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Server virtualization is very popular. Advantages to server virtualization include a reduced carbon footprint and fewer servers to maintain. Disadvantages however, include a single point of failure and performance issues if hardware is insufficient to support a virtual environment.

Type 1 virtualization

If you choose to virtualize your FactoryLogix deployment, we recommend Type 1 virtualization. Type 1 is also referred to as a Hypervisor where the virtual machine can access the hardware layer directly. Products that support Type 1 virtualization include VMware ESX, VMware iESX, and Microsoft Hyper-V. All these products are fully-released products. The performance of a properly configured virtual machine using Type 1 virtualization is very close to that of a physical server. However, you need to take special consideration regarding the type of hard drive configuration so that disk access doesn't cause decreased performance in the virtual environment.

Type 2 virtualization

If you choose to virtualize your FactoryLogix deployment, Type 2 virtualization is not recommended. Unlike Type 1 virtualization where the virtual machine has direct access to the hardware layer, Type 2 virtualization has a different relationship. With Type 2 virtualization, the guest OS sits on top of the Host OS creation layer which must be utilized to access the hardware. The performance of the virtual machine will suffer, and many resources are required from the host to make a virtual machine meet the minimum requirements. The types of products that are Type 2 include VMware Virtual Server, and Microsoft Virtual Server.