Hypervisor

A hypervisor, also known as a Virtual Machine Monitor (VMM), is a software or hardware component that enables the creation and management of virtual machines (VMs). It allows multiple operating systems to run on a single physical machine concurrently, sharing the underlying hardware resources such as CPU, memory, storage, and network.

 

There are two main types of hypervisors:

 

1. Type 1 Hypervisor (Bare Metal Hypervisor):

   • A Type 1 hypervisor runs directly on the physical hardware of the host system.
   • It does not require a host operating system. Instead, it acts as the operating system itself.
   • This type of hypervisor is often used in enterprise environments and data centers for server virtualization.
   • Examples include VMware ESXi, Microsoft Hyper-V (when installed on bare metal), and Xen.

2. Type 2 Hypervisor (Hosted Hypervisor):

   • A Type 2 hypervisor runs on top of a host operating system.
   • It relies on the host OS to manage certain hardware resources and provides virtualization above the operating system.
   • This type of hypervisor is commonly used for development, testing, and desktop virtualization.
   • Examples include VMware Workstation, Oracle VirtualBox, and Microsoft Hyper-V (when installed on a host operating system).

 

Key features and functions of hypervisors include:

 

• Isolation: Hypervisors create isolated environments, known as virtual machines, ensuring that the activities in one VM do not impact others.

• Resource Allocation: Hypervisors allocate and manage the physical resources of the host machine among the virtual machines. This includes CPU time, memory, storage, and network bandwidth.

• Snapshot and Cloning: Hypervisors often support the ability to take snapshots of virtual machines at a specific point in time, allowing for easy backup and recovery. Cloning enables the quick duplication of virtual machines.

• Live Migration: Some hypervisors support live migration, allowing virtual machines to be moved from one physical host to another without interruption of service.

• Hardware Independence: Virtual machines are abstracted from the underlying hardware, providing a level of hardware independence. This allows VMs to be migrated between different physical hosts with varying hardware configurations.

• Increased Utilization: By running multiple virtual machines on a single physical server, hypervisors help maximize the utilization of hardware resources, improving efficiency and reducing costs.

 

Hypervisors play a crucial role in server virtualization, cloud computing, and the deployment of virtual infrastructure in various computing environments. They enable the efficient use of hardware, enhance flexibility, and contribute to the overall scalability of IT infrastructure.

 

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