- Update (03/27/2019): Though I generally don’t update old posts, I recently found a useful guide for those that might be interested in more up-to-date information on Windows Server and Hyper-V. Please see Stephen Coopers, “Ultimate Guide to Windows Server” as an alternate resource.
The Windows Server Division Blog announces the availability of a beta version of Microsoft’s Hyper-V technology. Hyper-V was formerly known as “Viridian” and later “Windows Server Virtualization (WSv)”. Previous releases were known as Consumer Technology Preview (CTP) versions. Generally, beta products have a higher level of quality. To get the preview version, you’ll need to download the appropriate version of Windows Server 2008 RC1 from the Windows Server Evaluation site. Note that you can only install the product on Windows Server 2008 Enterprise running on an x64 hardware platform. Here are some useful links:
- Installation instructions, which also includes information on migrating VMs from the CTP version. There’s no upgrade path for previous versions of WSv, however.
- Hyper-V Overview White Paper
- An updated Hyper-V FAQ.
- An updated web page: Hyper-V: A Key Feature of Windows Server 2008.
- The Windows Virtualization Team Blog, which includes some brief videos that walk you through the management UI and some new features.
- Microsoft Virtualization Webcast Series
Overall, you can expect to see a lot more information on the product (some from me) in the near future.
