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Definition[]

Virtualization is

a technology that allows multiple, software-based virtual machines, with different operating systems, to run in isolation, side by side, on the same physical machine.[1]
the concept of masking IT resources in a way that the physical nature and boundaries of those resources are hidden from resource users. An IT resource can be a server, a client, storage, networks, applications or operating systems.[2]
the ability to run software on hardware it is not ordinarily meant to run on. Among other reasons, virtualization is beneficial because it permits the user to run software on faster hardware and permits examination and debugging of the software to get a better understanding of how it works.[3]
a methodology of dividing the resources (hardware and software) into multiple execution environments, by applying one or more concepts or technologies such as hardware and software partitioning, time-sharing, partial or complete machine simulation or emulation allowing multiple operating systems, or images, to run concurrently on the same hardware.[4]

Overview[]

Virtual machines can be stored as files, making it possible to save a virtual machine and move it from one physical server to another.[5]

There are many forms of virtualization, distinguished primarily by computing architecture layer. For example, application virtualization provides a virtual implementation of the application programming interface (API) that a running application expects to use, allowing applications developed for one platform to run on another without modifying the application itself. The Java Virtual Machine (JVM) is an example of application virtualization; it acts as an intermediary between the Java application code and the operating system (OS). Another form of virtualization, known as operating system virtualization, provides a virtual implementation of the OS interface that can be used to run applications written for the same OS as the host, with each application in a separate VM container.[6]

"Partitioning a hard drive is considered virtualization because one drive is divided into two hard drives. Virtualization is a characteristic of cloud computing; however, it does not fully incorporate all aspects of cloud computing.

Cloud computing uses virtualization to provide computing resources as a service or utility over public, semi-public, or private infrastructures. Virtualization software allows one physical machine to run multiple operating systems."[7]

References[]

See also[]

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