# Virtual Machine A virtual machine is a software-defined execution environment presenting virtualized hardware or a managed runtime abstraction. ## Notebook evidence PDF page 10 records VMware in remote-service research. PDF page 16 uses “Virtual Machine” while copying Android runtime information; in that context ART and Dalvik-compatible identity are managed-runtime concepts, not necessarily a whole-system VM. ## Boundary Record whether evidence originates inside a guest, from the host, or from a managed language runtime. These layers have different authority and provenance.