Short for Kernel-based Virtualization Machine, KVM is an open source virtualization offering for Linux operating systems that enables Linux to function as a hypervisor for running multiple virtual machines (VMs).
KVM has been directly integrated into the Linux kernel as of 2007’s 2.6.20 Linux kernel release. KVM is the basis for both IBM s and Red Hat s Linux virtualization technologies, and it s also the most widely used virtualization technology in the OpenStack cloud.