Introduction
Virtualization is creating a software-based, or virtual version of something, whether a computer, storage, networking, servers, or applications.
Linux Virtualization refers to the process in which more than one virtual machine can be installed, executed, and maintained in the Linux operating system.
The virtual machine is a virtual presentation of a physical computer. Multiple virtual machines can be created with each operating system and application on a physical device. A virtual machine is unable to communicate directly with a physical computer. Therefore we use Hypervisor to manage physical hardware.
Hypervisor
A Hypervisor is software that runs and helps in communication between virtual machines. The Hypervisor is also known as a virtual machine monitor(VMM). When physical hardware is used as a hypervisor, it is known as the host. The Hypervisor allocates each virtual machine a portion of computing resources such as memory and storage, which helps in preventing them from interfering.
Types of Hypervisors:
- Type 1: Type 1 hypervisor is a native or bare-metal hypervisor. It runs directly on the host's server for managing the guest operating system. This type of Hypervisor is commonly used in an enterprise data center or other server-based organization. Examples of this Hypervisor are KVM, VMware, Microsoft Hyper-V, etc.
- Type 2: Type 2 hypervisor refers to a hosted Hypervisor. Also, it is run on a conventional operating system as a software layer. It abstracts the guest operating system from the host operating system. It works better for an individual user who wants to run multiple operating systems on a personal computer. Examples of type 2 hypervisors are Oracle VirtualBox and VMware workstations.