A guest operating system is the operating system installed on either a virtual machine (VM) or partitioned disk. It is usually different from the host operating system. Simply put, a host OS runs on hardware, while a guest OS runs on a VM.
Virtualization technology allows a single computer to run more than one OS at the same time. Thus, a single physical machine can be configured as multiple VMs. These VMs are isolated sections of hardware with storage, processing, memory and network capacity. Virtualization also allows resource sharing between the host OS and guest OS.
A guest OS provides an additional OS for applications and is required before a VM can be deployed. It can be used for testing by developers without impacting anything outside that VM, such as the data already in production use. An example of a guest OS would be Windows Server 2022 in a VM created by the VMware ESXi hypervisor. Another example would be Boot Camp, which allows Mac users to run a Windows OS as the guest OS within a VM on their Mac.
A guest OS on a VM can be different from the host OS. But when the guest is deployed on a partitioned disk, the guest OS must be the same as the host OS. So, if the host is running Windows, then any guest OS on a partitioned disk must also run Windows.
A guest OS is installed on a VM, while the host OS is installed on and runs the computer (host). The host OS also interacts with the underlying hardware. There can be multiple guest operating systems running on a computer, while the host is usually restricted to one OS.
A physical server can have multiple VMs, with each VM running its own guest OS. One guest OS could be Windows, while another could be Ubuntu or Linux, for example. The guest OS and host OS are separate and operate independently of each other. They can run simultaneously, although the host OS must be started first.
A Type 1 hypervisor (bare-metal hypervisor) can create VMs, which can run guest OSes. In other words, the guest OS is delivered in a VM environment through a hypervisor. The host OS will run on the host machine and the guest OS operates within it, which can limit file saving and other operations in the VM.
Since a guest OS operates independently of the host OS, one of its significant advantages is that it allows programs or applications to run that are not compatible with, or cannot run in the host OS. A guest OS features a “lean” build which helps alleviate memory and other system requirements in a virtualization environment.
Additionally, a guest OS comes in handy to test programs or applications, and run them if they require different operating systems, on the same machine or hardware.
There are several ways to install a guest OS on a virtual machine, including the following:
Explore the difference between Type 1 and Type 2 hypervisors and what to know for your virtualized storage selection process. Also, see how microservices and containers work apart and together, how to design your systems with virtualization architecture in mind and some examples of embedded hypervisors.
A coding boot camp can jumpstart a career in tech, but only for those willing to go the extra mile. Here’s how two non-developers…
From sprint planning to servant leadership, Scrum Masters help Agile developers, product owners and other team members perform at…
Salesforce DevOps Center rolled out with features meant to bring low-code and pro-code custom apps on its CRM platform up to date…
To establish the right development team size, managers must look at each member’s responsibilities and communication paths, as …
While it’s not necessarily easy to become certified in microservices architecture, there are plenty of courses you can take to …
The Golden Hammer antipattern can sneak up on a development team, but there are ways to spot it. Learn the signs, as well as some…
To add another level of security, find out how to automatically rotate keys within Azure key vault with step-by-step instructions…
Terraform manages resources using configuration files within cloud platforms. Follow this step-by-step tutorial to learn how to …
Open source PaaS is a good option for developers who want control over application hosting and simplified app deployment, but not…
Many organizations struggle to manage their vast collection of AWS accounts, but Control Tower can help. The service automates …
There are several important variables within the Amazon EKS pricing model. Dig into the numbers to ensure you deploy the service …
AWS users face a choice when deploying Kubernetes: run it themselves on EC2 or let Amazon do the heavy lifting with EKS. See …
Feeling like you’ve lost your edge in your remote work? Follow these tips to stay energized, sharpen your skills, and tighten …
When you compare Scrum vs. Kanban, you realize there are as many similarities as there are differences. Here we help you choose …
Do you know Java? Are you trying to learn TypeScript? Here are five differences between TypeScript and Java that will make the …
Quantum computing has lots of potential for high compute applications. But the technology is still in the early stages, so it may…
Data lakes and data warehouses both store big data. When choosing a lake or warehouse, consider factors such as cost and what …
Classical and quantum computers have many differences in their compute capabilities and operational traits. Know their …
All Rights Reserved, Copyright 2016 – 2022, TechTarget
Privacy Policy
Cookie Preferences
Do Not Sell or Share My Personal Information
