Virtualization is like creating a virtual version of something instead of using the real thing. In computing, it means creating virtual computers or servers (called virtual machines) that are ‘hosted’ by a real, physical computer.

Imagine you have one big house (a physical computer) and you divide it into several small apartments (virtual computers). Each apartment can have its own rooms (applications) and guests (users) without knowing about the other apartments. This way, you can run multiple operating systems or applications on a single physical computer, making better use of its resources and making it easier to manage.

This is achieved by using specialized software known as a hypervisor, which separates the physical hardware from the operating systems, allowing multiple virtual machines (VMs) to run on a single physical machine.