- Virtualization: The technology that allows hosting one or more operating systems within the memory of a single host computer. This setup involves a host OS (the original OS installed on the hardware) and guest OSes (additional operating systems hosted by the hypervisor).
- Virtual Machine (VM)
- Definition: A simulated environment created by the OS to provide a safe and efficient place for programs to execute.
- Function: VMs enable the isolation and secure execution of applications, often used for testing, development, or running different operating systems on the same hardware.
- Virtual SAN (Storage Area Network)
- Definition: A software-defined shared storage system that is a virtual re-creation of a SAN.
- Function: It operates on top of a virtualized network or Software-Defined Network (SDN), providing shared storage resources in a virtualized environment.
Understanding these concepts is crucial for managing and securing virtualized environments, which are increasingly common in modern IT infrastructures.