A hypervisor is software that creates and manages virtual machines (VMs) on a physical server.
It sits between the hardware and the virtual servers, sharing the physical server’s CPU, RAM, storage, and network across multiple VMs.
Simple example
Think of one physical server as an apartment building.
- Physical server = the building
- Hypervisor = the building manager
- Virtual machines / VPSs = separate apartments
The hypervisor makes sure each VM gets its own resources and stays isolated from the others.
What a hypervisor does
- Creates virtual machines
- Allocates CPU, RAM, storage, and networking
- Keeps VMs isolated from each other
- Lets multiple operating systems run on one physical machine
- Helps move, pause, start, or stop VMs
Types of hypervisors
| Type | Meaning | Example |
|---|---|---|
| Type 1 | Runs directly on physical hardware | VMware ESXi, Microsoft Hyper-V, KVM |
| Type 2 | Runs inside an existing operating system | VirtualBox, VMware Workstation |
In VPS hosting
A VPS exists because a hypervisor divides one physical server into multiple private virtual servers.