Virtual Machines
Adopt enterprise-scale hybrid data integration to create a unified, trusted source for all your data.
Virtualization refers to the creation of a software-based, or "virtual," version of a computer that utilizes a portion of CPU, memory, and storage from a physical host—either a personal device or a remote server, such as one in a cloud provider’s data center.
A virtual machine (VM) is typically a computer file, known as an image, that functions like a physical computer. It runs in its own window as an independent computing environment, often with a different operating system, and in some cases, serves as the user’s primary system—commonly seen in workplace setups.
The VM operates in isolation from the host system, ensuring that its software does not affect the host's main operating system.
How does a Virtual Machine Work?
Virtual Machines (VMs) are typically used for;
-
Developing and deploying applications in a cloud environment.
-
Testing a new operating system, including beta versions.
-
Creating new environments to streamline and accelerate development and testing processes.
-
Creating backups of your current operating system.
-
Accessing data affected by viruses or running legacy applications using an older OS.
-
Running software or applications on operating systems they weren’t initially designed for.
What are Virtual Machines Used For?
Learn More about
Virtual Machines
Virtual machines (VMs) operate like standalone computers, each with its own operating system and applications. However, they remain completely independent from one another and from the physical host machine. A hypervisor, also known as a virtual machine manager, enables multiple operating systems to run simultaneously on different VMs. This means you can, for instance, run Linux VMs on a Windows host, or an older version of Windows alongside a newer one.
Thanks to this independence, VMs are highly portable. They can be quickly moved from one hypervisor to another on a different machine with minimal disruption.
This flexibility and portability offer a range of advantages:
-
Cost efficiency: Running multiple virtual environments on a single physical machine significantly reduces hardware requirements, cutting maintenance and energy costs.
-
Speed and agility: VMs can be created and deployed quickly, making it much easier and faster to set up development and testing environments.
-
Reduced downtime: Because VMs are portable, they serve as an effective backup solution—easily moved if the host system fails.
-
Scalability: VMs make it simpler to scale applications by distributing workloads across additional physical or virtual servers, improving performance and availability.
-
Enhanced security: VMs allow you to run potentially risky applications in isolated environments, protecting the host system. They also support better security analysis and are commonly used to safely examine malware or viruses.