KVM (Kernel-based Virtual Machine)

KVM (Kernel-based Virtual Machine) is a free, open-source virtualization module built into the Linux kernel. It turns Linux into a Type 1 hypervisor, allowing multiple isolated virtual machines to run on a single physical server.

Overview

KVM was created by Quantum Computing Inc. and acquired by Red Hat in 2008. It was merged into the Linux kernel mainline in version 2.6.20. KVM requires hardware virtualization extensions (Intel VT-x or AMD-V) and works with QEMU to provide full virtualization. Unlike Vmware

  • Type 1 hypervisor: runs directly on the host hardware
  • Full virtualization with QEMU (user-space tool for creating/managing VMs)
  • Hardware acceleration via Intel VT-x and AMD-V
  • Live migration between hosts
  • Support for PCI passthrough, SR-IOV, and GPU virtualization
  • Foundation for Proxmox**, making it fully open source.

See Linux KVM for details.

Official Resources