I am very fond of Virtual Machine (VM) technology, e.g., VMware, and use it extensively. Others may use other technologies, such as LPARs on IBM iSeries and zSeries.
I'm curious about your thoughts on how VM affects security. I see two affects: Good: By using VM technology security and systems managers can better separate the services they provide, reducing the ability of one compromised service to affect another. If nothing else, this allows security to better enforce a one-server/one-service policy that is too expensive otherwise. Bad: An attacker could potentially break out of the VM and take over the entire server. This would allow him to compromise all of the virtual servers. Basically, using VM could mean putting all of your eggs in one basket. Thoughts? --- Puryear Information Technology, LLC Baton Rouge, LA 225-343-3056 http://www.puryear-it.com Author of "Best Practices for Managing Linux and UNIX Servers" Download your free copy: http://www.puryear-it.com/manage-linux.htm
