Hardware virtualization is a technology that allows you to create multiple operating systems simultaneously using the computing resources of a single processor. Thus, with the help of hardware virtualization it is possible to operate several isolated operating systems on the same physical hardware. Hardware virtualization can only be implemented with processors that support the Virtual Machine Extension (VMX) instruction set.
To create virtual machines, special Hypervisor software is used to share operating systems called guest operating systems. With the hypervisor, each virtual machine is allocated a certain portion of computing resources that cannot be changed by the guest operating systems.
The basic principles of virtualization are:
- Processor virtualization. All instructions and technologies available to a physical processor are available to virtual ones as well.
- Graphic support. All virtual machines are given isolated access to the graphics adapter.
- Separation of I/O processes. Each virtual machine is provided by the hypervisor with separate access to I/O devices and peripherals without conflicts or hangups.
Hardware virtualization technology was first introduced by two competing manufacturers: Intel and AMD. The versions were named Intel-VT and AMD-V, respectively. By 2024, all new product lines and models of processors from these manufacturers support hardware virtualization technology.