Compute Virtualization

You can use one or more virtualization technologies to maximize workload density. For example, you could configure multiple zones to run within Oracle VM Server for SPARC logical domains in one or more physical domains of a SPARC M5-32 system to leverage the strengths of the different virtualization technologies.

Figure 1-1  Using Oracle Solaris Virtualization Technology in Your Environment

The following describes how you might use each Oracle Solaris 11.2 virtualization technology in your environment:

• Use Oracle Solaris Zones to maximize the efficiency and scalability of workloads, and to migrate Solaris 8, Solaris 9, Oracle Solaris 10, and Oracle Solaris 11 workloads to new hardware systems. Note that an Oracle Solaris OS system on x86 might panic if Oracle VM VirtualBox and Oracle Solaris Kernel Zone are run at the same time on the system.

• Use Oracle Solaris Kernel Zone to increase the independence of the kernel zone from the global zone and the host itself. This configuration provides enhanced security to the operating system instances and its applications.

• Use Oracle VM Server for SPARC to deploy different Oracle Solaris 10 and Oracle Solaris 11 environments on supported SPARC T-Series and SPARC M-Series systems.

• Use Oracle VM Server for x86 to deploy a server with heterogeneous operating systems, including the Oracle Solaris 10 OS and the Oracle Solaris 11 OS as guests.

• Use Oracle VM VirtualBox to develop and test software in heterogeneous environments.

  Oracle VM VirtualBox enables you to run unmodified 32-bit and 64-bit operating systems as virtual machines on Intel and AMD processors directly on your existing OS.

• Use physical domains on Oracle SPARC M-Series servers to deploy different Oracle Solaris 10 and Oracle Solaris 11 operating systems to electrically isolated domains. Each domain provides separation and isolation from the other domains on the M-Series server at the socket level, or at the board level to provide electrical isolation. Each domain can run a different version of the Oracle Solaris 10 or Oracle Solaris 11 OS.