virtual disk
Emulated hard drive
A virtual disk is a file or set of files that functions as if it were a physical hard drive.
Operating systems and software interact with it like real storage hardware, but it exists only as data on another disk.
Virtual disks enable disk images, virtual machines, and cloud storage: The backup created a virtual disk containing the entire system.
Also called a virtual drive.
- raw imageUnprocessed sensor data
- partitionBarrier separating spaces
- storageSpace for keeping goods
- mountClimb up or steed
- ISOGlobal standards body
emulator · snapshot · VMware · clone · container · hypervisor · sandbox · backup · cloud · drive · volume · hard drive · filesystem · bootable · encrypted · allocated · sparse · host
- data storagehard drive, hard drives, backup, gigabyte, flash drives
- disk imagesISO, IMG, raw image, QED, MDF
- Virtualizationhypervisor, VM, VMware, container, containers
- storage mediablank CD, blank tape, CD, DVD, Blu-ray
- IT Infrastructurecloud computing, data center, server, VM, router
- storage deviceshard drive, SSD, flash drive, USB drive, SD card
physical vs. virtualized storage
virtual diskhard disk drive
Magnetic spinning storage device
HDD · solid-state drive · spinning disk · SSD · physical media