Characteristics of a Virtual Machine

D.

A virtual machine (VM) is a software implementation of a computer system that behaves like a physical computer and runs on a host machine through a virtualization layer, called a hypervisor. Here are the characteristics of a virtual machine:

A. It must run the same operating system as its host: This statement is not entirely true as virtual machines can run different operating systems than their host. The hypervisor provides a layer of abstraction that allows the guest operating system to run independently of the host operating system. This allows multiple operating systems to run on a single physical host simultaneously.

B. It is deployable without a hypervisor to host it: This statement is incorrect as virtual machines cannot be deployed without a hypervisor. The hypervisor is responsible for providing the virtual environment in which the virtual machine can run. Without the hypervisor, the virtual machine cannot function.

C. It must be aware of other virtual machines, in order to allocate physical resources for them: This statement is also incorrect as the virtual machines are not aware of other virtual machines running on the same host. Instead, the hypervisor manages the allocation of physical resources to each virtual machine, ensuring that each virtual machine has access to the necessary computing resources such as CPU, memory, and storage.

D. It relies on hypervisors to allocate computing resources for it: This statement is true. Virtual machines rely on hypervisors to allocate computing resources for them. The hypervisor abstracts the physical resources of the host machine and creates virtual resources that the virtual machine can use. It also manages the allocation of resources to ensure that each virtual machine has access to the necessary computing resources.