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Shared kernel virtualization (also known as system level or operating system virtualization) takes advantage of the architectural design of Linux and UNIX based operating systems. In order to understand how shared kernel virtualization works it helps to first understand the two main components of Linux or UNIX operating systems. At the core of the operating system is the ''kernel''. The kernel, in simple terms, handles all the interactions between the operating system and the physical hardware. The second key component is the ''root filesystem'' which contains all the libraries, files and utilities necessary for the operating system to function. Under shared kernel virtualization the virtual operating guest systems each have their own ''root filesystem'' but share the kernel of the host operating system. This structure is illustrated in the following architectural diagram: