What is a Hypervisor? Origins, Security Benefits, and Future Relevance
What is a Hypervisor? A hypervisor is software that allows multiple operating systems to run on a single physical machine by creating and managing virtual machines (VMs). Each VM operates like a separate computer, with its own OS, CPU, memory, and storage, while sharing the same underlying hardware. Hypervisors abstract and allocate physical resources to VMs, enabling isolation, efficiency, and flexible workload management. They’re a foundational component of cloud infrastructure, enterprise IT, and even some home labs. Common examples of hypervisor technologies include KVM, Xen, VMware ESXi, and Microsoft Hyper-V. ...