Cloud Infrastructure

Virtual Machine

A virtual machine is a software-defined computer with virtual processors, memory, storage, and devices. It runs a guest operating system on a host through a hypervisor, providing an execution boundary separate from other guests.

Also known as: VM

Why it matters

A guest operating system provides a distinct boundary for tools and workloads.

Practical example

Allocate separate VMs for jobs that should not share an operating-system kernel.

Related terms

KVM
vCPU
Local SSD
Ephemeral Storage

Sources

docs.aws.amazon.com · concepts.html

Definition reviewed 2026-10-26.

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