What Is A Hypervisor?
A hypervisor is a processor software or hardware that allows you to host many virtual machines. Each virtual machine can run its programs. A hypervisor will enable you to access various virtual machines that run efficiently on the same computer hardware.
For the most part, cloud computing requires access to a virtual machine so you can do what you need to do from anywhere. The hypervisor succeeds these virtual machines.
With a hypervisor, each virtual machine or working system you have can run its programs because the system has the host’s processor, memory, and hardware resources. However, the hypervisor allocates these resources to the virtual machines.
You might think that the hypervisor is a relatively recent wonder. The first hypervisors were introduced in the 1960s, allowing different operating systems on the same mainframe. But, its current popularity is mainly due to Linux and Unix. Around 2005, Linux and Unix systems began using virtualization technology to expand hardware capabilities switching costs, and improving the reliability and security of the hypervisors on these systems.
Today, hypervisors are a vital component of any virtualization effort. You can think of it as an operating system for virtualized systems. He can access all physical devices located on the server. It can also access memory and disk. It can monitor all aspects and components of a virtual machine.
How Does a Hypervisor Work?
The servers must run the hypervisor, and the hypervisor loads the client operating systems of the virtual machines. The hypervisor allocates the CPU, memory, bandwidth, and disk resources to each virtual machine. The virtual machine can request the hypervisor using various API calls.
There are two types of hypervisors:
- Embedded or hosted hypervisors and
- Bare metal or proprietary hypervisors.
Bare metal, Proprietary Hypervisors, or type i Hypervisors.
This is when hypervisors run on the host hardware to manage it and manage the virtual machines on it. If you are now consuming Microsoft Hyper-V hypervisor, VMware ESX/ESXi, Oracle VM Server on behalf of x86, KVM, or Citrix XenServer, then you are running this type of hypervisor.
It is embedded, hosted, or a Type II hypervisor.
These hypervisors run as software using an operating system such as Windows, Linux, or FreeBSD. This is a type of hypervisor Virtage, VirtualBox, and VMWare Workstation. Samples of Type II hypervisors include Parallels Desktop for Mac, Spaces Virtual PC, Oracle Virtual Box, and VMware Workstation.
Thus, native hypervisors run directly on the hardware, while a hosted hypervisor requires an operating system to do its job. Which is better? It depends on what you need.
Bare-system hypervisors are faster and more efficient because they don’t have to go through the operating system and other layers that often slow down hosted hypervisors. Type I hypervisors are also more safe than Type II hypervisors.
On the other hand, hosted hypervisors are more accessible to set up than bare metal hypervisors because you have an operating system with which to work. They are also compatible with a wide range of equipment.
Also Read: Technology Trends
Hypervisors For Desktop Virtualization
You can easily use a hypervisor to host a virtual desktop on a server. This virtual desktop will be a copy of the user’s physical desktop. This will allow your employees to work remotely from wherever they are because they can access their computers via the Internet or a thin customer.
Cloud Computing Security and Hypervisors: safe?
Now, we have come to the more important question: Can hypervisors make cloud computing more secure?
The hypervisor is a natural target for hackers because its design controls all hardware resources and manages all the virtual machines on it. The bad news is that the hypervisor is vulnerable to malicious code, especially from a rogue virtual machine.
However, understanding hypervisor vulnerabilities can help protect them. You need to know what vulnerabilities exist and ensure you manage them and the configurations to keep them secure.
According to TrendMicro, vendors such as Microsoft and VMware are also working to improve the security of their hypervisors. The need for more secure APIs and careful network planning can help reduce risks.
Following industry guidelines and best practices, such as the NIST Virtualization Security Guidelines, can also help.
If you’re ready to start practicing with virtual machines, check out these interesting Pluralsight courses:
- Backup, restore and replicate workloads with Veeam Backup and Replication
- Implementing Windows Server 2019 Hyper-V
- Citrix Virtual Apps and Desktops (CVAD): On-Premises Site Deployment
- Virtualization: The Big Picture
