What is the primary purpose of a hypervisor in cloud computing?

In cloud computing, the primary purpose of a hypervisor is to create and manage virtual machines. A hypervisor is a software layer that abstracts the physical hardware of a host machine and enables multiple virtual machines to run simultaneously on a single physical machine. This virtualization process allows for more efficient use of resources, isolation between different virtual environments, and improved flexibility in deploying applications and services.

By allowing multiple operating systems and applications to operate on a single hardware platform, hypervisors enable better resource allocation and scaling, which are core principles of cloud computing. This capability is fundamental for cloud providers, as it allows them to offer various services to customers without needing extensive physical hardware for each individual service.

Other functions, such as enhancing network security or managing data storage, are important aspects of cloud infrastructure, but they are not the primary role of a hypervisor. While hypervisors may contribute indirectly to these areas through the management of virtual machines, their core responsibility revolves around virtualization and VM creation.