Virtual Machine
A software emulation of a physical computer that runs an operating system and applications in isolation.
Also: VM
Definition
A virtual machine (VM) is a software emulation of a physical computer that runs its own operating system and applications in an isolated environment. VMs are created and managed by a hypervisor (Type 1: VMware ESXi, Microsoft Hyper-V; Type 2: VirtualBox, VMware Workstation) that allocates physical resources. Multiple VMs can run simultaneously on one physical host, improving hardware utilization. Unlike containers, each VM includes a full OS, making them heavier but providing stronger isolation.
Example
“A developer runs a Linux virtual machine on their Windows laptop using VirtualBox to test Linux-specific software without needing a separate physical computer.”
Synonyms
- VM
- virtual server
- guest machine
- emulated computer
Antonyms / Opposites
- bare metal
- physical server
- container
Images
CC-licensed · free to useVideo
Related Terms
- container
- hypervisor
- iaas
- docker