INFO-TECH

In computing, virtualization means to create a virtual version of a device or resource, such as a server, storage device, network or even an operating system where the framework divides the resource into one or more execution environments. Even something as simple as partitioning a hard drive is considered virtualization because you take one drive and partition it to create two separate hard drives. Devices, applications and human users are able to interact with the virtual resource as if it were a real single logical resource. The term virtualization has become somewhat of a buzzword, and as a result the term is now associated with a number of computing technologies including the following:

• Storage virtualization: The amalgamation of multiple network storage devices into what appears to be a single storage unit.
• Server virtualization: The partitioning a physical server into smaller virtual servers.
• Operating system-level virtualization: A type of server virtualization technology which works at the operating system
  (kernel)layer.
• Network virtualization: Using network resources through a logical segmentation of a single physical network.
• Application virtualization: Also called application service virtualization. Application virtualization is layered on 
  top of other virtualization technologies, such as storage virtualization or machine virtualization to allow computing 
  resources to be distributed dynamically in real time.
• Virtualization Software : VMware, Oracle Virtual Box Etc.

ORACLE VIRTUAL Box:

Virtual Box is a cross-platform virtualization application. What does that mean? For one thing, it installs on your existing Intel or AMD-based computers, whether they are running Windows, Mac, Linux or Solaris operating systems. Secondly, it extends the capabilities of your existing computer so that it can run multiple operating systems (inside multiple virtual machines) at the same time. So, for example, you can run Windows and Linux on your Mac, run Windows Server 2008 on your Linux server, run Linux on your Windows PC, and so on, all alongside your existing applications. You can install and run as many virtual machines as you like -- the only practical limits are disk space and memory. VirtualBox is deceptively simple yet also very powerful. It can run everywhere from small embedded systems or desktop class machines all the way up to datacenter deployments and even Cloud environments.