What is a cloud virtual machine?

A cloud virtual machine is the digital version of a physical computer that can run in a cloud. Like a physical machine, it can run an operating system, store data, connect to networks, and do all the other computing functions.

What is a virtual machine?

A virtual machine (VM) is a software-based emulation of a physical computer. It replicates the functions of a real computer, allowing it to run an operating system, store data, connect to networks, and perform computing tasks. Virtual machines are widely used in cloud environments to create flexible, scalable infrastructure without the need for physical hardware.

What is an operating system?

An operating system (OS) is software that manages hardware resources and provides essential services for applications to run. It acts as an interface between a computer’s hardware and its users. Common operating systems include Windows, macOS, and Linux. Each virtual machine operates with its own OS, known as the Guest OS, running on top of the host system.

What are virtual machines used for?

Virtual machines have a wide range of uses, including:

• Software development and testing: VMs allow developers to test applications on different operating systems without the need for separate physical machines.

• Cloud computing: VMs are the foundation of most cloud services, providing flexibility, scalability, and resource efficiency.

• Disaster recovery: VMs are easily backed up, allowing for faster recovery times in case of hardware failure or system crashes.

• Running multiple OS environments: Users can run various OS versions for different applications on the same hardware.

How does cloud computing use virtual machines?

Cloud computing relies heavily on virtual machines to deliver scalable and flexible infrastructure. Cloud virtual machines are hosted in data centers and can be quickly provisioned, de-provisioned, and scaled based on demand. This is managed by a hypervisor, a software layer that allows multiple VMs to share the same physical host machine’s resources. With cloud-based VMs, organizations can avoid the high costs of purchasing and maintaining physical servers.

Virtualization with hypervisor

The hypervisor is the software layer that enables virtualization. It allows multiple virtual machines to operate independently on the same physical hardware. There are two types of hypervisors:

1. Type 1 hypervisor (Bare metal): This is installed directly on the host hardware. Examples include VMware ESXi, Microsoft Hyper-V, and Xen.

2. Type 2 hypervisor (Hosted): This runs on top of an existing operating system. Examples include VMware Workstation and Oracle VirtualBox.

The operating system inside a VM is known as the Guest OS, and it operates as if it were running on a standalone machine, completely unaware of other VMs sharing the same host.

The diagram below shows how multiple VMs (VM1, VM2, VM3, VM4) can share a single host machine:

Advantages of virtual machines in the cloud

There are several benefits of using virtual machines in cloud computing, including:

• Cost efficiency: Cloud-based VMs reduce the need for physical hardware, lowering upfront costs.

• Scalability: VMs can be easily scaled up or down according to demand, ensuring that resources are used efficiently.

• Ease of setup and maintenance: Setting up a virtual machine is faster and simpler than setting up physical servers. VMs can be quickly created, cloned, or deleted as needed.

• Disaster recovery: With cloud-based VMs, data backup and disaster recovery are often handled by the cloud provider, reducing the complexity of managing these critical functions.

Conclusion

Cloud virtual machines (VMs) have become an essential tool in modern computing, particularly in cloud environments. By providing flexible, scalable, and cost-efficient infrastructure, VMs replicate the functionality of physical computers without the need for physical hardware. The use of hypervisors allows multiple VMs to run on the same host, each with its own isolated operating system, which makes virtual machines versatile and crucial for cloud-based services.