Virtual machine

A virtual machine functions as a self-contained computing environment, creating an abstraction layer between the software and the underlying physical hardware. This abstraction is managed by a software component called a hypervisor, which allocates resources such as CPU, memory, storage, and network interfaces from the host machine to the VM. Essentially, a VM "thinks" it's a real computer, allowing it to install, run, and manage operating systems and applications just as a physical machine would, but without the need for dedicated hardware. This isolation means that a VM's activities have no direct impact on the host system or other VMs running on the same host.

For example, a developer might run a Linux VM on their Windows laptop to test an application that is designed for the Linux environment. This allows them to develop and test without needing a separate physical Linux machine. Similarly, a company might use VMs to host multiple server applications on a single physical server, optimizing hardware utilization and reducing costs. In cybersecurity, VMs are often used for sandboxing, where potentially malicious software can be executed in an isolated environment to observe its behavior without risking harm to the host system.