An overview of Virtual Machine (VM) technology and its implementation in I.T. student labs at Utah Valley State College

  • Authors:
  • George D. Hickman

  • Affiliations:
  • Utah Valley State College

  • Venue:
  • Journal of Computing Sciences in Colleges
  • Year:
  • 2008

Quantified Score

Hi-index 0.00

Visualization

Abstract

Businesses and industry are rapidly integrating Virtual Machine (VM) technology into their IT infrastructure to lower power, cooling, and space requirements in the data center. Properly configured VMs increase both uptime and security. VMs are also implemented on workstations for software testing and application isolation. Utilizing VMs in educational environments provides an inexpensive and easily replicated environment for student lab assignments and experimentation. This paper describes both desktop and server VMs, describes how they function, and compares some of the VMs available in the marketplace. It concludes with examples of how desktop VMs are utilized in student IT labs at Utah Valley State College to enhance learning experiences in courses teaching Operating Systems, Data Communications theory, Information Security, and Computer Forensics.