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Introduction to Xen
Virtualization
Virtualization of operating systems is used in many different computing areas. It finds
its applications in server consolidation, energy saving efforts, or the ability to run older
software on new hardware, for example. This chapter introduces and explains the
components and technologies you need to understand to set up and manage a Xen-based
virtualization environment.
1.1 Basic Components
The basic components of a Xen-based virtualization environment are the Xen hypervisor,
the Domain0, any number of other VM Guests, and the tools, commands, and configu-
ration files that let you manage virtualization. Collectively, the physical computer run-
ning all these components is referred to as a virtual machine host because together these
components form a platform for hosting virtual machines.
The Xen Hypervisor
The Xen hypervisor, sometimes referred to generically as a virtual machine monitor,
is an open-source software program that coordinates the low-level interaction be-
tween virtual machines and physical hardware.
The Domain0
The virtual machine host environment, also referred to as domain0 or controlling
domain, is comprised of several components, such as:
Introduction to Xen Virtualization
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