Virtual machines use software and computer hardware to emulate other computers in a physical facility.
A virtual machine emulates a separate operating system (the guest) and a computer different from the existing operating system (the host), for example, running Ubuntu Linux on Windows 10 . The virtual computer environment appears in a separate window, usually isolated as a self-contained environment. Nonetheless, interaction between the guest and the host is generally allowed for tasks such as file transfers.
Everyday reasons for using VMs
Developers use virtual machine software to create and test software on various platforms without using a second device. You can use the VM environment to access applications that are part of an operating system that is different from the operating system installed on your computer. For example, virtual machines make it possible to play Windows-exclusive games on a Mac.
Additionally, virtual machines offer a level of flexibility in experimenting that isn't always possible on your host operating system. Most VM software allows you to take a snapshot of the guest operating system, which you can revert to if something goes wrong (such as a malware infection).
Why Businesses Might Use Virtual Machines
Many organizations deploy and maintain multiple virtual machines. Instead of running multiple computers all the time, companies use virtual machines hosted on a small set of powerful servers, saving on physical space, electricity, and maintenance costs.
These virtual machines can be controlled from a single management interface and accessed by employees from their remote workstations, which are often spread across multiple geographical locations. Because of the isolated nature of virtual machine instances, companies can allow users to use this technology on their computers to access their corporate network for added flexibility and cost savings.
Virtual machines provide administrators with complete control along with real-time monitoring capabilities and advanced security oversight. Each VM can be controlled, started and stopped instantly with a mouse click or command line input.
Common Limitations of Virtual Machines
While VMs are useful, there are some significant limitations to be aware of so that your performance expectations are realistic. Even if the device hosting the VM contains powerful hardware, a virtual instance may run slower than it would on its own computer. Advances in hardware support within VMs have come a long way in recent years. Still, this limitation can never be completely removed.
Another limitation is cost. In addition to fees associated with some virtual machine software, a license or other authentication method may be required to install and run an operating system. For example, a guest instance running Windows 10 requires a valid license key, just like when installing the operating system on an actual PC. While a virtual solution is usually less expensive than purchasing additional physical machines in most cases, costs can add up if you need a large-scale deployment.
Other potential limitations to consider are lack of support for certain hardware components and possible network limitations. As long as you do your research and have realistic expectations, implementing a virtual machine in your home or business environment can be helpful.
Hypervisor and other virtual machine software
Application-based VM software, commonly referred to as a hypervisor, comes in all shapes and sizes tailored for personal and business use. The hypervisor allows multiple VMs running different operating systems to share the same hardware resources. System administrators can use the hypervisor to simultaneously monitor and manage multiple virtual machines in the network
After installing the virtual machine application, you need to select and install an operating system on the virtual machine. You can use your virtual machine like any other computer.