Tips for optimizing performance in virtual environments
Faster Virtue
© Tetastock, Fotolia
Virtual performance tuning is a lot like ordinary performance tuning – but not exactly.
Since the rise of low-cost virtualization in 1999 with the first release of VMware Workstation, the public has rallied around the many benefits of virtualization. However, users might often wonder how to minimize the performance penalties they are paying when they work with virtualization technology.
The exact shape of virtualization's performance footprint has evolved as the field has matured. When 400MHz processors were first appearing on the market, the limiting factors posing an obstacle to widespread use of virtualization were CPU speed and RAM. This situation improved as Moore's law continued its inexorable march, providing both the processing power and the memory space sufficient for multiple virtual machines to run at once on the same hardware, and thereby opening the way for the flourishing server virtualization market.
A second performance challenge arises from the intrinsic ability of virtualization to allow overcommitting of physical resources. Assigning more (virtual) processors to a set of virtual machines than the physical machine happens to have is an acceptable choice under a low service load, but as one or more of the hosted workloads experiences peak usage, a dynamic resource load-balancing scheme is required. Virtual machine migration, termination of VMs hosting lower priority tasks, or equivalent approaches must be orchestrated through a supervising logic to ensure that the service level is guaranteed, even as the performance "insurance" of physical machine separation is removed.
[...]
Buy this article as PDF
(incl. VAT)
Buy Linux Magazine
US / Canada
UK / Australia
Subscribe to our Linux Newsletters
Find Linux and Open Source Jobs
Subscribe to our ADMIN Newsletters
Support Our Work
Linux Magazine content is made possible with support from readers like you. Please consider contributing when you’ve found an article to be beneficial.
News
-
System76 Releases COSMIC Alpha 7
With scores of bug fixes and a really cool workspaces feature, COSMIC is looking to soon migrate from alpha to beta.
-
OpenMandriva Lx 6.0 Available for Installation
The latest release of OpenMandriva has arrived with a new kernel, an updated Plasma desktop, and a server edition.
-
TrueNAS 25.04 Arrives with Thousands of Changes
One of the most popular Linux-based NAS solutions has rolled out the latest edition, based on Ubuntu 25.04.
-
Fedora 42 Available with Two New Spins
The latest release from the Fedora Project includes the usual updates, a new kernel, an official KDE Plasma spin, and a new System76 spin.
-
So Long, ArcoLinux
The ArcoLinux distribution is the latest Linux distribution to shut down.
-
What Open Source Pros Look for in a Job Role
Learn what professionals in technical and non-technical roles say is most important when seeking a new position.
-
Asahi Linux Runs into Issues with M4 Support
Due to Apple Silicon changes, the Asahi Linux project is at odds with adding support for the M4 chips.
-
Plasma 6.3.4 Now Available
Although not a major release, Plasma 6.3.4 does fix some bugs and offer a subtle change for the Plasma sidebar.
-
Linux Kernel 6.15 First Release Candidate Now Available
Linux Torvalds has announced that the release candidate for the final release of the Linux 6.15 series is now available.
-
Akamai Will Host kernel.org
The organization dedicated to cloud-based solutions has agreed to host kernel.org to deliver long-term stability for the development team.