A Beginner’s Guide to Virtual Machines with VMware

A virtual machine (VM) is a software-based emulation of a physical computer that runs an operating system and applications. VMs allow multiple operating systems to run on a single physical machine, providing a way to run multiple applications or services on separate virtual environments without the need for additional physical hardware.

Virtual machines are commonly used in server environments to maximize hardware utilization and facilitate easy migration and management of operating systems and applications. They are also used in software development, testing, and debugging, as they provide a sandboxed environment that isolates the virtual machine from the underlying host system.

VMs are created and managed using virtualization software, which allows users to allocate resources such as CPU, memory, storage, and networking to the virtual machine. Popular virtualization software includes VMware, VirtualBox, Hyper-V, and KVM.

Overall, virtual machines provide a flexible and efficient way to run multiple operating systems and applications on a single physical machine, making them a valuable tool for IT professionals and developers.