This module will look in detail at the technologies which can be considered under the umbrella title of virtual computing, including:¿

- key networking, cloud, and virtualisation themes

- Cloud Computing¿

- Construction of artefacts to solve complex problems

- Virtual OS¿

- Virtual Storage

- Virtual Hardware¿

- Virtual Software¿

- Hardware Platforms

- Infrastructure Systems

- Operations with IPv4

- Case study approaches, background research, and primary research into the discipline

- Determining and addressing risk management activities

- Mathematic principles of virtualisation

- Legal aspects of the domain, professional issues including social, ethical, environmental, and societal issues

- Internal infrastructure of companies and their adaption

- Industry standards, process and associated quality procedures

Case Study - A Case Study allowing students to demonstrate their ability to compare and evaluate their solution for a given scenario (Learning Outcomes 1 and 3).

Practical Assessment - A practical skills Demonstration, setting up a number of virtual infrastructure tools in order to demonstrate ability to work with live systems in a real time environment (Learning Outcome 2).

All teaching sessions will blend theory and practical learning. Students will be introduced to curriculum concepts and ideas and will then be able to apply theory to practical examples within the same sessions. In addition, students will be provided with a range of resources for independent study such as case studies, academic papers and industry stories. There will be a mixture of practical and theoretical formative (mock or practice) exercises which will help students build knowledge and confidence in preparation for summative (formal) assessment.

1. CRITICALLY ASSESS AND EVALUATE THE ARCHITECTURAL PRINCIPLES AT THE FOREFRONT OF PROFESSIONAL PRACTICE CONCERNING USING VIRTUALIZED TECHNOLOGY AND THE SUPPORTING INFRASTRUCTURE.¿

Learning, Analysis, Reflection


2. RESEARCH AND DESIGN COMMERCIAL SERVER INFRASTRUCTURES TO SUPPORT VIRTUALISED TECHNOLOGIES

Enquiry, Application


3. CRITICALLY COMPARE AND EVALUATE DIFFERENT COMPETING TECHNOLOGIES TO SOLVE A DEFINED PROBLEM.¿

Learning, Analysis, Reflection

All texts and electronic resources will be updated and refreshed on an annual basis and available for students via the online Study Links resource platform. All reference materials will be collated and curated and aligned to Equality, Diversity & Inclusion indicators.


Comer, D. (2020), Operating System Design: The Xinu Approach, Second Edition, Chapman and Hall/CRC

Hussain, M, Q. (2022), A Journey in Creating an Operating System Kernel: The 539kernel Book, Independently published

Gerofi, B. et. al. (2019), Operating Systems for Supercomputers and High Performance Computing: 1 (High-Performance Computing Series, 1), Springer; 1st ed.

Song, H. (2022), Internet Of Everything: Key Technologies, Practical Applications And Security Of IoT, World Scientific Publishing Co Pte Lt

Lele, C. (2022), Internet of Things (IoT) A Quick Start Guide: A to Z of IoT Essentials (English Edition), BPB Publications

Herreo, C. (2022), Fundamentals of IoT Communication Technologies (Textbooks in Telecommunication Engineering), Springer; 1st ed. 2022 edition¿

Mauro, Andrea, et al.¿(2017), Mastering VMware VSphere 6. 5 : Deliver Great Business Value by Adopting the Virtualization Platform VMware VSphere 6. 5, from the Design to the Deployment, Packt Publishing, Limited.¿ProQuest Ebook Central, https://ebookcentral.proquest.com/lib/staffordshire/detail.action?docID=5206955.

Marshall, N., Brown, M., Fritz, G.B. and Johnson, R. (2018). Securing VMware vSphere. In Mastering VMware vSphere®¿6.7 (eds N. Marshall, M. Brown, G.B. Fritz and R. Johnson).¿https://doi.org/10.1002/9781119549291.ch8

Guthrie, Forbes, et al. (2013)¿VMware VSphere Design, John Wiley & Sons, Incorporated, 2013.¿ProQuest Ebook Central, https://ebookcentral.proquest.com/lib/staffordshire/detail.action?docID=1144768.

Use of Appropriate Type 1 and Type 2 Hypervisor Software

Use of Lab Servers

Use of Specialist Labs



Please note – This module can only be completed on x86 based devices which support Intel VT-X or AMD-V. All lab equipment meets this standard. To practice at home, personal machines must also meet this standard. Apple “M” series CPUs are not supported.

This module looks at virtualisation of hardware and software and the effect upon the commercial IT market, infrastructure and the wider customer base. Within the module you will look at the hypervisor technologies which are currently used to understand how these interact with hardware and allow a virtualized OS to work either natively or through a host OS. You will also look in detail at the different virtual environments, with virtualised storage, hardware for redundancy purposes and operating systems, and learning environments. This technology does bring a number of benefits and risks and you will be expected to understand this and see where the benefits and risks are within this. The supporting infrastructure will also be looked at to give you a holistic view of how virtualisation will be used within companies now and increasingly in the future.