More KVM performance thanks to an optimized disk configuration

Complete

Article from Issue 142/2012
Author(s):

KVM has many ways to map virtual disks on the host system. The appropriate choice of disk format has an effect not only on the speed of I/O operations but also on snapshots and backups.

Most virtualization systems present virtual hard disks to the guest as ordinary IDE, SCSI, or SATA drives. For the guest, it thus looks as if they have access to a normal hard disk. But, in fact, the virtualization system must emulate the IDE, SCSI, or SATA bus whenever data access occurs. On the virtual machine, an appropriate driver takes care of data access.

Buy this article as PDF

Download Article PDF now with Express Checkout
Price $2.95
(incl. VAT)

Buy Linux Magazine

SINGLE ISSUES
Print Issues
Digital Issues
SUBSCRIPTIONS
Print Subscriptions
Digital Subscriptions

Related content

  • QEMU 2

    The new version of QEMU is a free virtualization solution that offers excellent stability and flexibility. We show how to deploy QEMU 2 in a Live environment.

    more »
  • Virtual Test Network

    If you don't have room on your desk for a whole laboratory of servers, simply hitch up a virtual playground on your own workstation.

    more »
  • VirtualBox Hacks

    The VirtualBox virtual machine tool is a familiar sight on Linux systems, but many users don't access the full range of its powers. This article highlights some advanced features of VirtualBox that could save you some time and effort.

    more »
  • ZFS on Linux

    License issues prevent the integration of ZFS with the Linux kernel, but Linux users can try the highly praised filesystem in userspace.

    more »
  • Storage Cluster

    When building cloud environments, you need more than just a scalable infrastructure, you also need a high-performance storage component. We look at Ceph, a distributed object store and filesystem that pairs well in the cloud with OpenStack.

    more »
comments powered by Disqus
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.

Learn More

News

Tag Cloud

Administration Community Desktop Events Hardware Linux Mobile Programming Security Software Ubuntu Web Development Windows free software open source