Here are some explanations and examples of what “virtualization” is, and can be…
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…Virtualization software — programs that allow you to run multiple operating systems simultaneously on a single computer…Using virtualization software, you can run multiple operating systems on one physical machine. The technology is now mainstream enough that it is a built-in feature in Windows 7 Professional (and above) and in Windows Server 2008 R2…
Virtualization software runs like any other application. To get started, you power up your computer, load the virtualization program, and install an operating system from its install CD, DVD, or .iso file. In virtualization parlance, the main operating system is called the “host” operating system, and the secondary operating systems the “guest” operating system. Once the virtualization software is running, each subsequent operating system you install on your PC will act like a new computer…
…virtualization software is not for everyone. There is a learning curve in both conceptualizing how virtual machines will function in your network and organization, as well as managing them reliably and cost-effectively…
http://www.techsoup.org/learningcenter/software/page4826.cfm
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Not all VM software is created equal
An array of virtualization programs are available, and the one(s) you need depends on exactly what you need to do…
…For relatively simple server virtualization scenarios, you can use the free VMWare Server.
…the more virtual machines you want to run simultaneously, the more hardware resources you’ll need on that machine. Each running VM and its guest OS and applications will use RAM and processor cycles, so you’ll need large amounts of memory and one or more fast processors to be able to allocate the proper resources to each VM.
To run multiple resource-hungry servers on one machine, you’ll need a machine with hardware that’s capable of supporting multiple processors and large amounts of RAM and you must be running a host OS that can handle these.
64 bits are better than 32
For server virtualization, consider deploying a 64-bit host operating system. 64-bit processors support a larger memory address space, and Windows 64-bit operating systems support much larger amounts of RAM (and in some cases, more processors) than their 32-bit counterparts…
http://www.techrepublic.com/blog/10things/10-things-you-should-know-about-virtualization/309
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And there is a listing in Wikipedia…
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I felt I needed to give some basic information first, before I inform you that…
Paragon Virtualization Manager 12 Professional is now available!
“…Connect a virtual disk as if it were an ordinary physical disk and open up all physical-disk functionality in a virtual environment. Use a read-only mode or a special read/write mode that creates a snapshot and applies all changes after the snapshot was made to test all configurations without destroying your virtual source drive.
“Virtualization Manager 12 Professional is compatible with products of all popular modern virtualization software providers, such as Microsoft, VMware and Oracle, and supports major virtual machines, including Oracle Virtual Box 4, Microsoft Virtual PC, VMware™ Workstation and VMware™ Fusion.”
Take a deep breath…there are a lot of features in it:
• Migrate a Windows-based computer to a virtual environment…Physical-to-Virtual (P2V), and/or Virtual-to-Physical-to-Virtual (V2P)
• Migrate from a 2TB+ physical drive to a smaller virtual drive
• Migrate from one virtual environment to another (V2V)
• Migrate a Windows-based computer to a different hardware platform (P2P)
• Restore a physical system from Paragon’s backup to a virtual environment (P2V Restore)
• Create a virtual disk with a simple wizard (Create VD)
• Recover OS startup ability after system migration to different hardware or unsuccessful virtualization by a third-party tool (P2P and P2V Adjust)
• Exchange data between a physical environment and a virtual one, or between a virtual disk and its snapshots
• Accomplish virtual drive partitioning (create, format, delete, move, resize, etc.)
• Resume any operation with a virtual volume in case of disconnection or any other unexpected situation.
• Merge volumes on a virtual drive to consolidate disk space, from two volumes on the virtual drive into one single, larger volume
• Supports major virtual machines, including Oracle Virtual Box 4, Microsoft Virtual PC, VMware™ Workstation and VMware™ Fusion
“…Use a read-only mode or a special read/write mode that creates a snapshot and applies all changes after the snapshot was made to test all configurations without destroying your virtual source drive.”
The website for the product is http://www.paragon-software.com/home/vm-professional/