1️⃣ What is a Virtual Machine (VM)?

Q: What exactly is a VM?

A: A Virtual Machine is a software-based computer that runs on your physical machine but behaves like a separate computer.

Key points:

• Has its own CPU, RAM, disk, network
• Runs its own operating system (Linux, Windows, etc.)
• Completely isolated from other VMs and the host

Analogy:

Your laptop is an apartment building. Each VM is a separate apartment with its own electricity, water, and locks. Even if one apartment catches fire, others remain safe.

Example: Running Ubuntu Server inside VirtualBox on a Mac.

2️⃣ What is a Hypervisor?

Q: What is a hypervisor and why do we need it?

A: A hypervisor is software that creates, runs, and manages VMs. It sits between the physical hardware and the virtual machines.

Types:

• Type 1 – Bare Metal (Production-grade)
  • Runs directly on hardware
  • Examples: VMware ESXi, KVM, Microsoft Hyper-V Server
  • Used in data centers and cloud providers
• Type 2 – Hosted (Learning/local dev)
  • Runs on top of an OS
  • Examples: VirtualBox, VMware Workstation, Parallels
  • Used for local testing, learning, and development

Analogy:

Hypervisor = building manager that maintains apartments (VMs).