# Client hypervisor

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In computing, a **client hypervisor** is a [hypervisor](/source/Hypervisor) that is designed for use on [client computers](/source/Client_(computing)) such as [laptops](/source/Laptop), [desktops](/source/Desktop_computer) or [workstations](/source/Workstation), rather than on a [server](/source/Server_(computing)). It is a technique of host [virtualization](/source/Virtualization) which enables the parallel execution of multiple [operating systems](/source/Operating_system) (or [virtual machines](/source/Virtual_machine)) on shared hardware. These *guest* systems may be used for a wide variety of tasks normally performed by dedicated physical computer systems. Client hypervisors are included in [cloud computing](/source/Cloud_computing) and [IaaS (Infrastructure as a Service)](/source/Infrastructure_as_a_service) designs. Some well-known client hypervisors are [VMware Workstation](/source/VMware_Workstation), [VirtualBox](/source/VirtualBox) and [VirtualPC](/source/VirtualPC). Client hypervisors are categorized in two types:

- **Type 1 (Bare metal)**: this type of client hypervisor runs directly on the host machine's hardware and serves as the host operating system, providing hardware access to guests via its own drivers. Also, it create a layer above the layer for allocate system resources to all installed virtual machines.[1]

- **Type 2 (Virtualized)**: this type of client hypervisor operates inside the host operating system as a stand-alone [application](/source/Application_software) and invokes the master operating system for access to the physical computer's resources.

## References

1. **[^](#cite_ref-1)** ["What is Client hypervisor ?"](https://web.archive.org/web/20170116173038/http://www.orosk.com/client-hypervisor/). *www.orosk.com*. Archived from [the original](http://www.orosk.com/client-hypervisor/) on 2017-01-16. Retrieved 2016-05-03.

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Adapted from the Wikipedia article [Client hypervisor](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Client_hypervisor) by Wikipedia contributors ([contributor history](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Client_hypervisor?action=history)). Available under [Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 International](https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0/). Changes may have been made.