Hypervisor

/ˈhaɪpərˌvaɪzər/ noun

Definition

A hypervisor is software, firmware, or hardware that lets one physical computer run many virtual machines at the same time. Each virtual machine acts like its own separate computer.

Etymology

Formed from "hyper-" meaning "above" and "visor" from "supervisor," meaning "overseer." It describes a system that "oversees" and manages multiple operating systems on one machine.

Kelly Says

A hypervisor turns one physical computer into a whole "apartment building" of computers, each tenant thinking it has the whole place to itself. This illusion is what makes cloud computing and big data centers possible and efficient.

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