Virtualization is the technology that allows multiple independent computing environments to run on the same physical hardware. It abstracts hardware resources such as CPU, memory, and storage, presenting them to virtual machines as if each VM had its own dedicated system. Virtualization improves hardware utilization, flexibility, and isolation. It enables data centers and cloud providers to deliver scalable infrastructure without provisioning physical machines for every workload. Virtualization has transformed how modern computing infrastructure is built and operated.
how it works
A hypervisor manages resource allocation and isolates each virtual machine from others. It intercepts privileged instructions and emulates hardware interfaces. Virtualization supports snapshots, live migration, and dynamic scaling. While virtual machines provide strong isolation, they have higher overhead than containers. Virtualization is commonly used in cloud hosting, server consolidation, testing environments, and disaster recovery planning. Understanding virtualization helps developers reason about deployment models, performance tradeoffs, and resource consumption.