Mastering Virtual Machine Manager 2008 R2

2.1. The Need for Virtualization

IBM first introduced virtualization into its mainframe platform in the 1970s. The mainframe used a combination of hardware components and software to create partitions, making the system act like multiple independent systems. Considering the cost of a mainframe, virtualization was an important technology, allowing its users to get more value for the investment. Over time, the dominant technology in the datacenter transitioned from large "Big Iron" systems to smaller, more affordable servers. The cheaper and smaller rack mount servers proliferated throughout the datacenter, encouraged by developers who used the server as the unit of isolation for their applications. When developers assumed full control of a server, ...