#Virtual machine definition computer software#

However, the number is limited by the resources of the server – too many VMs will lead to reduced performance. A virtual machine (VM) is software that replicates the functionality of a physical computer, including its hardware, operating system, and applications. In this scenario, one physical server might have two, three, four, or even ten virtual machines running on it. The hypervisor maps the VM’s virtual hardware to the physical components on the server. When this happens, the server uses a piece of software called a hypervisor to manage them. While most computers only have one operating system installed, virtualization software allows a computer to run several operating systems at the same time. Because of this, multiple virtual machines can coexist on one server. Virtualization can refer to a variety of computing concepts, but it usually refers to running multiple operating systems on a single machine. It also has a CPU, memory, and storage, but these are simulated, not physical. Like a physical machine, a virtual machine has its own operating system (Windows, Linux, etc.), storage, networking, configuration settings, and software, and it.

If viewed on a screen, the virtual machine appears as a window running within that computers own operating system. What is a Virtual Machine (VM) For simplicity, think of a virtual machine, VM, as a 'computer made of software' that you can use to run any software youd run on a physical computer. It works just like a physical computer it can host websites, run programs, and exist on a network with other systems. It has a virtual CPU, memory, and storage and appears, from the outside, to be no different than a physical machine with the same hardware.Ī virtual machine has an operating system, files, and applications. A virtual machine (VM) is a program which emulates a computer system.