What process involves creating virtual versions of physical systems, including hardware and network resources?

The process of creating virtual versions of physical systems, encompassing hardware and network resources, is known as virtualization. This technology allows organizations to run multiple virtual instances of operating systems or applications on a single physical machine by using a hypervisor or virtual machine monitor. Virtualization provides numerous benefits, such as improved resource utilization, easier management of server workloads, and enhanced scalability.

By converting physical resources into virtual counterparts, virtualization facilitates greater flexibility in deploying and managing IT infrastructures. This allows businesses to optimize their hardware costs and improve operational efficiency, as virtual machines can be rapidly provisioned and decommissioned as needed.

In contrast, cloud simulation, cloud emulation, and system replication focus on different concepts. Cloud simulation mimics cloud environments for testing and analyzing behavior under various conditions, while cloud emulation aims to replicate cloud services without necessarily performing virtualization. System replication refers to creating copies of data or systems for backup and recovery purposes rather than the process of virtualizing resources. Hence, virtualization is specifically aligned with the creation of virtual instances of physical systems.