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Glossary entry

English term or phrase:

bare metal

English answer:

as manufactured

Added to glossary by ErichEko ⟹⭐
Dec 19, 2011 08:27
12 yrs ago
22 viewers *
English term

bare-metal

English Tech/Engineering IT (Information Technology) Virtualization
What does bare metal mean exactly in terms of computer virtualization ?
Example sentence:
Scalability of bare-metal and virtualized HP ProLiant servers in 32- and 64-bit HP Server Based Computing environments..

Businesses continue to deploy non-virtualized (bare-metal) 32-bit platforms that, due to kernel memory constraints, can only support a limited number of users..
Responses
3 +1 "as is" computing platform
4 computer platform without operating system
4 physical platform
Change log

Dec 19, 2011 11:59: ErichEko ⟹⭐ changed "Level" from "Non-PRO" to "PRO"

Jan 1, 2012 10:35: ErichEko ⟹⭐ Created KOG entry

Votes to reclassify question as PRO/non-PRO:

PRO (3): Susanne Schiewe, Stephanie Ezrol, ErichEko ⟹⭐

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Discussion

Hakki Ucar (asker) Dec 22, 2011:
I agree bare-metal does not mean exactly computer to be used for virtualization, but possible to be used for it. And after all a computer non-virtualized are a raw hardware , no application software in it is also generic computer like bare-metal one.
Thanks.
Ambrose Li Dec 20, 2011:
In this specific context, it is also clear that “bare metal” does <em>not</em> mean “computer to be used for virtualization”. The last sentence in the context says:
<blockquote>Businesses continue to deploy non-virtualized (bare-metal) 32-bit platforms that, due to kernel memory constraints, can only support a limited number of users..</blockquote>
This implies “bare metal” servers, in this context, are deployable as-is. The contrast is purely in terms of whether the hypervisor exists or not. We are not talking about pre- vs post-virtualization servers, but virtualized vs non-virtualized servers.
Ambrose Li Dec 20, 2011:
A computer with no OS has always been possible, pre-virtualization-era. In any case I don’t think “bare metal” is a true IT term, which may be why it’s so hard to pin down what it actually means.
Hakki Ucar (asker) Dec 20, 2011:
>Stephanie:
I am also a System Admin somehow a computer expert :)
And I searched answers from colleagues, and according to answers;
bare-metal means computer that to be used for virtualization and they have no software ,even though an OS on them.
Hakki Ucar (asker) Dec 20, 2011:
>Martin:
A server with no OS is possible in terms of virtualization era. Because, a virtual machine manager software will be installed on computer directly on hardware, and virtual machine manager runs on it then control a nother computer OS as called guest OS. it is due to just new design of virtualization specific.
Ambrose Li Dec 20, 2011:
For the record, we are not simply talking about virtual memory here, but virtualization of the whole machine (e.g. through Xen or a comparable technology), including CPU, disk, and memory.
Stephanie Ezrol Dec 20, 2011:
And to repond directly to Hakki: I don't think that a physical computer is usually called "bare metal." I think that this is a rather unique usage to your author, but it seems to be similar to the way some people might talk about a bricks and mortar bookstore as opposed to an internet bookstore; or snail mail (real physical mail via post office) instead of electronic mail.
Stephanie Ezrol Dec 20, 2011:
I checked with a computer expert who said that he had not seen bare metal used in the exact way it is used in the sentence here, but, in the context of the sentence it has to be referring to the difference between these 2 different types of memory utilization: virtualized memory which has a higher usable storage capacity than the hardware RAM because it copies RAM memory as needed to hard disk and back, and “bare-metal” memory that is limited in capacity to the hardware memory board capacity.
Ambrose Li Dec 19, 2011:
Someone more certain than I am correct me, but I believe “bare metal” just means “using the machine in its raw form” or “using a machine that is stripped to the essentials”. (Cf. the 2nd definition in the “computer dictionary” link.)

So in the context of virtualized vs non-virtualized, the virtualization layer is a form of additional functionality that can be stripped away. In this sense a non-virtualized server is indeed the machine in its raw form and would then be “bare metal”.
Hassan Lotfy Dec 19, 2011:
bare metal servers have server chassis, server main boards, server peripherals and connectivity together with bios/kernel .. but no operating systems.
Martin Riordan Dec 19, 2011:
Doubts... That definition doesn't seem to fit the contexts, particularly the first one. "...bare-metal and virtualized HP ProLiant servers..." I don't understand how it can be a server if it has no OS or software! It seems to me that the author has used the term to mean "physical". Maybe he was as confused as I am!
Hakki Ucar (asker) Dec 19, 2011:
Thank you Martin,
are you agree with this definitions: (it is from http://www.webopedia.com/ )
A new computer system that does not contain an operating system or any software. For example, when you purchase a new hard drive it is completely empty, or "nothing but bare metal".
Martin Riordan Dec 19, 2011:
Seems to depend on context... As Ambrose Li say, "in this context...". As I understand the context, it seems to mean simply a physical computer as opposed to a virualized one.

This link shows various definitions to increase the confusion:

http://www.computer-dictionary-online.org/?q=bare metal
Hakki Ucar (asker) Dec 19, 2011:
yes , you are right,
but before the virtualization , no one called a computer as bare-metal , so why do they used word "bare metal" to describe a physical computer nowadays, this is why I am confused.
regards.
Ambrose Li Dec 19, 2011:
Your source text already answered your question. In this context “bare metal” = non-virtualized.

Responses

+1
3 hrs
Selected

"as is" computing platform


It is clearly pointed out in your text that bare-metal is an "antonym" of virtualized.

A non-virtualized platform should mean what-you-see platform. If you get 2 terabytes of storage, your capacity is just 2 terabytes.

In a virtualized environment, you can simulate for more capacity using, e.g. probability and trend. E.g. gmail promises us 2 GB of emails. Does Google have such a "bare-metal" for its users? Nay. Google strongly believes that only x % of its users are email maniacs with x closer to 0 than 100.

There should be better word than as is.
Note from asker:
even though other answers are also correct, but due to the word has ambiguous meaning as multiple meaning according to context, I chose this answer is more closed.
Peer comment(s):
agree Stephanie Ezrol : or you could say hardware based as opposed to virtualized memory
15 mins
Hi Stephanie, I guess so; that metal here refers to hardware only.
Something went wrong...
4 KudoZ points awarded for this answer.
3 hrs

computer platform without operating system

deploying 32 bit hardware/bios/kernel that can not support virtualization OSs
.. for the voting issue, the term is "very" pro :-)
Something went wrong...
9 hrs

physical platform

as opposed to a virtual one:

--------------------------------------------------
Note added at 9 hrs (2011-12-19 17:42:32 GMT)
--------------------------------------------------

t hides the physical characteristics of a computing platform from users, instead ... A virtual machine can easily be relocated from one physical machine to ...
VSX-1 - Check Point Software Technologies Ltd.
www.checkpoint.com/products/vpn-1-power-vsx/index.htmlHardw... cost savings and comprehensive security via a virtual platform. Consolidate hundreds of security gateways into one physical device; Includes ..... Load Balancing, VSLS (Virtual System Load Balancing) to distribute VS load across ...
Microsoft Volume Licensing - Microsoft Licensing for Virtualization
www.microsoft.com/licensing/about-licensing/virtualization.... Microsoft virtualization platform can help enhance your IT environment, and ... desktop for managing both physical and virtual assets from a single platform. ...
NetworkInterface (Java Platform SE 6)
docs.oracle.com/javase/6/docs/api/java/net/NetworkInterface.htmlReturns the hardware address (usually MAC) of the interface if it has one ... this interface if this is a subinterface, or null if it is a physical (non virtual) interface or ...
[PDF]
Security Considerations for Virtual Platform Provisioning
www.zurich.ibm.com/~cca/csc2011/submissions/aslam.pdfFile Format: PDF/Adobe Acrobat
by M Aslam - Cited by 1 - Related articles
However, using the recent advancements in virtualization technologies, the platform providers could provision virtual platforms as opposed to physical platforms ...
Virtual Machines, Virtual Server, Virtual Infrastructure
www.vmware.com › Virtualization › Virtualization BasicsA virtual machine behaves exactly like a physical computer and contains it own virtual (ie, software-based) CPU ... If, for example, there are four virtual machines on a single physical server and one of the virtual ... Application Platform Solutions ...

eski :))

--------------------------------------------------
Note added at 1 day7 hrs (2011-12-20 16:07:00 GMT)
--------------------------------------------------

NOTE TO HAKKI:
Hi Hakki, sorry about the non-funcioning links above: hopefully, the following will be easier to access:
Hardware virtualization or platform virtualization refers to the creation of a virtual
... is the concept of separating the logical desktop from the physical machine. ...

en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Virtualization - Cached - SimilarHardware virtualization - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Computer hardware virtualization is the virtualization of computers or operating
systems. It hides the physical characteristics of a computing platform from users, ...

en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hardware_virtualization - Cached - SimilarVirtual vs. Physical Appliances: 4 Compelling Reasons for Change ...
10 Oct 2008 ... Virtual v’s Physical Appliances – 4 compelling reasons for change ... to
increase the physical characteristics of the platform or migrate an ...

www.itworld.com/virtualization/.../virtual-vs-physical-appl... - Cached - SimilarVirtual vs. physical machines
24 Jun 2008 ... What are some of the differences between physical and virtual servers that I need
to be aware of?...

itknowledgeexchange.techtarget.com/.../virtual-vs-physical-machines/ - Cached - SimilarVirtual Servers Outnumber Physical Servers
12 Dec 2011 ... Virtual Servers Are On The Verge of Outnumbering Physical ... There are
solutions available today that connect the virtualization platform with ...

enterprisefeatures.com/.../virtual-servers-are-on-the-verge-of-outnumbering-physical-servers/ - Cached - Similar

Greetings,
eski :))
Note from asker:
there is a problem with links you put..
Something went wrong...
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