VM

Simulated computer environment

VM stands for virtual machine—a software emulation of a computer system that runs within another computer.

VMs allow multiple operating systems to run simultaneously on one physical machine, each isolated from the others: I spun up a VM to test the new software.

The technology is fundamental to cloud computing, where providers run thousands of VMs on shared hardware.

VM also appears in contexts like the Java Virtual Machine (JVM), which executes code in a platform-independent environment.

computing

hypervisor

Virtual machine management layer

  • guestWelcomed visitor
  • hostOne receiving guests
  • snapshotInformal photograph taken quickly

clone · instance · server · datacenter · vSphere · VMware · KVM · migration · template · appliance

resources

CPU

Main computing chip

  • memoryMind's retention capacity
  • RAMTemporary data storage hardware
  • storageSpace for keeping goods

allocation · provisioning · limits · reservation · overcommit · ballooning · swap · dedicated · shared

isolation

sandbox

Enclosed play area

segmentation · security · testing · development · staging · disposable · ephemeral · quarantine

Categories
Opposites
infrastructure abstraction level

VMbare metal

Direct hardware access, unmediated

dedicated server · mainframe · appliance

physical vs. virtual existence

VMhardware

Metal goods and fittings

deployment granularity

VMcontainer

Thing for storing items

serverless · bare metal · microservice · edge computing

Familiarity
Top 500,000
Profile
Used worldwide · Timeless · Rated G