Analyzing Overhead from Security and Administrative Functions in Virtual Environment

Abstract

The paper provides an analysis of the performance of an administrative component that helps the hypervisor to manage the resources of guest operating systems under fluctuation workload. The additional administrative component provides an extra layer of security to the guest operating systems and system as a whole. In this study, an administrative component was implemented by using Xen-hypervisor based para-virtualization technique and assigned some additional roles and responsibilities that reduce hypervisor workload. The study measured the resource utilizations of an administrative component when excessive input/output load passes passing through the system. Performance was measured in terms of bandwidth and CPU utilisation Based on the analysis of administrative component performance recommendations have been provided with the goal to improve system availability. Recommendations included detection of the performance saturation point that indicates the necessity to start load balancing procedures for the administrative component in the virtualized environment.