CompTIA Network+ Practice Test

What role does the hypervisor play in cloud computing?

1. Manages physical server hardware

2. Acts as a cloud manager for virtual servers

3. Provides internet connectivity to applications

4. Serves as a firewall for cloud infrastructure

The correct answer is: Acts as a cloud manager for virtual servers

The hypervisor plays a vital role in cloud computing by acting as a cloud manager for virtual servers. It is responsible for creating, managing, and allocating resources for virtual machines (VMs) that run on a host physical server. This virtualization layer sits between the hardware and the operating systems of the virtual machines, allowing multiple VMs to run concurrently on the same physical server while maintaining resource separation. By managing the interactions between the physical hardware and the virtualized instances, the hypervisor enables efficient resource utilization, scalability, and flexibility within cloud environments. It allows for dynamic allocation of CPU, memory, and storage resources to VMs based on demand, ensuring optimal performance and minimizing waste. While the other roles mentioned in the options can be associated with different aspects of cloud computing, they do not accurately reflect the primary function of the hypervisor. Managing physical server hardware is typically the role of server management software and not the hypervisor itself. Providing internet connectivity is the responsibility of network infrastructure components, and serving as a firewall involves security appliances or services, which are not functions of the hypervisor. Thus, the hypervisor's role as a cloud manager for virtual servers clearly distinguishes it from the other functions described.