Explain the difference between Type 1 and Type 2 hypervisors. Where does KVM fit?

Type 1 (Bare Metal) Hypervisors:

• Run directly on physical hardware
• Examples: VMware ESXi, Xen, Hyper-V Server
• Better performance, lower overhead

Type 2 (Hosted) Hypervisors:

• Run on top of an existing operating system
• Examples: VMware Workstation, VirtualBox
• More flexible but higher overhead

KVM Classification:
KVM is unique - it's technically a Type 1 hypervisor because it's integrated into the Linux kernel, allowing direct hardware access. However, it relies on the Linux kernel infrastructure, which some classify as Type 2 characteristics. Most consider KVM a Type 1 hypervisor due to its kernel-level integration and performance characteristics.