Microsoft Hyper-V

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Introduction[edit | edit source]

Hyper-V is the Microsoft hypervisor.

Pros and Cons[edit | edit source]

Pros[edit | edit source]

  • 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[edit | edit source]

  • No nested virtualization prior to Windows Server 2016
  • Host runs Windows, bringing more overhead than ESXi (improved with NanoServer)

Costs[edit | edit source]

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[edit | edit source]

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[edit | edit source]

External Links
Title Description
http://www.microsoft.com/hyper-v The Microsoft Hyper-V Product Page