Register for our API Month Tech Talk on April 18! Explore the latest in API trends, security, and more. Register Now
Back to Kubernetes Glossary

Virtual Machine

What is a Virtual Machine?

A virtual machine is a software computer that simulates a physical machine. Virtual machines are designed to be indistinguishable from a physical machine. Virtual machines reduce the cost and complexity of physical hardware, as they can be managed entirely in software.

Impact on Today

Virtual machines are the most common standard of compute offered by cloud infrastructure providers such as Amazon Web Services, Azure, and Google Compute Engine. Virtual machines form the foundation of Kubernetes clusters; each node in a cluster is mapped to a virtual machine.

Related Terms

Learn More