Monday, October 4, 2021

Hypervisor

The main difference between Type 1 and Type 2 Hypervisor is that Type 1 Hypervisor runs directly on the host’s hardware while Type 2 Hypervisor runs on an operating system similar to other computer programs.

Running applications on individual systems cause resource wastage. Virtualization provides a solution to this issue. In fact, virtualization is the process of creating a virtual version of a server, operating system, network or a storage device. It also divides resources between multiple execution environments. Moreover, a hypervisor is related to virtualization. It is a Virtual Machine Monitor (VMM). In other words, it creates and runs virtual machines. There are two types of hypervisors as Type 1 and Type 2.

Key Areas Covered

1. What is Type 1 Hypervisor
      – Definition, Functionality
2. What is Type 2 Hypervisor
      – Definition, Functionality
3. Difference Between Type 1 and Type 2 Hypervisor
      – Comparison of Key Differences

Key Terms

Bare Metal Hypervisor, Host OS Hypervisor, Native Hypervisor, Type 1 Hypervisor, Type 2 Hypervisor, Virtual Machine, Virtualization

Difference Between Type 1 and Type 2 Hypervisor - Comparison Summary

What is Type 1 Hypervisor

A computer on which the hypervisor runs single or multiple virtual machines is called a host machine. In addition, each virtual machine is a guest machine. Type 1 Hypervisor is called a Bare Metal Hypervisor or native Hypervisor. It runs directly on the host hardware. Furthermore, it manages the guest operating systems and controls hardware.

Difference Between Type 1 and Type 2 Hypervisor

Moreover, the first hypervisors developed by IBM were native hypervisors. These included SIMMON test software. Furthermore, it also had CP/CMS operating system. AntsleOs, Xen, XCP-ng, Microsoft Hyper V, VMware ESX/ESXi, Oracle VM Server for x86 are some examples for Type 1 Hypervisors.

What is Type 2 Hypervisor

Type 2 Hypervisor is called a Host OS Hypervisor. These hypervisors execute on an operating system similar to other computer programs. For example, assume that there is an operating system. There is a hypervisor on top of the OS. It provides an emulator environment to run another operating system.  In other words, a guest operating system runs as a process on the host. Moreover, VMware Workstation, VMware Player, VirtualBox, Parallel Desktop for Mac are some examples for Type 2 Hypervisors.

Main Difference - Type 1 vs Type 2 Hypervisor

Difference Between Type 1 and Type 2 Hypervisor

Definition

Type 1 hypervisor is a hypervisor that runs directly on the host’s hardware to control the hardware and to manage guest operating systems while Type 2 hypervisors run on a conventional operating system just as other computer programs do. Thus, this is the main difference between Type 1 and Type 2 Hypervisor.

Synonyms

Type 1 Hypervisor is called a native or Bare Metal Hypervisor while type 2 Hypervisor is called a Host OS Hypervisor.

Functionality

Functionality is another difference between Type 1 and Type 2 Hypervisor. Type 1 Hypervisor runs directly on the host’s hardware while Type 2 Hypervisor runs on an operating system similar to other computer programs.

Examples

AntsleOs, Xen, XCP-ng, Microsoft Hyper V, VMware ESX/ESXi, Oracle VM Server for x86 are some examples for Type 1 Hypervisors while VMware Workstation, VMware Player, VirtualBox, Parallel Desktop for Mac are some examples for Type 2 Hypervisors.

Conclusion

In conclusion, Hypervisor is capable of creating and executing virtual machines. There are two types of hypervisors as Type 1 and Type 2. The main difference between Type 1 and Type 2 Hypervisor is that Type 1 Hypervisor runs directly on the host’s hardware while Type 2 Hypervisor runs on an operating system similar to other computer programs.

References:

1.“Hypervisor.” Wikipedia, Wikimedia Foundation, 11 Apr. 2019, Available here.
2.edureka! VMware Tutorial For Beginners | VMware Workstation | VMware Virtualization | Edureka, Edureka!, 25 June 2018, Available here.