What is the primary function of OS virtualization?

The primary function of OS virtualization is to enable hardware to execute multiple operating systems simultaneously. This means that a single physical machine can host several virtual machines, each running its own operating system. The virtualization layer abstracts the physical hardware, allowing these separate operating systems to operate independently, sharing the underlying resources like CPU, memory, and storage while remaining isolated from one another. This capability allows for greater efficiency in resource utilization, easier management of environments, and enhanced testing and development processes, as multiple OS configurations can run in parallel on a single physical server.

While managing network bandwidth efficiently, isolating applications from the hardware, and providing enhanced security for a single OS are important aspects of network and system management, they are not the primary function of OS virtualization itself. OS virtualization focuses specifically on the capabilities of running multiple operating systems concurrently, which brings a range of benefits in a modern computing environment.