Difference between Abstraction and Virtualization

The meaning of the word "abstraction" varies subtly depending on the surrounding words and phrases that are used in conjunction with it. In a general sense, an abstraction offers a picture of an item that has fewer specifics and reveals the features that are inherent to the thing from the perspective of the observer.

Let's pretend that we have a MariaDB database in addition to a PostgreSQL database. An abstract look at it could reveal that it has a number of characteristics in common with other systems, such as a tabular representation of the data and a network-facing interface that its database clients can use to communicate with the database, among other things.

Virtualization, on the other hand, provides an abstract environment in which programs may be executed.

Read through this article to find out how Abstraction differs from Virtualization.

What is Abstraction?

The process of hiding the internal workings of a programme from users of the application and the outside world is known as "abstraction." A level of abstraction is used to simplify the description of things. It acts as a barrier between the application and any client applications that may be running.

Data abstraction and process/control abstraction are the two categories that fall under the umbrella term "abstraction." An abstraction of the data hides the intricacies of the data, while a control or process hides the implementation details. Both data and functions are capable of being abstracted using an object-oriented methodology.

On the other hand, Object-Oriented Programming (OOP) often involves the creation of classes so that data may be hidden from the outside world while functions act as the public interface. That is, functions that are not part of the class have direct access to the class's functions, while the functions that make up the class have indirect access to the hidden data of the class.

The concept of abstraction is essential to both the field of computer science and the process of developing a software. The process of abstraction, which is also known as modelling, has significant ties to the concepts of theory and design. Because models generalise aspects of reality, they may also be thought of as abstractions.

What is Virtualization?

Virtualization is the process of constructing an abstraction layer on top of computer hardware using software. This layer enables the physical elements of a single computer, such as its processors, memory, storage, and other components, to be partitioned into multiple virtual computers, also known as virtual machines (VMs). Each virtual machine (VM) has its own operating system (OS) and works on its own, even though it only uses a small part of the real computer hardware underneath.

Cloud computing is built on virtualization because it makes it possible to utilise real computer hardware in a manner that is more effective. It makes it possible for a company to increase the return it gets on the investment it makes in its hardware.

Standard practise in the IT architecture of enterprises is currently regarded as standard practise. Technology is also the primary driver of cloud computing's economics. As their workloads grow, cloud customers can buy only the computing resources they need, while cloud service providers can serve customers with the computers they already have.

Comparison between Abstraction and Virtualization

The following table highlights the major differences between Abstraction and Virtualization −

Conclusion

Abstraction makes it possible to encapsulate the physical implementation so that the technical details may be concealed from the customers. Virtualization makes it possible to create a virtual representation of anything, which may include computer resources, a virtual computer hardware platform, or storage devices.

When dealing with chaos and complexity, think about your choices regarding virtualization and abstraction, but make sure you are aware of the benefits and drawbacks of each.