1.1 Basic Components

The basic components of a Xen-based virtualization environment are the Xen hypervisor, the host desktop environment, any number of other Xen-based virtual machines, and the tools, commands, and configuration files that let you manage virtualization. Collectively, the physical computer running all these components is referred to as a virtual machine host because together these components form a platform for hosting virtual machines.

The Xen Hypervisor

The Xen hypervisor, sometimes referred to generically as a virtual machine monitor, is an open-source software program that coordinates the low-level interaction between virtual machines and physical hardware.

The Host Desktop Environment

The virtual machine host’s desktop environment, also referred to as domain 0, is comprised of several components, such as:

Xen-Based Virtual Machines

A Xen-based virtual machine, also referred to as a domain, consists of the following components:

Management Tools, Commands, and Configuration Files

There are a combination of GUI tools, commands, and configuration files to help you manage and customize your virtualization environment.