Virtual Machine

title: "Virtual Machine (VM)" seoTitle: "Virtual Machine (VM)| Appendix" @description: "What is a Virtual Machine (VM)?" metaKeywords: "Virtual Machine, VM" author: "Myles Golden" date: "2022-06-22" lastmod: "2022-06-22" published: true category: "term" parent_category: "home" img: "/images/no_img.png" tags: - term

A virtual machine (VM) is a software implementation of a physical computer. VMs run on top of a physical server and can be created, configured, and destroyed as needed. VMs are often used to run multiple operating systems (OSes) on a single physical server.

What are the benefits of using VMs?

VMs offer many benefits, including the following:

• Improved utilization of physical servers: VMs allow multiple OSes to run on a single physical server, which can lead to improved utilization of hardware resources.
• Flexibility and portability: VMs can be easily created, destroyed, and moved between physical servers. This makes them much more flexible and portable than physical servers.
• Isolation: VMs are isolated from each other, which can help to improve security and stability.
• Ease of management: VMs can be easily managed using software tools, making it easier to keep track of them and make changes as needed.

What are the drawbacks of using VMs?

VMs also have some drawbacks, including the following:

-Increased complexity: The use of VMs can add complexity to an IT infrastructure.

-Performance: VMs can sometimes have lower performance than physical servers due to the overhead of the hypervisor.

-Licensing: Some OSes and software applications may not be licensed for use on VMs.

-Security: VMs can be more vulnerable to security threats than physical servers, due to the increased number of potential attack vectors.