Also called
application service virtualization. Application virtualization is layered on top of
other
virtualization technologies, such as
storage virtualization or
machine virtualization to allow computing
resources to be distributed dynamically in
real time. In standard computing,
applications install their settings onto the
host
operating system, hard-coding the entire system to fit that application's needs.
With application virtualization, each application brings down its own set of
configurations on-demand, and executes in a way so that it sees only its own
settings. This leaves the host operating system and existing settings unaltered.
[Adapted from
Microsoft SoftGrid Application Virtualization]
