Identify the Function of a Type 2 Hypervisor
A type 2 hypervisor, or hosted hypervisor, is installed like any other app on your computer and allows you to create VMs that are independent of the host operating system. It is considered the same as any other application and has no priority over the host’s resources.
Why less than 5%, and not 5%?
The hypervisor authorizes each VM to use only a certain quantity of resources (pre-defined), and it cannot exceed this limit. This means that the host operating system cannot be slowed down by the VMs if properly configured.
As in the tree example, the operating system is the trunk that shares the resources to all branches (i.e., the apps). It also keeps some back so it can function itself.
Each app (or branch) has specific needs at certain times during the day, but in theory, has no priority over any others.
A type 2 hypervisor is also a branch that shares resources to those above it: the VMs. These higher branches have to use the resources distributed to them and cannot seek resources from the lower levels.
You can use type 2 hypervisors for many things. They are easy to set up and very effective for tasks such as:
Testing an operating system without formatting your physical machine.
Testing or regularly using an app on a particular operating system.
Simulating a 2nd machine and carrying out simple communication tests.
Creating a small-scale network between several VMs to test network protocols/firewall rules.
Compare Different Type 2 Hypervisors
The most popular type 2 hypervisors are:
VirtualBox
VMware Workstation (Player and Pro)
VMware Fusion (for Mac)
This table compares the most well-used type 2 hypervisors available in 2021:
| VMware Workstation Player | VMware Workstation Pro | VMware Workstation Fusion | VirtualBox |
Price | Free | Payment required (after 30-day trial version) | Payment required (after 30-day trial version) | Free |
Operating systems | Windows, Linux | Windows, Linux | MacOS | Windows, Linux, MacOS |
Limitations | Several VMs cannot be launched at the same time | / | / | / |
Accepted formats | Disks: VMDK (native), VDI, VHD VM config: OVA, OVF | Disks: VMDK (native), VDI, VHD VM config: OVA, OVF | Disks: VMDK (native), VDI, VHD VM config: OVA, OVF | Disks: VDI (native), VMDK, VHD VM config: OVA, OVF |
Performance* | +++ (performs better than VirtualBox for Windows VMs) | +++ (performs better than VirtualBox for Windows VMs) | +++ (performs better than VirtualBox for Windows VMs) | ++ (performs well enough to test different VMs including Windows) |
In part 2 of the course, we’ll be using VirtualBox to run virtual machines.
Let’s Recap!
Type 2 hypervisors are installed like any other application on your operating system.
Once installed, they allow you to create VMs independent from the host operating system.
A Type 2 hypervisor is considered the same as any other application and has no priority over the host’s resources.
You can use type 2 hypervisors for the following tasks:
Testing an operating system.
Simulating a 2nd machine and carrying out communication tests.
Creating a small-scale network to test network protocols/firewall rules.
In this chapter, we covered how to identify a type 2 hypervisor and compared the different options available on the market. Now, let’s move on to the next chapter and take a closer look at type 1 hypervisors!
