CPU virtualization allows one CPU to function as two separate CPUs, enabling the running of multiple operating systems or allowing multiple users to share a single computer. It is not the same as multitasking or hyperthreading.
CPU virtualization expects a single CPU to behave as if they were two separate CPUs. In effect, it’s like running two separate computers on one physical machine. Perhaps the most common reason for doing this is to run two different operating systems on one machine.
The CPU, or central processing unit, is probably the most important component in your computer. It is the part of the computer that physically executes the instructions of the applications that run on the computer. The CPU is often known simply as a chip or microchip.
How the CPU interacts with applications is determined by the computer’s operating system. The best known operating systems are Microsoft Windows®, Mac OS® and various open-source systems under the banner of Linux. In principle, a CPU can only run one operating system at a time. More than one system can be installed on a computer’s hard drive, but normally only one can be running at a time.
The purpose of CPU virtualization is to make one CPU work the same way two separate CPUs would work. A very simplified explanation of how this is done is that the virtualization software is set up so that it, and only it, communicates directly with the CPU. Everything else that happens on your computer goes through the software. The software then splits its communications with the rest of the computer as if it were connected to two different CPUs.
One use of CPU virtualization is to allow two different operating systems to run simultaneously. For example, an Apple computer might also use virtualization to run a version of Windows®, allowing the user to run applications only for Windows®. Similarly, a Linux-based computer could run Windows® through virtualization. You can also use CPU virtualization to run Windows® on a Mac® or Linux PC, or to run Mac OS® and Linux simultaneously.
Another benefit of virtualization is that it allows multiple people to use a single computer at the same time. This would work on a machine with one CPU running virtualization software, and the machine would then connect to multiple “desks,” each with a keyboard, mouse, and monitor. Each user will then run their own copy of the OS using the same CPU. This setup is especially popular in places like schools in developing markets where budgets are tight. It works best where users mostly run applications with relatively low computing demands such as web browsing and word processing.
CPU virtualization should not be confused with multitasking or hyperthreading. Multitasking is simply the act of running more than one application at a time. Every modern operating system allows you to do this on a single CPU, although technically only one application is being handled at any given time. Hyperthreading is where compatible CPUs can run applications specifically written to perform two actions simultaneously.
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