Microsoft Hyper-V
Introduction
Hyper-V is the Microsoft hypervisor.
Pros and Cons
Pros
- An Enterprise level Hypervisor
- Available in a free tier or with an existing Windows license.
- Basic Management tools included
- Built into Windows client operating systems
Cons
- No nested virtualization prior to Windows Server 2016
- Host runs Windows, bringing more overhead than ESXi (improved with NanoServer)
Costs
The Hypervisor itself is available as a standalone free product or baked into Windows Server (or Windows 10). See Microsoft Licensing for suggestions on licensing Windows in a HomeLab environment.
Use Cases
Hyper-V is suitable where a Type 1 Hypervisor is required for deploying direct to hardware. The "Hyper-V role" can also be used on an existing Windows (10 or Server 2008/2012) laptop or desktop which is already handy when dedicated hardware is not available. This role-based deployment provides a Type 1 Hypervisor with many of the benefits of a Type 2 Hypervisor.
External Links
| Title | Description |
|---|---|
| http://www.microsoft.com/hyper-v | The Microsoft Hyper-V Product Page |