A virtual machine is a computer that has been emulated that is running on a physical host. It appears as a genuine computer to the user and runs different operating systems like Windows Linux or macOS. VMs are well-known because they permit multiple environments to be hosted on a single server, which can result in significant cost savings for companies.
Typically the term “VM” refers to a VM is typically a “guest” on host computers that provide hardware resources, such as processors memory, and hard disk drives. As a result, businesses can put several VMs on the same host machine. This provides scalability that allows IT infrastructure to expand or shrink as required. This flexibility allows IT teams to spend less time making changes to software since they are able to manage each physical machine, instead of having to manage them all.
There are two types of VM Hypervisors: Type 2 and Type 1. Type 1 hypervisors are more efficient in performance as they run directly on the host system, without the need for a full-blown operating system. Type 2 hypervisors run each VM request through the host operating system, which can slow down processing speed and creates additional overhead.
Virtual machines can enhance IT security, and also disaster recovery. Virtual machines are not dependent on the physical hardware they run on. This makes it easier to restore a VM in the event of a natural disaster or outage. This can help prevent downtime and data loss that could directly affect your company’s bottom line.