KVM Kernel-based Virtual Machine

KVM (or Kernel-based Virtual Machine) is the software solution providing virtualization in the environment of Linux on x86 platform which supports hardware virtualization based on Intel of VT (Virtualization Technology) or AMD SVM (Secure Virtual Machine).

The software of KVM consists of loadable module of the core (called kvm.ko) providing basic service of virtualization, processor and specific loadable module of kvm-amd.ko or kvm-intel.ko, and components of the user mode (modified by QEMU). All KVM software components are software open source. The core component necessary for work of KVM is included in the main branch of Linux starting with version 2.6.20 (February 2007).KVM was also ported on FreeBSD as the core module. [2] Work on inclusion of the modifications necessary for work with KVM, in the main branch of QEMU is conducted.

Instead of the user programs dev/kvm the interface for setup of guest virtual machines is used/, emulation of input/output devices and a possibility of remote viewing a video card on a distant host is provided.

KVM allows virtual machines to use the unmodified disk images of Qemu containing operating systems. Each virtual machine has the own virtual hardware: network interface cards, disk, video card, etc.

The software of KVM was created, was developed and supported by Qumranet company which was purchased by Red Hat for 107 million dollars on September 4, 2008.