Virtualised

Part of speech: verb

Definitions

1. A process that transforms a physical resource into a simulated version, allowing multiple operating systems or applications to run concurrently
2. This involves creating a virtual representation of hardware or software, enabling efficient resource management and usage
3. Referring to the act of abstracting and managing physical components through virtualization technology for optimized performance and scalability

Etymology: "Virtualised" is the past tense and past participle of "virtualise," the British spelling of "virtualize." The verb builds on the adjective "virtual," which comes from Late Latin "virtualis," itself from Latin "virtus," meaning strength, power or capacity. The Latin sense of "virtual" was about power to produce an effect without being the thing itself, and that idea of something that works in effect while not existing in physical form is what carries into the modern computing sense. The verb took on its present meaning as computing grew, so that to virtualise something is to create a software-based stand-in for hardware or software resources. A single physical server can be divided into many virtual machines, each behaving like an independent computer, and storage or networks can be pooled and reassigned in the same way. The result is that the original machine's capacity is used more efficiently, since workloads are no longer tied to one fixed piece of equipment.

Synonyms: simulated, digitized, emulated, virtual, modeled