A file type commonly associated with virtualization software is the VMDK file, used by VMware products. VMDK (Virtual Machine Disk) files store an entire virtual machine's contents, including the operating system, applications, and data. Other popular formats include VHD (used by Microsoft Hyper-V) and VDI (used by Oracle VirtualBox). These files enable the creation, management, and deployment of multiple virtual machines on a single physical server, allowing for resource optimization, ease of backup, and efficient scalability in data center environments.