OpenVZ is an OS-level virtualization technology based on the Linux kernel and operating system. It can be described also as "container-based virtualization for Linux". OpenVZ creates multiple secure and isolated OS instances (containers, Virtual Private Servers (VPSs), or Virtual Environments (VEs)) on a physical server.

Compared to other virtualization technologies such as VMWare's approach and paravirtualization method used by Xen, OpenVZ is "limited" as fas as it requires the physical server (host) and the Virtual Private Servers (guest) to run Linux OS. Different Linux distributions can be used on the server and on each container.

OpenVZ - A Better Performance?

However, OpenVZ has one main advantage. It claims to produce better performance. The OpenVZ website says that "there is only a 1% to 3% performance penalty for OpenVZ as compared to using a standalone server. Test conducted from independent 3-rd party entities show that this evaluation is correct although some say that there are "more significant performance penalties".

OpenVZ's concept is in the core of one of today's world's leading commercial OS virtualization solutions (and one of the most popular Virtual Servers platform as a whole) - Virtuozzo Containers, a branded software product by Parallels.

It is Open Source!

The good news for web hosting entrepreneurs and software engineers interested in virtualization technologies is that OpenVZ is licensed under the GPL version 2, which means its basis can be used for the development of another virtualization software.

The OpenVZ's virtualization method to use Linux kernel and Linux OS enables better utilization of the hardware resources and avoids conflicts between software applications. Each container (VPS) runs as a stand-alone server. Containers (Virtual Private Servers) can be rebooted independently and their owners have root access, create users, have own IP addresses, memory, manage processes, files, applications, system libraries and configuration files.