In cloud computing, is it correct to say that server virtualization is used as an underlying technology?

Introduction / Context:
Cloud computing delivers computing resources such as servers, storage, and applications over a network, typically the internet. A core idea is that physical hardware is abstracted away from end users, who see only virtual resources that can be provisioned and released on demand. Server virtualization is a key technology that allows multiple virtual machines or containers to run on the same physical server. This question asks whether it is correct to say that cloud computing uses server virtualization.

Given Data / Assumptions:

We are considering mainstream public and private cloud platforms.
Server virtualization refers to technologies such as hypervisors and virtual machines that divide a physical server into multiple logical servers.
Cloud providers offer services like virtual machines, scalable compute instances, and containers to customers.
Some cloud services may also be built on containerization or serverless models, but virtualization is still commonly present at some layer.
The question is a general true or false style statement about the relationship between cloud computing and server virtualization.

Concept / Approach:
Most cloud infrastructures use server virtualization to share physical resources among multiple tenants and workloads. Hypervisors allow multiple operating system instances to run on a single physical host, each isolated in its own virtual machine. This abstraction is what makes it possible for cloud users to request a new virtual server without dealing directly with hardware. Even when higher level abstractions such as containers or serverless functions are offered, those platforms often run on top of virtualized servers. Therefore, it is accurate in general terms to say that cloud computing uses server virtualization.

Step-by-Step Solution:
Step 1: Recall that a defining characteristic of cloud computing is resource pooling, where physical resources are shared among many users. Step 2: Recognize that server virtualization is a primary mechanism for implementing resource pooling of compute resources, by running multiple virtual machines on each physical host. Step 3: Observe that major cloud providers offer virtual machine instances as a core infrastructure as a service feature, which is possible only because of server virtualization. Step 4: Conclude that the statement that cloud computing uses server virtualization is correct.

Verification / Alternative check:
Looking at public documentation for cloud platforms, you find references to hypervisors, virtual machine types, and instance families. These are all signs that server virtualization underlies the cloud offering. Even when serverless or container based services are advertised, detailed architecture diagrams often show that they ultimately run on clusters of virtual machines. This supports the assertion that server virtualization is used in cloud computing.

Why Other Options Are Wrong:
The option that claims cloud computing never uses server virtualization is clearly incorrect because virtual machines are a fundamental offering in infrastructure as a service, and they depend directly on virtualization. While some specialised clouds or on premises deployments might experiment with alternative models, those are exceptions rather than the rule.

Common Pitfalls:
One pitfall is to assume that virtualization and cloud computing are identical concepts. In reality, virtualization is a key enabling technology, but cloud computing also involves service models, billing, automation, and self service portals. Another pitfall is to overlook containers and think that they replace virtualization completely; in most large scale clouds, containers themselves run atop virtualized infrastructure.

Final Answer:
It is correct, cloud computing commonly relies on server virtualization as an underlying technology.