Hybrid Fuzzy–Rough MCDM Framework and Decision Support Application for Sustainable Evaluation of Virtualization Technologies

Sustainable virtualization is essential for enterprises seeking to reduce energy use, increase resource efficiency, and connect IT operations with global sustainability goals. This study describes a hybrid decision-support framework that uses the ISO/IEC 25010 quality characteristics and sustainability factors to evaluate virtualization technologies using FAHP, RST, and TOPSIS. To obtain robust FAHP weights in uncertain situations, expert linguistic assessments are converted into fuzzy pairwise comparisons. RST is then used to determine the most important sustainability criteria, thereby improving interpretability while minimizing model complexity. TOPSIS compares virtualization platforms to the best sustainability solution. Empirical validation involved five domain experts, eight criteria, and four virtualization platforms. Performance efficiency, reliability, and security are the main criteria, with lightweight, resource-efficient hypervisors scoring highest in sustainability factors. To implement the framework, a lightweight web-based decision-support dashboard was developed. The dashboard allows real-time FAHP computation, RST reduct extraction, TOPSIS ranking visualization, and automatic sustainability reporting. The proposed technique provides a clear, replicable, and functional tool for sustainability-focused virtualization decisions. It helps IT administrators link digital infrastructure planning with the SDG-driven green IT objectives.