Abstract:

Virtual machine technologies address computer system problems such as security, performance and reliability by decoupling the architecture and user-pe rceived behavior of hardware and software resources from their physical implementation. After briefly reviewing the history of virtual machines, this paper introduces the reasons of their renaissance, summarizes the architecture and taxonomy, and describes the virtual machine monitor implementation issues in the aspects of CPU, memory and I/O. An examination of the current products and recent research provide some interesting insights into the future of virtual machine monitors. Finally, the opportunities and challenges that virtual machine technologies bring to our nation are discussed.

Key words: virtual machine;virtual machine monitor, security