Virtualization is the process of creating a virtual version of something at the same abstraction level, including virtual computer hardware platforms, storage devices, and computer network resources. It allows the hardware resources of a single computer to be divided into multiple virtual computers, called virtual machines (VMs) . Virtualization uses software that simulates hardware functionality to create a virtual system, which allows IT organizations to operate multiple operating systems, more than one virtual system, and various applications on a single server.
Virtualization can be used to create virtual representations of servers, storage, networks, and other physical machines. It uses specialized software, called a hypervisor, to create several cloud instances or virtual machines on one physical computer. There are two types of hypervisors: type 1 hypervisors run directly on the hosts hardware, while type 2 hypervisors run on top of an operating system.
Virtualization has many benefits, including greater efficiencies and economies of scale. It allows for isolation, keeping programs running inside of a virtual machine safe from the processes taking place in another virtual machine on the same host. Virtualization also offers the ability to run different operating systems and to segment a large system into many smaller parts, allowing the server to be used more efficiently by a number of different users or applications with different needs.
