In order to run a virtual machine, you will need:
1. A host computer capable of running the virtualization software – this should include sufficient CPU, memory, and storage resources for the guest operating system and applications to function properly.
2. The appropriate virtualization software – popular options include VMware Workstation or Oracle VirtualBox.
3. An image of the guest operating system – these can usually be downloaded from the vendor’s website or purchased on disk or USB drive.
4. Enough disk space to store the virtual machine files and any data associated with it as well as additional disk space for snapshots (if applicable).
5. Appropriate network settings such as static IP addresses and domain name system (DNS) configuration if necessary.
6. If you are using Windows-based guests, a valid license key for each guest operating system is also required in order to activate it before use.
7. Finally, you may need additional hardware such as an external network card if your host computer does not have enough ports available for all of your guests, or an extra hard drive if you plan on running multiple VMs concurrently or require more storage than what is provided by your host computer's internal drives alone .