System Virtual Machines
System virtual machines, also known as full virtualization or hypervisor-based virtualization, are a type of virtualization technology that allows multiple operating systems (referred to as guest operating systems) to run concurrently on a single physical machine. In this setup, a layer of software called a hypervisor or virtual machine monitor (VMM) abstracts the underlying hardware and manages the execution of virtual machines.
The key characteristics of system virtual machines include:
Isolation: Each virtual machine operates as if it were running on a physically separate computer, providing strong isolation between guest operating systems. This isolation ensures that processes and resources in one virtual machine do not interfere with those in another.
Resource Allocation: The hypervisor manages the allocation of physical hardware resources (such as CPU, memory, storage, and network) among the virtual machines. It ensures that each virtual machine receives its fair share of resources according to configured settings and priorities.
Guest OS Independence: System virtual machines allow running multiple guest operating systems simultaneously, regardless of their type or version. This flexibility enables organizations to consolidate diverse workloads onto a single physical server.
Hardware Emulation or Passthrough: The hypervisor provides virtualized hardware interfaces to the guest operating systems, which may include emulated or paravirtualized devices. In some cases, hardware-assisted virtualization features (such as Intel VT-x or AMD-V) are utilized to improve performance and efficiency.
Live Migration and High Availability: Advanced system virtualization platforms offer features like live migration, which allows moving running virtual machines between physical hosts with minimal downtime. This capability enhances system reliability, scalability, and workload management.
System virtual machines are widely used in enterprise data centers, cloud computing environments, and development/testing environments due to their ability to maximize hardware utilization, simplify management, and improve flexibility and scalability. Examples of system virtualization platforms include VMware vSphere, Microsoft Hyper-V, KVM (Kernel-based Virtual Machine), and Xen.
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