Virtualization has become the cornerstone of modern IT infrastructure. Whether it's running multiple operating systems on a single physical machine or efficiently managing cloud servers, virtualization tools like KVM (Kernel-based Virtual Machine) play a critical role. But what exactly is KVM, and why is it so widely used?
What is KVM?
Kernel-based Virtual Machine is an open-source virtualization technology built into the Linux kernel. It allows you to turn your Linux machine into a hypervisor – a system that can host multiple, isolated virtual environments called virtual machines (VMs). Each VM has its own virtualized hardware, including memory, CPU, disk, and network interfaces.
Key Features of KVM
- Native Performance: KVM uses hardware virtualization extensions (like Intel VT-x or AMD-V), enabling near-native performance for virtual machines.
- Security: With features like SELinux integration and isolation between VMs, KVM offers strong security guarantees.
- Scalability: Supports running multiple VMs efficiently on a single server.
- Flexibility: KVM supports a wide range of guest operating systems, including Linux, Windows, and macOS.
How Does KVM Work?
KVM is a part of the Linux kernel (since version 2.6.20). When enabled, it allows the kernel to act as a bare-metal hypervisor. Here’s how it works:
- QEMU + KVM: KVM is often used alongside QEMU, a generic and open-source machine emulator and virtualizer. While QEMU handles the hardware emulation, KVM provides the kernel-level acceleration.
- Guest VMs: Each VM is a regular Linux process that’s managed by the standard Linux scheduler. This makes it easy to control using existing Linux tools.
KVM vs Other Hypervisors
Use Cases of KVM
- Cloud Computing: Many leading cloud providers use KVM as their backend hypervisor, thanks to its scalability and security.
- Development and Testing: Developers can create isolated environments for testing different OS configurations.
- Server Consolidation: Businesses reduce hardware costs by running multiple VMs on a single physical server.
Getting Started with KVM
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