Week 2 - The Engine of Virtualization

    This week, we took a look at what makes virtualization possible. If you are spinning up virtual machines, you are most definitely relying on a hypervisor to slice up the CPU, memory, and storage. But they don't all operate the same way, and it usually comes down to whether you are dealing with a Type 1 or Type 2 hypervisor.

    Type 1, also known as "bare-metal," installs directly onto the server's physical hardware without needing an operating system beneath it getting in the way. It's like building a house directly on a fresh plot of land. It's fast, efficient, and is what data centers run. On the other hand, Type 2 hypervisors run on top of an existing OS, like Windows, macOS, and Linux. It's like renting an apartment inside an existing building. Because Type 2 hypervisors have to ask the host OS for resources, they have more overhead and are not quite as fast and efficient. However, if you just want to test a new Linux distro on your laptop without completely overwriting your main hard drive, they're great.

Week 1 - The First Instance

 Hello everyone,

    My name is Bilal, and I am pursuing a BS in Information Technology. I have an IT background from my days in the United States Air Force; however, I have always been interested in technology and how things worked under the hood. I spent a little over 9 years as a Satellite Communications Technician, working on the ground terminals used to connect to military satellites in space. It was hard work but rewarding, which led me to choose this major. 

    This blog will be where I share my knowledge, experiences, and maybe even a few lessons learned along the way. I'll be attempting to break down concepts and dissect the inner workings of network devices and protocols to help build a deeper understanding of the field. If you're also an aspiring network professional or someone curious about how computers communicate over the internet, I hope you enjoy following along as I attempt to decode networks.