Instruction Set Architecture (ISA) level of virtualization, also known as hardware-assisted virtualization or native virtualization, involves virtualization at the hardware level by creating a layer of software, known as a hypervisor or virtual machine monitor (VMM), that runs directly on the host system's CPU.
The hypervisor creates virtual machines (VMs) that are fully isolated from each other and from the host system, and provides a virtualized hardware environment for each VM, including CPU, memory, storage, and networking resources. Each VM can run its own operating system and applications, as if it were running on a dedicated physical machine.
ISA level virtualization offers several advantages over other virtualization techniques, including:
High performance: Since the hypervisor runs directly on the CPU, there is little overhead for virtualization, resulting in near-native performance for the VMs.
Full isolation: Each VM is fully isolated from other VMs and from the host system, providing high levels of security and reliability.
Support for legacy systems: ISA level virtualization can support a wide range of operating systems and applications, including legacy systems that may not be compatible with other virtualization techniques.
Improved manageability: ISA level virtualization allows for easy management of VMs, including the ability to migrate VMs between physical hosts, backup and restore VMs, and monitor VM performance.
However, ISA level virtualization also has some limitations and challenges, including:
Complexity: Setting up and managing a hypervisor can be complex and requires advanced technical expertise.
Hardware compatibility: ISA level virtualization requires support for hardware-assisted virtualization in the host system's CPU, which may not be available on older systems.
Cost: Hypervisors and virtualization management software can be expensive, especially for enterprise-level deployments.
Overall, ISA level virtualization is a powerful technique for creating and managing virtualized environments, and is well-suited for enterprise-level deployments that require high levels of performance, isolation, and manageability.
