Type of Hypervisor

 

Hypervisors, also known as Virtual Machine Monitors (VMMs), can be categorized into two main types based on their deployment and architecture: Type 1 (Bare Metal) Hypervisors and Type 2 (Hosted) Hypervisors.

 

1. Type 1 Hypervisor (Bare Metal Hypervisor):

   • Deployment: Runs directly on the physical hardware of the host system without the need for a host operating system.
   • Characteristics:
     • Provides direct access to hardware resources.
     • Typically used in enterprise environments, data centers, and server virtualization.
     • Offers higher performance and efficiency as it eliminates the overhead of a host operating system.
     • Examples include VMware ESXi, Microsoft Hyper-V (when installed on bare metal), Xen, and KVM (Kernel-based Virtual Machine).

2. Type 2 Hypervisor (Hosted Hypervisor):

   • Deployment: Runs on top of a host operating system.
   • Characteristics:
     • Relies on the host OS to manage certain hardware resources and provides virtualization above the operating system.
     • Commonly used for development, testing, and desktop virtualization.
     • Generally easier to install and set up compared to Type 1 hypervisors.
     • Examples include VMware Workstation, Oracle VirtualBox, Parallels Desktop, and Microsoft Hyper-V (when installed on a host operating system).

These two types of hypervisors serve different purposes and are chosen based on specific use cases and requirements. The decision to use a Type 1 or Type 2 hypervisor depends on factors such as performance, security, and the intended use of virtualization.

 

Additionally, it's worth noting that there are also other classifications of hypervisors based on their architecture or usage. For example:

• Nested Hypervisors: Some hypervisors support running virtual machines within virtual machines. This is known as nested virtualization and is often used for testing and development scenarios.

• Desktop Hypervisors: This term is often used interchangeably with Type 2 hypervisors. Desktop hypervisors are designed for personal or small-scale use on desktop or laptop computers.

• Cloud Hypervisors: Hypervisors used in cloud computing environments to manage and virtualize resources in cloud infrastructure. These can be either Type 1 or Type 2 hypervisors depending on the cloud provider's architecture.

 

The choice between Type 1 and Type 2 hypervisors depends on factors such as performance requirements, resource efficiency, management preferences, and the specific use case or environment in which virtualization is implemented.

 

Thank you.