On Premise
On-premises refers to IT infrastructure components, including hardware and software, that are hosted locally. By managing the functionality, security, and maintenance of on-premises IT assets as well as their physical location, businesses have more control over these resources.
KVM/Qemu
Linux has the open source virtualization technology known as Kernel-based Virtual Machine (KVM). KVM, in particular, enables Linux to function as a hypervisor that enables a host machine to run a number of distinct virtual environments known as guests or virtual machines (VMs).
QEMU offers a number of hardware and device models for the machine and dynamic binary translation to imitate the machine's processor, enabling it to run a range of guest operating systems.
KVM/Qemu features:
- For improved VM security and isolation, KVM combines secure virtualization (sVirt) with security-enhanced Linux (SELinux). Around virtual machines, SELinux creates security perimeters. By enabling Mandatory Access Control (MAC) protection to be applied to guest VMs and avoiding manual labelling mistakes, sVirt expands the capabilities of SELinux.
- Any storage that Linux supports can be used by KVM, including certain local discs and network-attached storage (NAS). It is possible to employ multipath I/O to increase storage and offer redundancy. Thin provisioning, which allocates storage on demand rather than upfront, is supported by disc images.
- KVM supports a wide range of hardware systems that are officially supported by Linux.
- Live migration, or moving a running virtual machine between physical hosts without disrupting service, is supported by KVM. While the VM is being moved, the network connections, power, and running applications all stay alive.
- Real-time extensions in the Linux kernel enable VM-based applications to operate with lower latency and better prioritisation.
- The state of the virtual machine including all active programmes can be saved and restored using QEMU. Operating in QEMU does not require patching for guest operating systems.
- By performing network address translation, QEMU can simulate network cards (of various models) that use the host system's connectivity, effectively enabling the guest to use the same network as the host. The virtual network cards can also establish connections with the local TAP interfaces or the network cards of other QEMU instances.
- To enable communication between the host and guest systems, QEMU combines a number of services, such as an integrated SMB server and network-port redirection. Without a bootloader, it can also boot Linux kernels.