Java virtual machine A Java virtual machine (JVM) is a virtual
machine that can execute Java bytecode. It is the code execution
component of the Java platform. Sun Microsystems has stated that
there are over 5.5 billion JVM-enabled devices. A Java virtual
machine is a program which executes certain other programs,
namely those containing Java bytecode instructions. JVMs are
most often implemented to run on an existing operating system,
but can also be implemented to run directly on hardware. A JVM
provides a run-time environment in which Java bytecode can be
executed, enabling features such as automated exception
handling, which provides root-cause debugging information for
every software error (exception). A JVM is distributed along
with Java Class Library, a set of standard class libraries (in
Java bytecode) that implement the Java application programming
interface (API). These libraries, bundled together with the JVM,
form the Java Runtime Environment (JRE). JVMs are available for
many hardware and softwar