Cloud Computing

Native Hypervisor (Type 1 / Bare-Metal)

Added: June 26, 2026

Definition

A Native Hypervisor (Type 1) is a hypervisor that is installed directly on the physical server hardware, without a host operating system. Its role is to manage the hardware resources and create multiple Virtual Machines (VMs) that run independently.

What Problem It Solves

Allows multiple operating systems to share one physical server with high performance and strong isolation.
Commonly used in cloud platforms and enterprise data centers.

What Happens If Not Used

A separate physical server is needed for each operating system, increasing cost and reducing efficiency.

Easy Wording

A Native Hypervisor turns one physical server into many virtual servers without needing another operating system.

Layman Example

Think of a building manager who works directly for the building owner without any middle manager. They assign apartments (VMs) directly to tenants (operating systems).

Technical Example

Flow:

Physical Hardware → Native Hypervisor → VM 1 (Linux) → Web Server ↳ VM 2 (Windows) → Database Server The hypervisor directly controls the hardware and distributes CPU, RAM, storage, and networking resources to each VM.