{"id":98377,"date":"2024-05-27T12:07:10","date_gmt":"2024-05-27T10:07:10","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/firstcolo.blackpeppers.de\/glossary\/virtual-machine-vm\/"},"modified":"2026-03-13T00:05:43","modified_gmt":"2026-03-12T23:05:43","slug":"virtual-machine-vm","status":"publish","type":"glossary","link":"https:\/\/firstcolo.blackpeppers.de\/en\/glossary\/virtual-machine-vm\/","title":{"rendered":"Virtual Machine (VM)"},"content":{"rendered":"\t\t<div data-elementor-type=\"wp-post\" data-elementor-id=\"98377\" class=\"elementor elementor-98377 elementor-48822\" data-elementor-post-type=\"glossary\">\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-element elementor-element-1cca171 e-flex e-con-boxed e-con e-parent\" data-id=\"1cca171\" data-element_type=\"container\" data-e-type=\"container\" data-settings=\"{&quot;background_background&quot;:&quot;classic&quot;}\">\n\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"e-con-inner\">\n\t\t<div class=\"elementor-element elementor-element-e8a1e42 e-con-full e-flex e-con e-child\" data-id=\"e8a1e42\" data-element_type=\"container\" data-e-type=\"container\">\n\t\t<div class=\"elementor-element elementor-element-210f5d9b e-con-full e-flex e-con e-child\" data-id=\"210f5d9b\" data-element_type=\"container\" data-e-type=\"container\" data-settings=\"{&quot;background_background&quot;:&quot;classic&quot;}\">\n\t\t<div class=\"elementor-element elementor-element-62c09ccf e-con-full e-flex e-con e-child\" data-id=\"62c09ccf\" data-element_type=\"container\" data-e-type=\"container\">\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-element elementor-element-7eef3ceb elementor-widget elementor-widget-heading\" data-id=\"7eef3ceb\" data-element_type=\"widget\" data-e-type=\"widget\" data-widget_type=\"heading.default\">\n\t\t\t\t\t<h1 class=\"elementor-heading-title elementor-size-default\">What is a virtual machine (VM)?<\/h1>\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-element elementor-element-749a691f elementor-widget elementor-widget-text-editor\" data-id=\"749a691f\" data-element_type=\"widget\" data-e-type=\"widget\" data-widget_type=\"text-editor.default\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<p>A virtual machine (VM) is a software-based computer that replicates the functionality of a physical computer. It simulates a complete hardware environment, including CPU, memory, network interfaces, and storage, while running on a physical host system. VMs make it possible to run multiple operating systems simultaneously on a single piece of hardware. This optimizes resource utilization and increases flexibility within the IT infrastructure.   <\/p>\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<div class=\"elementor-element elementor-element-48021625 e-flex e-con-boxed e-con e-parent\" data-id=\"48021625\" data-element_type=\"container\" data-e-type=\"container\">\n\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"e-con-inner\">\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-element elementor-element-333608c0 elementor-widget elementor-widget-heading\" data-id=\"333608c0\" data-element_type=\"widget\" data-e-type=\"widget\" data-widget_type=\"heading.default\">\n\t\t\t\t\t<h2 class=\"elementor-heading-title elementor-size-default\">How does a virtual machine work?<\/h2>\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-element elementor-element-2ca357c6 elementor-widget elementor-widget-text-editor\" data-id=\"2ca357c6\" data-element_type=\"widget\" data-e-type=\"widget\" data-widget_type=\"text-editor.default\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<p>A VM works by running a guest operating system in an isolated environment. This isolation ensures that the guest operating system and its applications operate independently of the host system. This allows different operating systems, such as Windows, Linux, or macOS, to run in parallel on the same physical computer without affecting one another.  <\/p>\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-element elementor-element-7a02f09 elementor-widget elementor-widget-heading\" data-id=\"7a02f09\" data-element_type=\"widget\" data-e-type=\"widget\" data-widget_type=\"heading.default\">\n\t\t\t\t\t<h2 class=\"elementor-heading-title elementor-size-default\">Benefits<\/h2>\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-element elementor-element-2486f05 elementor-widget elementor-widget-text-editor\" data-id=\"2486f05\" data-element_type=\"widget\" data-e-type=\"widget\" data-widget_type=\"text-editor.default\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<p>A key advantage of virtual machines is their flexibility. Companies can partition a single physical <a href=\"https:\/\/firstcolo.blackpeppers.de\/glossar\/server\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">server<\/a> into multiple VMs, allowing different applications or services to run on a single piece of hardware. This results in cost savings because fewer physical servers are required. In addition, resource utilization becomes more efficient because the hardware is used more effectively.   <\/p>\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-element elementor-element-2003b44 elementor-widget elementor-widget-heading\" data-id=\"2003b44\" data-element_type=\"widget\" data-e-type=\"widget\" data-widget_type=\"heading.default\">\n\t\t\t\t\t<h2 class=\"elementor-heading-title elementor-size-default\">Categories of virtual machines<\/h2>\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-element elementor-element-d6c55f6 elementor-widget elementor-widget-text-editor\" data-id=\"d6c55f6\" data-element_type=\"widget\" data-e-type=\"widget\" data-widget_type=\"text-editor.default\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<p>Virtual machines are often divided into two main categories: system-based and process-based VMs.<\/p><ul><li> <strong>System-based VMs<\/strong>, also known as <a href=\"https:\/\/firstcolo.blackpeppers.de\/glossar\/hypervisor\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">hypervisor<\/a>-based VMs, virtualize the entire hardware and enable multiple guest operating systems to run. This type of VM is primarily used in data centers to optimize server resources. <\/li><li><strong>Process-based VMs<\/strong>, on the other hand, focus on running individual applications and provide a platform-independent runtime environment. A well-known example is the Java Virtual Machine (JVM), which enables Java programs to run on different devices regardless of the underlying hardware. <\/li><\/ul>\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-element elementor-element-e474ae1 elementor-widget elementor-widget-heading\" data-id=\"e474ae1\" data-element_type=\"widget\" data-e-type=\"widget\" data-widget_type=\"heading.default\">\n\t\t\t\t\t<h2 class=\"elementor-heading-title elementor-size-default\">VMs and hypervisors<\/h2>\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-element elementor-element-b903677 elementor-widget elementor-widget-text-editor\" data-id=\"b903677\" data-element_type=\"widget\" data-e-type=\"widget\" data-widget_type=\"text-editor.default\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<p>A crucial element of virtualization is the <a href=\"https:\/\/firstcolo.blackpeppers.de\/glossar\/hypervisor\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">hypervisor<\/a>, software that manages the VMs. There are two main types of hypervisors: Type 1 hypervisors, which run directly on the host system\u2019s hardware, and Type 2 hypervisors, which run within a host operating system. Type 1 hypervisors offer higher performance and security because they interact directly with the hardware. Type 2 hypervisors, by contrast, are easier to implement and are ideal for development environments.   <\/p>\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<div class=\"elementor-element elementor-element-7648e81f e-con-full e-flex e-con e-child\" data-id=\"7648e81f\" data-element_type=\"container\" data-e-type=\"container\">\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-element elementor-element-5fc8fe3c elementor-widget elementor-widget-button\" data-id=\"5fc8fe3c\" data-element_type=\"widget\" data-e-type=\"widget\" data-widget_type=\"button.default\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<a class=\"elementor-button elementor-button-link elementor-size-sm\" href=\"\/\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t<span class=\"elementor-button-content-wrapper\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<span class=\"elementor-button-text\">Homepage<\/span>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/span>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/a>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-element elementor-element-3f31333c elementor-widget elementor-widget-button\" data-id=\"3f31333c\" data-element_type=\"widget\" data-e-type=\"widget\" data-widget_type=\"button.default\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<a class=\"elementor-button elementor-button-link elementor-size-sm\" href=\"https:\/\/firstcolo.blackpeppers.de\/en\/knowledge\/glossary\/\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t<span class=\"elementor-button-content-wrapper\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<span class=\"elementor-button-text\">Glossary<\/span>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/span>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/a>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>What is a virtual machine (VM)? A virtual machine (VM) is a software-based computer that replicates the functionality of a physical computer. It simulates a complete hardware environment, including CPU, memory, network interfaces, and storage, while running on a physical host system. VMs make it possible to run multiple operating systems simultaneously on a single [&hellip;]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":43,"featured_media":97354,"menu_order":0,"template":"","meta":{"content-type":"","footnotes":""},"glossary-categories":[],"glossary-tags":[],"class_list":["post-98377","glossary","type-glossary","status-publish","has-post-thumbnail","hentry"],"yoast_head":"<!-- This site is optimized with the Yoast SEO Premium plugin v27.2 (Yoast SEO v27.2) - https:\/\/yoast.com\/product\/yoast-seo-premium-wordpress\/ -->\n<title>Virtual Machine | firstcolo Glossary<\/title>\n<meta name=\"description\" content=\"A virtual machine (VM) is a software-based computer that replicates the functionality of a physical computer.\" \/>\n<meta name=\"robots\" content=\"noindex, follow, max-snippet:-1, max-image-preview:large, max-video-preview:-1\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:locale\" content=\"en_US\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:type\" content=\"article\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:title\" 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