A hypervisor, also known as a virtual machine monitor (VMM), is software, firmware, or hardware that creates and runs virtual machines (VMs). It allows a single physical host machine to support multiple guest VMs by virtually sharing its resources, such as memory, processing power, and storage. The hypervisor abstracts and partitions the underlying hardware resources, enabling multiple operating systems to run concurrently on a single physical machine[4][6].
Types of Hypervisors
There are two main types of hypervisors:
Type 1 Hypervisors (Bare-Metal Hypervisors):
These run directly on the host's hardware without any underlying operating system.
They have direct access to the hardware resources, which makes them highly efficient and suitable for enterprise data centers.
Examples include VMware ESXi, Microsoft Hyper-V, and KVM[4][6][9].
Type 2 Hypervisors (Hosted Hypervisors):
These run on top of a conventional operating system as a software layer or application.
They abstract guest operating systems from the host operating system, making them easier to set up and manage but generally less efficient than Type 1 hypervisors.
Examples include VMware Workstation and Oracle VirtualBox[4][6][9].
Benefits of Hypervisors
Efficiency: Hypervisors allow multiple VMs to share the resources of a single physical machine, improving resource utilization and reducing costs[4][6].
Flexibility and Scalability: They enable quick provisioning and deprovisioning of VMs to meet changing business needs[9].
Isolation and Security: Each VM operates in its own isolated environment, reducing the risk of system crashes and improving security[9].
Portability: VMs can be easily moved between different servers, enhancing IT mobility and disaster recovery capabilities[4][6].
Use Cases
Server Consolidation: Running multiple VMs on a single physical server to o...
