what is virtualization?

[mushroom3]

can someone give an example of how its used? i want to know what would be missing from getting the e4300

 

[DaveSimmons]

The virtualization functions _might_ make some uses of Virtual PC or VMWare perform better, maybe.

Unless you are a powe user of Virtual PC or VMWare, it's nothing to pay extra for.

 

[Sunner]

It's a pretty wide concept, and the answer will depend on who you ask.
Things like using Xen or VMWare to run a second OS instance inside your existing OS could be classified as the "low end" of virtualization.
Massive installations in data centers where the virtualization can span large amounts of physical servers, where you can move virtual hosts between different physical servers on the run, and so forth, could probably be considered the "high end".

Mostly, it's one of those "If you don't know what it is, you don't need it" things.
A good use for it in a desktop/workstation context would be for developers to test software on different OS releases, or altogether different OS's, or administrators doing similar testing.

 

[Roguestar]

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Virtualization

If you don't know what it is you're not missing out.

 

[xtknight]

It's the ability to run a guest OS on a host OS, essentially. Example usages:

Xen (host hosting many guests). Sort of like a portal. Xen uses a Linux kernel.
VMware (runs on host machine (XP/Vista/Linux/other) and runs most any guest OS such as Vista or Linux). Useful if you want to use MS Word on Linux. Don't plan on gaming through virtualization, at least yet.

BTW, you are not missing virtualization by getting a CPU that doesn't have the VT extensions. The VT extensions as they stand now are largely useless for performance. VT-x does allow you to run a Windows guest under Xen IIRC but you can do that with VMware anyhow (and usually faster).

The way it works: a driver runs on the host system that handles all the virtualization. A guest OS sends OS commands to this driver and the driver sends them directly to the CPU as much as it can to accelerate speed. It has to intercept some (like SYSENTER) and do the appropriate operation as it applies to having a guest OS.

 

[corkyg]

Virtual[/L

IOW, the creation of a synthetic or virtual entity as opposed to an actual physical entity.

 

[eplebnista]

Interesting info and links! :thumbsup: