A virtual machine (VM) borrows resources from which of the following?

A virtual machine (VM) borrows resources from a hypervisor, which is a crucial software layer that enables the creation, management, and execution of virtual machines on a host system. The hypervisor abstracts the physical hardware resources, such as CPU, memory, storage, and networking, and allocates them to the VMs as needed. This allows multiple VMs to run concurrently, each with its own operating system and applications, while sharing the underlying physical hardware efficiently.

In a virtualized environment, the hypervisor ensures that each VM has its designated amount of resources, providing isolation and security while facilitating resource sharing among multiple VMs. This approach maximizes resource utilization and optimizes performance, which is essential in cloud computing and data center operations.

The other options represent different network devices and components that serve distinct purposes. A switch is primarily used for connecting devices on a network and managing data traffic, while a router directs data packets between networks. A firewall is designed to provide security by filtering incoming and outgoing network traffic. None of these components are responsible for the allocation of computational resources to VMs. Thus, the hypervisor is the only correct choice in this context.