An administrator is configuring a server to host several virtual machines. The administrator configures the server and is ready to begin provisioning the virtual machines. Which of the following should the administrator utilize to complete this task?

A hypervisor, also known as a virtual machine monitor (VMM), is the software, firmware, or hardware that creates and runs virtual machines (VMs). After configuring the physical server hardware, the administrator must use a hypervisor to abstract the hardware resources (CPU, memory, storage) and allocate them to multiple, isolated virtual machines. The hypervisor manages the execution of these guest VMs, allowing them to run their own operating systems and applications as if they were on separate physical computers. It is the fundamental technology required for server virtualization.

A. Device manager: This is an operating system utility used to view and manage the hardware devices installed in a single computer, not to create VMs.
B. Disk management: This is an OS utility for managing physical and logical drives, such as partitioning and formatting disks, not for provisioning entire virtual machines.
D. Virtual LAN: A VLAN is a networking technology used to segment a physical network into multiple logical networks, which is unrelated to creating and managing VMs.

- Microsoft Corporation. (2023). Hyper-V Technology Overview. Microsoft Learn. The document states, "Hyper-V is a hypervisor-based virtualization technology... Hyper-V lets you create and run a software version of a computer, called a virtual machine."

- VMware, Inc. (n.d.). What is a Hypervisor?. VMware Glossary. It defines a hypervisor as "software that creates and runs virtual machines (VMs). A hypervisor... allows one host computer to support multiple guest VMs by virtually sharing its resources."