KVM
Abbreviation with 2 meanings
| Stands for | Keyboard, video and mouse switch |
|---|---|
| Meanings | 2 |
| Categories | Technology & Computing |
KVM has two meanings. It stands for Keyboard, video and mouse switch (computer hardware) or Kernel-based Virtual Machine (cloud computing).
Meanings of KVM at a glance
| # | KVM stands for | Context |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Keyboard, video and mouse switch | Technology & Computing › Computer Hardware |
| 2 | Kernel-based Virtual Machine | Technology & Computing › Cloud Computing |
1. Keyboard, video and mouse switch
Technology & Computing · Computer Hardware Abbreviations
Device that lets one keyboard, monitor and mouse control two or more computers, switching between them with a button or hotkey. It is used in server rooms and by people who work across a desktop and a laptop.
Example: A USB-C KVM lets me swap my monitor and keyboard between the work laptop and my gaming PC.
"KVM over IP" units let administrators reach a server's screen and keyboard remotely, even in the firmware setup, through a web browser. Desktop KVMs now commonly switch HDMI or DisplayPort along with USB hubs and audio. In virtualization, KVM also names the Kernel-based Virtual Machine built into Linux, an unrelated term.
2. Kernel-based Virtual Machine
Technology & Computing · Cloud Computing Abbreviations
A virtualization module built into the Linux kernel that turns Linux into a hypervisor able to run virtual machines with hardware acceleration. Many cloud providers and OpenStack deployments use it.
Example: The VPS host runs KVM, so customers can install any operating system they like.
Developed by Qumranet and merged into Linux kernel 2.6.20 in 2007; Red Hat acquired Qumranet in 2008. It is usually paired with QEMU for device emulation and managed with libvirt, and AWS's Nitro hypervisor is based on it. In hardware, KVM also names a keyboard-video-mouse switch for controlling several computers.
Related abbreviations
More computer hardware abbreviations
- IPMI – Intelligent Platform Management Interface
- IRQ – Interrupt request
- ISA – Instruction set architecture
- JBOD – Just a bunch of disks
- LBA – Logical block addressing
- LGA – Land grid array
- LPDDR – Low-Power Double Data Rate
- LTO – Linear Tape-Open
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