Its true that both cloud computing and virtualization are some of today's most useful additions to the IT industry as well as the eCommerce sector. We have major examples of each type of these pieces of technology such as Amazon Web Services for cloud computing and Docker for virtualization. The strange thing is that they could easily be mistaken for one another by the uninitiated. And that is why this article needs to be written, shared, and read.

So, on to the nitty gritty:

Difference By Definition:

Cloud Computing is the practice of using a network of remote servers that are hosted on the internet to provide various services involved in storing, managing, and processing data. Cloud computing is made possible through multiple servers that are connected on the same network.

On the other hand, virtualization is the practice of creating a virtual resource which will then operate as a server, operating system, file storage, or network. It is made possible through software like Docker. In essence, it allows users to run multiple instances of a resource on a single machine.

Difference By Function:

Scalability - Cloud computing is easily scalable. Because its resources are not dependent on a single machine, it's easy to be able to expand resources as users see fit. You need to check this review of Hostinger to see how expandable cloud computing can be.

In contrast to this, virtualization cannot be so easily expanded as it is limited by the hardware it is installed on. The number of instances needed may reach a limit that the hardware can no longer support.

Deployment - In terms of setup and installation, virtualization is incredibly easy to use. It's as simple as installing software on a dedicated computer. On the other hand, cloud computing takes a lot of work to deploy because of the many servers that are needed to set up the network.

Accessibility - Cloud Computing allows users to access resources from literally anywhere in the world and from any device, as long as they have access to the network. Virtualization requires special authorizations in order for users to access it from outside the network.

Stability - Because virtualization runs on a single machine, these multiple instances could all fail should the dedicated hardware fail. In contrast to this, because cloud computing networks run on multiple machines scattered across the world, the failure of one machine will not significantly affect the network's operation.

Ideal Usage - Cloud computing is ideal for public use where real-time access across multiple devices is essential. These are usually used by non-IT companies. Virtualization is ideal for IT companies that want to reduce operational costs because they don't need to buy as much hardware as they normally would in order to run multiple instances of a resource.

One Important Thing To Note:

In terms of interrelations, you can have virtualization without cloud computing, but you cannot have a cloud computing network without some form of virtualization.  This is especially true because cloud computing and virtualization are used in conjunction with each other to build IT infrastructure.

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