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A virtual machine (VM) is an computer system that is emulated and runs on the top of a physical host machine. It appears to the user as a real computer system and is able to run various operating systems, including Windows, Linux or macOS. Virtual machines are popular because they allow for multiple environments to be run on one computer, which can help businesses save a lot of money.

Typically every VM is the “guest” of a host machine that provides hardware resources such as processors memory, hard disk drives, memory and network connections. This allows businesses to integrate multiple VMs onto the same host computer and allows IT infrastructures to expand and shrink as needed. This flexibility allows IT teams to save time on working on software updates, as they are able to manage each physical machine rather than having to manage all of them.

There are two types of VM Hypervisors which are Type 2 and 1. Type 1 hypervisors are more efficient because they run directly on a host machine without requiring a full-blown OS. Type 2 hypervisors route each VM request through the host operating system, which can slow down processing speed and creates additional cost.

Virtual machines can aid in improving IT security, as well as disaster recovery. Since the virtual environment is independent of the hardware that runs it and software, it is much easier to restore data from the VM than a physical machine in case of a failure or natural catastrophe. This will prevent data loss and downtime, which could directly impact the bottom line of your business.