Citrix XenServer: benefits, disadvantages, and security challenges

Virtualization Security

ITEM

Virtualization: Benefits of XenServer

Disadvantage of XenServer

Virtualization Security Challenges

Implementation of XenServer

VIRTUALIZATION SECURITY

The objective of this study is to examine the use of Citrix XenServer which is a free virtualization platform based on the open-source Xen hypervisor and to examine the implications, advantages and disadvantages of having an open-source virtualization product such as XenServer.

XenServer is a "full open source model beginning with the new XenServer 6.2." (Citrix, 2015, p.1) Xenserver provided by Citrix is a paid version however, the upside to the paid version is that it is inclusive of both maintenance and support as well as having CPU socket licensing. It is reported that the "DNA of Xen and XenSource...is open source." (Citrix, 2015, p.1) In addition it is reported that "open source software leads proprietary software in cloud infrastructure [and] open source enables collaborative development and drives public trust." (Citric, 2015, p. 1) Furthermore, open source communities empower users and broaden market reach." (Citrix, 2015, p. 1)

II. Disadvantages of XenServer

According to 'Custom Systems' the XenServer is not as easy to manage as Microsoft Hyper-V. While the install goes much quicker, in order to provide proper management of the Virtual Servers of XenServer, needed will be an install of the Xen Center Console which must be accomplished on a Windows server or PC. In fact, XenServer is reported to be impractical "in some environments." ( 2014, p. 1)

III. Virtualization Security Challenges

It is reported that a virtualized system "uses the same operating system -- and enterprise and Web applications -- as a physical system." (Trendmicro, 2015, p. 3) It is reported that in order to "create an effective approach to virtualization security" the same security principles that have evolved to protect the IT resources of a physical nature. (Trend Micro, 2015, p. 3) Stated as one principle is "defense in depth" stated to be a "fundamental security requirement for organizations that recognize the de-perimeterization" that is reported as emergent in the infrastructure of the IT. ( Trend Micro, 2015, p. 3) Stated as security best practices are the following rules:

(1) The scope and level of protection should be specific and appropriate to the asset at risk;

(2) Business demands that security enable business agility and be cost effective;

(3) Whereas boundary firewalls might continue to provide basic network protection, individual systems and data will need to be capable of protecting themselves;

(4) In general, the closer to an asset that protection is provided, the easier it is to protect that asset. (Trend Micro, 2015, p. 6)

IV. Implementation of XenServer

Implementation of XenServer include the following stated steps:

(1) Synchronizing time between XenServer hosts

(2) Setting up networks and configuring network bonding

(3) Connecting to iSCSI volumes in the SR iSCSI Storage Repositories that will be created utilizing the HP StorageWorks iSCSI volumes created in the previous section;

(4) Creating a VM on the SR and best practices implemented ensuring that each virtual machine maximizes its available iSCSI storage bandwidth. (Trend Micro, 2014, p. 6)

Summary and Conclusion

XenServer is an open source model fully with a paid version available that features support and maintenance in addition to CPU socket licensing. Open source software establishes the trust of the public and the result is that users are empowered and companies are able to reach a broader market. Virtualization provides benefits and savings in cost that are significant in nature. XenServer is more complicated than some other virtualization choices to set up however; according to the sources reviewed in the present study, the benefits outweigh the disadvantages. XenServer's server virtualization includes management of the workload in a more simple framework and there is little cost to implementation of XenServer. The XenServer Host fits on 1 partition of RAID and requires little in the way of RAM optimizing virtualization security.