server virtualization

Server virtualization is the masking of server resources, including the number and identity of individual physical servers, processors, and operating systems, from server users. The server administrator uses a software application to divide one physical server into multiple isolated virtual environments. The virtual environments are sometimes Called virtual private servers, but they are also known as partitions, guests, instances, containers or emulations.

decoupling server hardware from the operating systems and applications which run on it, either by partitioning the hardware into multiple virtual machines, or aggregating it into a single, larger server image.