Theoretical Foundations of Virtual Machines

Question:

Explain the theoretical foundations of virtual machines. Discuss the key concepts, including hypervisors, virtual machine monitors $($VMM$),$ and the types of virtualization $($hardware$,$ software, and hybrid$).$ Highlight the historical development and the impact of VMs on computing paradigms.

Answer must includes:

$1.$Definition and Key Concepts:

$($i$)$Virtual Machines $($VMs$)$: Software$-$based emulations of physical computers.

$($ii$)$Hypervisors: Software that creates and manages VMs$.$

$($iii$)$Virtual Machine Monitors $($VMM$)$: Monitors and manages the operation of VMs$.$

$2.$Types of Virtualization:

$($i$)$Hardware Virtualization: Uses a hypervisor to allow multiple OS instances to run concurrently on a host machine.

$($ii$)$Software Virtualization: Simulates hardware to run an operating system within another operating system.

$($iii$)$Hybrid Virtualization: Combines both hardware and software approaches.

$3.$Historical Development:

$($i$)$Early days of VMs in mainframes $(1960$s$).$

$($ii$)$Evolution through the advent of PC virtualization in the $1990$s$.$

$($iii$)$Modern advancements with cloud computing.

$4.$Impact on Computing:

$($i$)$Improved resource utilization.

$($ii$)$Enhanced flexibility and scalability.

$($iii$)$Simplified management and deployment of applications.