Virtual Machines

Chapter Two Emulation: Interpretation and Binary Translation

Many virtual machine implementations are based on emulation. We define emulation as the process of implementing the interface and functionality of one system or subsystem on a system or subsystem having a different interface and functionality. For example, a VT100 terminal emulator running inside a window on a PC presents to the user an interface and functionality that is nearly identical to that of a real VT100 terminal. In fact, taken in this general sense, one could argue that virtualization itself is simply a form of emulation. In this chapter, however, we give emulation a narrower meaning by applying it specifically to instruction sets.

Instruction set emulation is a key aspect ...