Author said

So, now you have some idea of what an OS actually does: it takes physical resources , such as a CPU, memory, or disk, and virtualizes them.

All I need to know, is there some cases that we need to virtualize a disk or it’s a typo?

Thanks.

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Hi @Mody_Awad

Virtualization uses a software program to create an abstraction layer over pc hardware that permits the hardware elements of a single laptop—processors, reminiscence, storage, and more—to be divided into more than one virtual computer, typically called digital machines (VMs). Each VM runs its working system (OS) and behaves like an impartial laptop, even though it is walking on only a portion of the real underlying computer hardware.

It follows that virtualization allows more significant efficient usage of physical pc hardware and permits a more return on an organization’s hardware investment.

Nowadays, virtualization is a preferred practice in organization IT architecture. It is also the technology that drives cloud computing economics. Virtualization allows cloud companies to serve customers with their present bodily laptop hardware; it enables cloud users to buy the best computing assets they want once they need it and scales the ones assets cost-correctly as their workloads develop.

Virtualization brings several benefits to statistics middle operators and service vendors:

Proper resource performance: Earlier than virtualization, every application server required its devoted physical CPU—an IT group of workers would buy and configure a separate server for every application they desired to run. (IT preferred one application and one working system (OS) in keeping with pc for reliability reasons.) invariably, every physical server might be underused. In comparison, server virtualization helps you to run several packages—every on its VM with its very own OS—on a single physical computer (typically an x86 server) without sacrificing reliability. This permits most usage of the physical hardware’s computing potential.

More straightforward control: Changing physical computers with software program-defined VMs makes it less complicated to use and manage rules written in the software program. This lets you create automated IT provider control workflows. For example, automatic deployment and configuration equipment allow directors to outline collections of digital machines and packages as offerings in software templates. This means that they could set up those offerings again and again and continually without cumbersome, time-eating. And blunders-susceptible guide setup. Admins can use virtualization safety policies to mandate favorable security configurations based on the position of the digital gadget. Regulations may even boom proper resource performance by retiring unused virtual machines to keep on space and computing electricity.

Minimal downtime: OS and application crashes can reason downtime and disrupt personal productivity. Admins can run multiple redundant virtual machines along each different and failover among them when issues get up.

Quicker provisioning: Installing, and configuring hardware for each software is time-eating. Furnishing that the hardware is already in place, digital provisioning machines to run all of your programs. You may even automate it using control software and construct it into existing workflows.

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