Hypervisor

Cloud and virtualization · Intermediate

The software or firmware layer that creates and runs virtual machines, allocating them processor time, memory, and virtual devices.

It is the landlord of the virtual machines. Type 1 runs directly on the hardware. Type 2 runs as an application on another operating system.

Example: A data-center host uses a type 1 product so guest machines run without a separate desktop operating system underneath.

Common misconception

The guests do not bypass this layer to share the same memory. Isolation is its job, though flaws can break that promise.