What is a Virtual Machine (VM)?
A virtual machine (VM) is a virtual environment that functions as a virtual computer system with its own instance of an operating system (like Linux or Windows) sitting on top of a piece of software called a Hypervisor that runs on the actual physical computer hardware (CPU, Memory, Disk, Network, etc.). One or more virtual “guest” machines run on a physical “host” machine.
This hypervisor takes the underlying computer system and divides it into one or more logical partitions. Each partition can run its own instance of an OS and is isolated from other instances running on the same hardware. This way you can have multiple operating systems installed on the computer at the same time.
This is a method of running more than one software workload on one physical computer system while still providing isolation and dedicated resources to each workload.
One of the main advantages of using a virtual machine is that it allows flexibility and convenience. Since multiple virtual machines can be run on a single physical computer, it can save time, space, and resources. It also allows easy testing and experimentation, since virtual machines can be created and destroyed quickly and easily without affecting the underlying physical host computer.
Another advantage of virtual machines is their ability to provide a secure and isolated environment. Since each virtual machine is isolated from the others, any problems or security issues that may occur within one virtual machine will not affect the others or the underlying physical host. This can be useful for running sensitive applications or performing tasks that require a high level of security.
Overall, virtual machines are an important tool in computer science and have many uses in a variety of different fields (such as data centers, laboratories, …) They provide flexibility, convenience, and security, and are an essential part of modern computing.
