A virtual machine (VM) is an computer system that emulates on the top of a physical host machine. It appears to the user as a real computer system and can run various operating systems like Windows, Linux or macOS. VMs are popular because they permit multiple operating systems to be hosted on the same server, which can result in significant savings for businesses.
Typically typically, a VM is a “guest” on a host computer that provides hardware resources like processors, memory and hard disk drives. As a result, businesses can install multiple VMs on the same host machine, allowing scalability that allows IT infrastructure to expand or shrink as needed. This flexibility also helps reduce the time that IT teams spend deploying and maintaining software updates since they can do it on a server-by-server basis rather than having to manage each individual physical machine.
There are two types of VM Hypervisors which are Type 2 and 1. Type 1 hypervisors provide more performance since they operate directly on the host machine without the need for a fully-fledged operating system. Type 2 hypervisors route every VM request to the host operating system. This can reduce processing speed and add costs.
Virtual machines can enhance IT security and also disaster recovery. Since virtual environments are independent of the hardware that runs it and software, it is much easier to restore data from the VM than a physical machine in case of an outage or natural catastrophe. This can help prevent downtime and data loss which could negatively affect your business’s bottom line.
