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Systems & Data Center · Intermediate

Kernel-based Virtual Machine (KVM)

A Type 1 hypervisor built into the Linux kernel that turns Linux into a host for virtual machines.

Definition

KVM uses CPU virtualization extensions and pairs with QEMU for device emulation and libvirt for management. It underpins OpenStack, Proxmox VE, Red Hat OpenShift Virtualization, Nutanix AHV and many public clouds.

Example

lsmod | grep kvm confirms kvm_intel or kvm_amd is loaded.

Exam tip

KVM requires Intel VT-x or AMD-V; check /proc/cpuinfo for vmx or svm flags.

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