Which statement is NOT true about virtualization?

Which statement is NOT true about virtualization?

• A. A single physical computer can support multiple operating systems that operate independently.
• B. A VM appears as a separate computer with its own OS.
• C. Virtualization requires a host operating system to function.
• D. It eliminates the need for any software to run virtual machines.

Answer: (D)

Virtualization relies on a software layer called a hypervisor that creates and manages virtual machines. The idea that you don’t need any software to run virtual machines isn’t correct because the hypervisor itself is the software that abstracts hardware and allocates resources to each VM. Even in the most minimal setup, a hypervisor is responsible for making virtual hardware appear to each guest OS, so it’s not accurate to say no software is involved. Seeing multiple operating systems on one physical computer is possible because the hypervisor partitions the hardware and lets each VM run its own OS independently. A VM is designed to look like a separate computer with its own OS, complete with virtualized CPU, memory, and storage, which is why it can run programs just as if it were a distinct machine. The statement about needing a host operating system to function isn’t universal. Bare-metal hypervisors run directly on hardware without a host OS, while hosted hypervisors operate on top of a host OS. So that point depends on the type of virtualization technology being used. So the claim that eliminates the need for software is not true; virtualization always involves a hypervisor to manage and run the virtual machines.

Virtualization relies on a software layer called a hypervisor that creates and manages virtual machines. The idea that you don’t need any software to run virtual machines isn’t correct because the hypervisor itself is the software that abstracts hardware and allocates resources to each VM. Even in the most minimal setup, a hypervisor is responsible for making virtual hardware appear to each guest OS, so it’s not accurate to say no software is involved.

Seeing multiple operating systems on one physical computer is possible because the hypervisor partitions the hardware and lets each VM run its own OS independently. A VM is designed to look like a separate computer with its own OS, complete with virtualized CPU, memory, and storage, which is why it can run programs just as if it were a distinct machine.

The statement about needing a host operating system to function isn’t universal. Bare-metal hypervisors run directly on hardware without a host OS, while hosted hypervisors operate on top of a host OS. So that point depends on the type of virtualization technology being used.

So the claim that eliminates the need for software is not true; virtualization always involves a hypervisor to manage and run the virtual machines.