concept#Architecture#Software Engineering#System Administration

Virtual Machine (VM)

A virtual machine is a software implementation of a computer that runs on physical hardware.

Virtual machines allow multiple operating systems to run on a single physical hardware platform.

Maturity

Established

Cognitive loadMedium

Classification

ComplexityMedium
Impact areaTechnical
Decision typeTechnical
Organizational maturityAdvanced

Technical context

Integrations

Cloud servicesNetwork management toolsDatabases

Principles & goals

Principles

Isolation of applicationsEfficient resource utilizationCost-effectiveness

Value stream stage

Build

Organizational level

Enterprise

Use cases & scenarios

Use cases

Scenarios

Compromises

Risks

Security risks from multiple applications
Cost estimation is difficult
Maintenance effort can be high

Best practices

Regularly perform security updates
Monitor resource usage
Perform backups regularly

I/O & resources

Inputs

Physical hardware
Operating system images
Network configurations

Outputs

Running virtual machines
Deployed applications
Diagnostic data

Resources

Description

Virtual machines allow multiple operating systems to run on a single physical hardware platform. They provide isolation between applications and can utilize resources more efficiently.

✔Benefits

Better resource utilization
Increased flexibility
Easier management

✖Limitations

Performance bottlenecks in resource-intensive applications
Increased management overhead
Dependency on the underlying hardware

Trade-offs

Metrics

Resource Utilization
Percentage of used resources versus total resource capacity.
Performance Metric
Measurement of response time and throughput of applications.
Availability Rate
Percentage of time the virtual machine is online and operational.

Examples & implementations

AWS EC2

Amazon EC2 enables the creation and use of virtual machines in the cloud.

VMware vSphere

VMware vSphere is a platform for managing virtual machines and data center resources.

Microsoft Azure VMs

Microsoft Azure provides virtual machines for running applications in the cloud.

Implementation steps

Install the hypervisor

Create virtual machines

Install and configure applications

⚠️ Technical debt & bottlenecks

Technical debt

Outdated hypervisor versions
Inadequate security updates
Vulnerable network configuration

Known bottlenecks

Performance bottleneckComplex managementSecurity vulnerability

Misuse examples

Using unsupported operating systems
Insufficient security configuration
Neglecting updates

Typical traps

Excessive virtualization can degrade performance
Misunderstandings about licensing fees
Lack of documentation for configurations

Required skills

Knowledge in system administrationFamiliarity with virtualization technologyNetworking knowledge

Architectural drivers

ScalabilitySecurityReliability

Constraints

• Required hardware resources
• License requirements for software
• Dependencies on other system-critical points