Virtual machines are very useful for testing new technologies and work and personal use. However, creating a virtualization host to use is a work of art. In this way, you should choose the right hardware and software components so that the performance of your VMs is perfect and appropriate. One of the methods that help us in learning and practicing is the implementation of the laboratory. Certainly, the provision of hardware for the implementation of the network laboratory entails high costs and high maintenance. One of the methods of implementing the laboratory is the use of virtual machines. But in this regard, we must have the right skill in choosing resources to implement the laboratory on the platform of virtual machines.
The first step to building a virtualization home lab is to decide which hypervisor you want to use and the number and type of machines you plan to run. These things are very important to find out what hardware to choose.
Essential components
There are two common mistakes you should try to avoid when choosing hardware. First, make sure that the hardware you intend to purchase supports your chosen hypervisor. Some hypervisors support almost all hardware, but check that your CPU supports virtualization. The second case is related to storage, memory (RAM) and hard drive for storage have a high impact on the execution and performance of the virtual machine compared to other resources. Try to use SSD hard drives as much as possible.
server
In data centers, network administrators use the appropriate hardware to host virtual machines, usually at home we use personal computers to run virtual machines and implement home labs. However, be careful in both cases because it can save you a lot of money. Hardware related to personal computers is the least expensive option, and today these computers are powerful enough to allow you to implement a virtualization platform.
Processor
When you create a virtualization host, CPU resources are shared between virtual machines. As the best choice, try to choose a CPU with high speed and more cores.
memory (RAM)
Memory or RAM is one of the most important considerations when choosing hardware. You should know that each VMs needs a minimum amount of memory according to the type of operating system you install on it. So, determine the number of VMs and buy the memory you need according to them.
Storage
The most important point when choosing the right hardware to implement your virtualization host. While you must have enough capacity to store your machines, you need a space that can respond to all read/write requests and not slow down the virtual machines. The best option for storing virtual machines is high-speed SSD hard drives.
Hypervisor
have already hypervisor talked about The basis of your virtualization structure is the hypervisor. Choose your hypervisor according to the type of convenience and the things you intend to implement. Each hypervisor has its own specifications and the way they are installed and set up is different. The most popular hypervisors include Microsoft and VMware products. In a separate article, I made a comparison between two hypervisors from these two companies, which . you can read here.