What is VDC (Virtual Data Center)? Why is it necessary and important?

What is VDC (Virtual Data Center)? Why is it necessary and important? Picture 1

VDC or Virtual Data Center - virtual data center is a fairly new term, not everyone working in the technology field knows this term. And VDC services are not yet popular, there are not many service providers in Vietnam. Let's find out with  TipsMake  what VDC is and why businesses need to use it in the article below. 

What is VDC?

VDC stands for Virtual Data Center. VDC can be understood as a set of resources on the cloud that helps businesses store and process data online, eliminating the need to set up and maintain an on-site data center. VDC is similar to a normal physical data center, with the ability to calculate the workload of applications or business operations.

Key Components in Virtual Data Center

In a Virtual Data Center there are the following main components:

● Virtual Server (VM): This is a physical computer simulated by software on a hypervisor. Each virtual server will have its own operating system, applications and virtual hardware such as CPU, RAM.

● Virtual Network: Virtual network is the means for virtual machines in VDC to communicate with each other and with external networks. Virtual network consists of virtual switches, routers and load balancers.

● Storage area: The storage system in VDC can be solutions such as SAN (Storage Area Network) and NAS (Network-Attached Storage). These devices support fast and secure storage and access to data.

● Hypervisor: This is the core of VDC, virtual machines can run on a physical server thanks to the hypervisor, helping VMs use more hardware resources.

● Resource Management System: Management tools help monitor and optimize resource usage in the VDC. This includes managing bandwidth, CPU, memory, and storage to ensure the best performance.

● Security System: The security system in VDC includes firewalls, Intrusion Detection and Prevention Systems (IDPS) and access control mechanisms. The security system will help protect VDC from unauthorized access and network attacks.

How does VDC work?

VDC works by abstracting computer hardware resources, such as servers, storage, and networking, and virtualizing these resources in a user management console. From here, users can provision and manage their virtual machines, storage, and networking resources.

With VDC, businesses will invest less in physical infrastructure and related costs, thereby increasing profits or using the budget to invest in new, more innovative technologies.

What is VDC (Virtual Data Center)? Why is it necessary and important? Picture 2

What is VDC?

How is Virtual Data Center different from traditional Data Center?

About the cost

Compared with traditional data centers, Virtual Data Center requires lower investment costs. Enterprises have to pay for many expenses such as server hardware, network hardware and operating costs, along with hiring monitoring staff, which creates a financial burden.

Meanwhile, when storing data on Virtual Data Center, users use third-party infrastructure, which helps save costs significantly compared to the traditional model. Moreover, Virtual Data Center allows users to optimize resources more effectively.

About accessibility

Traditional data centers have an advantage in accessibility over Virtual Data Centers, as they allow users the flexibility to choose and customize equipment according to their needs. This facilitates future equipment changes.

On the other hand, Virtual Data Centers can have accessibility issues when users do not have an Internet connection, making remote data inaccessible. This can be a hindrance for some users. In addition, when problems occur, users may have to contact the cloud service provider, which reduces the proactiveness in resolving the problem.

About security

Unlike traditional data centers where businesses need to hire security personnel, Virtual Data Centers allow users to protect their own data. Users have full control over their data and devices, which increases safety and security, as only certain people can access the system.

However, Virtual Data Centers can be more risky, as anyone with an Internet connection can potentially break in. In fact, some cloud providers do not pay enough attention to protecting user data, so the choice between these two types of data centers requires careful consideration of security and data management capabilities.

About scalability

Setting up a traditional data center is more expensive and time-consuming than a Virtual Data Center. When expanding resources, users also have to pay additional fees. On the contrary, expanding on a Virtual Data Center is easier and more convenient.

Users do not need to invest in initial hardware and can scale up quickly. Virtual Data Center service providers offer a variety of flexible service packages to meet different user needs.

Benefits of VDC

Flexible, easily scalable

Cloud resources provide Virtual Data Centers (VDCs) with a level of adaptability that is unmatched by traditional data centers. The ability to easily add and remove virtual components is not only simple, but also cost-effective and fast, something that cannot be achieved in physical facilities. These advantages play a significant role in accelerating release cycles, shortening project turnaround times, and shortening time to market for new products and services.

With a clear understanding of VDC, developers are able to deploy public and private catalogs from virtual machine templates, as well as create and remove virtual machines quickly and conveniently. At the same time, they can create and run virtual applications (vApps) with fast deployment times and high virtual machine flexibility, which has greatly improved overall operational efficiency.

Fast resource allocation

Provisioning new hardware in an on-premises data center typically takes weeks, including procurement, configuration, delivery, and installation of each component. In contrast, a Virtual Data Center (VDC) enables new components to be deployed in minutes. IT administrators can quickly deploy virtual servers and desktops from preconfigured images, master templates, or clones of existing virtual machines.

VDCs support Agile and DevOps processes well due to their flexible and rapid provisioning capabilities. Many enterprises with virtual data centers have also implemented policy-based configurations, thereby shortening the software development life cycle (SDLC) more effectively.

Cost savings

Virtual Data Centers (VDCs) are becoming a cost-effective solution for modern businesses. By eliminating the need to set up and equip physical facilities, saving on hardware procurement and maintenance costs, and minimizing the number of technicians required, businesses can optimize their budgets.

Notably, VDC's pay-as-you-go model allows businesses to pay only for the actual resources they use, eliminating unnecessary costs associated with spare capacity.

Good security

Virtual data centers use security measures such as the VXLAN protocol to encapsulate data, simplify administration, and centrally maintain policies. Separating network traffic and resources from physical hardware enhances security, protecting sensitive information from threats.

Creating a robust security system for all virtual assets is essential to protecting business information and complying with industry regulations. By deploying cloud security solutions and maintaining agile security practices, organizations can effectively protect virtual assets and ensure compliance and ongoing security for IT resources.

Guide to properly deploying Virtual Data Center

Deploying a virtual data center requires careful planning, design, and monitoring to ensure effective integration with existing IT infrastructure and maximize benefits.

Planning and design

The virtual data center planning and design process includes defining business and technology objectives, gaining stakeholder buy-in, and creating a roadmap for implementation. This roadmap should clearly define the necessary steps, including:

● Choose the right tools and platforms.

● Integrate with existing systems and processes.

● Continuous monitoring and management of virtual environments.

Choosing tools and platforms

Choosing the right tools and platforms for your virtual data center is important. Some popular platforms include VMware vSphere, Microsoft Hyper-V, Citrix Hypervisor, Oracle VM VirtualBox, and Red Hat Virtualization (RHV). These platforms provide unified management of virtual machines, networking, and storage, along with self-service portals for users.

When deploying, you need to consider the options that are right for your organization, including on-premises, cloud-based, or hybrid deployments. Each option has its own pros and cons, so carefully evaluating your specific requirements and constraints will help you choose the best option.

Monitoring and management

Continuous monitoring and management of virtual data centers is critical to ensuring operations and performance. Using centralized and automated tools simplifies management, reduces costs, and increases flexibility. Furthermore, monitoring system data helps detect and resolve issues such as system failures or data loss, ensuring business continuity.

In addition to performance and reliability, security in a virtual data center is also important. Some security measures to consider include:

● Implement controls to protect the integrity of information.

● Apply technology and physical measures to protect data center assets and resources.

● Maintain vigilance through continuous monitoring.

Conclude

With flexible scalability, cost savings and improved management efficiency, VDC best meets the increasing needs of organizations in the digital age. Investing in VDC not only helps businesses improve performance but also creates sustainable competitive advantages in today's volatile market.

David Pac

Update 12 February 2025