Topic
Virtual machines
A virtual machine presents a virtualized computing environment in which a guest operating system can run.
At a glance
- Guest environment
- An operating-system instance
- Managing layer
- Hypervisor
Overview
A virtual machine presents a virtualized computing environment in which a guest operating system can run. Virtualization software mediates access to underlying resources, allowing multiple environments to share a physical host while maintaining distinct operating-system instances.
Guest and host
The host supplies physical resources, while each guest sees virtual hardware. Administrators configure resources such as processors, memory, storage, and networking according to the workload's requirements.
Different from containers
A virtual machine includes a guest operating system; a container packages an application environment using a different isolation model. The right choice depends on operating-system requirements, compatibility, and how the environment will be managed.
Sources and review
MOOR's explanatory text is supported by the following source links.
- What is a virtual machine? — Red Hat
- Containers and virtual machines — Docker