Virtual machines(VM) as the name implies are machines that are stored in the cloud. By cloud, I don't mean the sky above. The cloud is a virtual environment that allows computing to be carried out over the internet. Imagine a computer within a computer or even better, an infinite amount of computers within a computer.

Virtual machines(VM), just like your local machines, have their CPU, memory, network interface, and storage, a virtual machine(VM) is a computer file or virtual environment that functions like an actual computer system. It is not limited to the operating system or applications of the underlying hardware that hosts it. The resources of the computer are separated from the hardware by a program known as a hypervisor, which also builds and controls the VMs.

Yes, it's time to get excited. The wonderful thing about the cloud is that you can choose the size of the virtual machine you want regardless of the size and capacity of your local system. As for cost, you only pay for what you use. nice, right?

In my next post, I will be talking about how to create a virtual machine.

Buckle up!

Uche P. Eze