What is a characteristic of para-virtualization?

A. Para-virtualization guest servers are unaware of one another
B. Para-virtualization allows direct access between the guest OS and the hypervisor
C. Para-virtualization allows the host hardware to be directly accessed
D. Para-virtualization lacks support for containers

What is a characteristic of para-virtualization?

A. Para-virtualization guest servers are unaware of one another
B. Para-virtualization allows direct access between the guest OS and the hypervisor
C. Para-virtualization allows the host hardware to be directly accessed
D. Para-virtualization lacks support for containers

Correct Answer: B

Paravirtualization is a type of virtualization where software instructions from the guest operating system running inside a virtual machine can use “hypercalls” that communicate directly with the hypervisor. This provides an interface very similar to software running natively on the host hardware.

The main benefits of paravirtualization are where instructions are not compatible with full virtualization or where more immediate access to underlying hardware is required for performance reasons. For timing-critical functions, paravirtualization can provide the speed of native code alongside some of the benefits of virtualization, such as sharing hardware between multiple operating systems.