Book excerpt: Reader equip themselves for today’s dramatically changing IT world with the insights and timely instruction in HANDS-ON VIRTUAL COMPUTING, 2E. Whether a novice or experienced IT professional, this unique book combines current theory and developing concepts with practical hands-on activities and projects to help readers master virtualization and learn to apply those skills in real world scenarios. Readers gain experience working with the latest virtualization technology and learn the differences between the two major leaders in virtualization products -- VMware and Microsoft. Specific chapters address Oracle VirtualBox, VMware Workstation, Microsoft Hyper-V, VMware vSphere, and virtualization in software-defined data centers. Readers develop the solid understanding of virtualization concepts and products needed to advance today’s IT career. Important Notice: Media content referenced within the product description or the product text may not be available in the ebook version.