Which characteristic of virtualization technology ensures that a failure in one virtual machine does not affect others on the same host?

Isolation is a fundamental characteristic of virtualization technology that plays a crucial role in ensuring that a failure in one virtual machine (VM) does not impact others running on the same host. This means that each VM operates in its own independent environment, with its own operating system and applications, separated from other VMs on the physical hardware.

When a VM encounters an issue, such as a crash or a resource overutilization, the isolation provided by the virtualization layer prevents that problem from propagating to other VMs. Each VM’s resources, processes, and file systems are compartmentalized within the host server, making it possible to maintain overall system stability and performance, even when one or more VMs are experiencing difficulties.

This characteristic is essential for achieving high availability and reliability in cloud environments, as it allows multiple applications to run simultaneously without risking mutual interference. Thus, isolation not only protects the integrity of each VM but also supports efficient resource management and fault tolerance in a virtualized setting. The other options do not adequately describe this protective feature within virtualization technology.