Information Technology Specialist (ITS) Cybersecurity Practice Exam

What software enables multiple operating systems to run on the same physical machine?

1. Virtual machines

2. Hypervisor

3. Container

4. Firewall

The correct answer is: Hypervisor

The correct answer is hypervisor. A hypervisor is a crucial piece of virtualization technology that allows multiple virtual machines (VMs) to run concurrently on a single physical machine. It acts as an intermediary between the physical hardware and the operating systems, managing the resources and ensuring that each VM operates independently and effectively. Hypervisors can be categorized into two types: Type 1 hypervisors, which run directly on the hardware, and Type 2 hypervisors, which run on a host operating system. This functionality enables organizations to optimize hardware utilization, isolate environments for testing or development, and run multiple OS environments without the need for separate physical computers. While virtual machines are the instances created by the hypervisor, they are not the software that enables the full capability of running multiple operating systems. Containers, on the other hand, are technologies that package software and its dependencies for consistent execution across environments but do not virtualize hardware. A firewall, in contrast, is a security device that monitors and controls incoming and outgoing network traffic, unrelated to running multiple operating systems.