What is KVM virtualisation? Guest systems and limits
KVM supports guest virtual machines using Linux kernel facilities. Learn why the virtualisation label differs from dedicated CPU, backups or a network guarantee.
Content revised · English
- The field
- Technical
- Reading time
- 1 minute
- In this entry
- Meaning · relevance · limits
The meaning
KVM is a Linux virtualisation technology that supports running virtual machines through kernel facilities and hardware support.
Why it matters
A KVM VPS can run its own guest operating system. The full platform also includes virtual machine management, images and device configuration.
The boundary
The virtualisation label alone does not specify resource contention, backups or the management service.
A guest has its own operating system
A Linux guest and a Windows guest can run on a KVM-based host with separate virtual disks and virtual hardware. Each guest still depends on the host’s resource scheduling and storage. The virtualisation technology alone does not establish dedicated CPU allocation, encryption of the host disks or a particular network speed.
- Use the plan’s explicit RAM, CPU, disk and port specifications to size the guest.
- Check available images and boot requirements before assuming a custom ISO is supported on every product.