Certain predefined types installed with CentraSite are classified as virtual types. A virtual type has the same set of attributes as its base type, but has its own set of profiles and properties and adds its own behavior. A virtual type can also have its own lifecycle model and policies.

Virtual types do not have a separate storage structure or a schema, so the instances of a virtual type are stored as regular assets. For example, a Virtual Service inherits the service and adds its own behavior, yet it is stored as a Service asset.

Virtual services are used for entities that are very similar, but generally need to be governed separately. For example, the REST Service type and the XML Service type are both virtual variants of the Service type. As services, they have basically the same set of metadata as a Service type, however, you might want to apply different policies to these types of services or manage them using different lifecycle models than a regular Service asset.

Several predefined virtual types are installed with CentraSite. For more information, see Predefined Asset Types Installed with CentraSite.