Virtual Machine

Virtual Machine=>A virtual machine, simply put, is a virtual computer running on a physical computer. The virtual machine emulates a physical machine in software. This includes not only the processor but the instruction set, the memory bus, any BIOS commands and critical machine hardware such as the system clock and and DMA hardware. Depending upon the machine peripheral devices are generally virtualized including storage devices like floppy drives, hard drives and CD drives. Video, keyboard and mouse support are also common. A virtual machine must look and act just like the real thing so standard software, like operating systems and applications, can run without modification.

• Benefits=>Virtual machines have been around for a long time but they really have not become common place in many development shops. It is unfortunate since virtual machines provide so many benefits to developers and testers alike. This article will discuss some of the benefits of virtual machines and review two of the most popular virtual machine software packages available for Windows.