A virtual machine (VM) is an emulated computer system that runs on top of a physical host machine. It appears like a real computer to the user and can run various operating systems, such as Windows Linux or macOS. VMs are well-known because they allow for multiple operating systems to run on the same computer, which could save businesses lots of money.
Typically an VM is typically a “guest” on the host computer, which provides hardware resources, such as processors memory, and hard disk file management software drives. This allows businesses to accommodate multiple VMs on the same host computer, allowing IT infrastructures to expand and shrink as required. This flexibility allows IT teams to be less busy making changes to software since they are able to manage each physical machine instead of having to manage all of them.
There are two types of VM Hypervisors: Type 2 and Type 1. Type 1 hypervisors are more efficient because they run directly on a host device without the need for a full-blown operating system. Type 2 hypervisors send each VM request through the host operating system, which could slow down processing speed and cause additional overhead.
Virtual machines can help improve IT security and also disaster recovery. Since the virtual environment is not dependent from the hardware running it which makes it much quicker to restore from a VM than a physical machine in case of a downtime or natural catastrophe. This can help prevent data loss and downtime, which can directly impact the bottom line of your business.
