Scribd
Upload
15 views

Choosing Between KVM and QEMU Hypervisors For Cloud Computing

Uploaded by

dvdsenthil
Copyright
© © All Rights Reserved
Available Formats
Download as PDF, TXT or read online on Scribd
15 views

Choosing Between KVM and QEMU Hypervisors For Cloud Computing

Uploaded by

dvdsenthil
Copyright
© © All Rights Reserved
Available Formats
Download as PDF, TXT or read online on Scribd
You are on page 1/ 4

Choosing Between KVM and QEMU Hypervisors for

Cloud Computing
medium.com/@rakesh.open.source/choosing-between-kvm-and-qemu-hypervisors-for-cloud-computing-
088c96b39a8a

Rakesh Rathi October 15, 2023

Rakesh Rathi

In the world of cloud computing, hypervisors are like essential tools. They help turn one
powerful computer into many smaller ones, so it can run lots of virtual machines (VMs) or
containers. This way, we use the computer’s hardware efficiently, and each VM or
container stays separate and safe from the others. There are two main kinds of
hypervisors: Type-1 and Type-2.

Type-1 hypervisors run directly on the computer’s hardware and are super efficient and
secure.

Type-2 hypervisors run on top of regular computer software, which is easier but slightly
slower.

In this article, we’ll explore cloud hypervisors, check out some popular ones, and take a
closer look at KVM and QEMU, which are two well-known open-source hypervisors.

Popular Hypervisors in the Cloud:

: VMware’s ESXi is a leading hypervisor for virtualization in enterprise and cloud


environments. It provides robust features for managing VMs, networking, and
storage.
: Hyper-V is Microsoft’s hypervisor solution commonly used in Windows-based
cloud environments. It integrates seamlessly with Windows Server and offers
features like live migration.
: KVM is an open-source hypervisor that is an integral part of the Linux kernel. It is
commonly used in Linux-based cloud deployments and provides efficient
virtualization.
: Xen is an open-source hypervisor that can run on various operating systems. It’s
often used in cloud and virtualization platforms and supports both paravirtualization
and hardware virtualization.
: QEMU is a versatile open-source emulator and virtualization tool that can be used
as a hypervisor. It supports various virtualization modes and can emulate a wide
range of hardware.

KVM (Kernel-based Virtual Machine):

1/4
KVM is a powerful open-source hypervisor integrated into the Linux kernel. It offers
hardware-assisted virtualization, which means it leverages CPU features like Intel VT-x
and AMD-V for efficient virtualization. Here’s when to use KVM:

KVM provides near-native performance, making it suitable for applications that


require high computing power.
It’s an excellent choice for running Linux-based VMs, as it is tightly integrated with
the Linux kernel.
KVM is resource-efficient, allowing you to maximize hardware utilization.

Starting KVM (Kernel-based Virtual Machine):

# Install Necessary KVM-Related Packages on a Debian-Based System:


# You can use a package manager like APT on Debian-based systems.
sudo apt-get install qemu-kvm libvirt-bin virt-manager

# Create a Virtual Disk Image:


# Here, we create a 20GB QCOW2 image called "myvm.img."
qemu-img create -f qcow2 myvm.img 20G

# Create a Virtual Machine:


# Use virt-install to create a KVM virtual machine. Adjust the parameters as
needed for your use case.
# In this example, we create a VM named "myvm" with 2GB of RAM and 2 vCPUs, and we
use an Ubuntu 18.04 ISO for installation.
virt-install \\
--name myvm \\
--ram 2048 \\
--vcpus 2 \\
--disk path=myvm.img,size=20 \\
--os-type linux \\
--os-variant ubuntu18.04 \\
--network bridge=br0 \\
--graphics vnc \\
--console pty,target_type=serial \\
--location '<http://archive.ubuntu.com/ubuntu/dists/bionic/main/installer-
amd64/>'

# Start the Virtual Machine:


# Once the VM is created, you can start it using the following command:
virsh start myvm

virsh console myvm

QEMU (Quick Emulator):

2/4
QEMU is primarily a Type-2 hypervisor. It runs on top of a host operating system and
provides virtualization capabilities for various guest operating systems and architectures.
However, it can also be used in combination with KVM (Kernel-based Virtual Machine) to
function as a Type-1 hypervisor. When used with KVM, it leverages hardware-assisted
virtualization and offers near-native performance, blurring the line between Type-1 and
Type-2 hypervisors. So, its classification can vary depending on how it’s used. Here’s
when to use QEMU:

QEMU can emulate various CPU architectures, making it valuable for cross-
platform development and testing.
Use QEMU to run legacy software and operating systems on modern cloud
infrastructure.
QEMU provides fine-grained control for debugging and testing kernel code and
device drivers.

Running an Emulated System with QEMU:

# Ensure that QEMU is installed on your system using your package manager. For a
Debian-based system:
sudo apt-get install qemu-system-x86

# Download a bootable disk image for the emulated system you want to run. For
example, you can download a Debian disk image:
wget
<https://people.debian.org/~aurel32/qemu/i386/debian_wheezy_i386_standard.qcow2>

# Start the Emulated System:


# Use the qemu-system-x86 command to start the emulated system. Adjust parameters
as needed:
qemu-system-x86 \\
-m 256 \\
-hda debian_wheezy_i386_standard.qcow2 \\
-boot c

# -m 256: Specifies that the emulated system should have 256MB of RAM.
# -hda debian_wheezy_i386_standard.qcow2: Sets the path to the downloaded disk
image.
# -boot c: Specifies that the system should boot from the first hard disk.

Combining KVM and QEMU:

In some scenarios, KVM and QEMU can be used together to harness their combined
capabilities. Use this approach when:

3/4
You need to run VMs with high performance (KVM) while emulating diverse
architectures or operating systems (QEMU).
Cross-platform development and testing are essential, requiring a combination of
efficient virtualization (KVM) and versatile emulation (QEMU).
Security and malware analysis demand a controlled environment (QEMU) within a
high-performance virtualized infrastructure (KVM).

Conclusion:

Hypervisors are the backbone of cloud computing, allowing for efficient resource
utilization and workload isolation. KVM and QEMU, as open-source hypervisors, provide
flexibility and power to cloud deployments. Understanding when to use each, or
combining them for optimal results, empowers cloud administrators and developers to
create robust and versatile virtualized environments.

4/4

You might also like