What is Hyper-V on Windows 11, and what can it do?
Hyper-V is an incredibly flexible tool that can fill many roles for IT administrators, so it is a good idea to learn how this technology works and what exactly it can do.
Desktop virtualization is a straightforward concept -- a desktop is hosted in one place and a user interacts with it from another -- but administrators should understand the many ways to deploy this technology.
Different use cases can demand different types of desktop virtualization, specific approaches to hosting, and certain licensed software to manage and deploy these environments. For example, Microsoft Hyper-V can do everything from hosting a few virtual machines -- also known as VMs -- to test new updates, to delivering fully-fledged Windows desktops to end users.
IT administrators should learn how Hyper-V fits into the bigger picture of virtualization technologies so they can make the most of this versatile technology.
Understanding different types of virtualization
There are many types of virtualization, and as an administrator, you can deploy these in different use cases for your end users. For example, VDI runs VMs on a central server in a data center. From there, you can deliver these highly customizable machines as virtual desktops. Cloud-based virtual desktops operate as a fully managed service that you can subscribe to for fully functioning virtual desktops and applications.
The type of virtualization that you choose should function around the business requirements:
Hyper-V is a built-in virtualization platform in Windows 11, available in Pro, Enterprise, and Education edition, which allows you to create and run VMs on your computer. A VM is like a separate computer running inside your actual computer, with its own operating system and settings.
Hyper-V is a type-1 hypervisor and runs directly on the hardware, also known as a bare-metal hypervisor -- rather than on top of an existing OS -- which is type-2 hypervisors. It creates isolated environments that function like separate computers. The VMs share system resources such as CPU, memory, storage and networking, but remain independent from one another.
Architecture of Hyper-V
Hyper-V's architecture is designed to provide efficient virtualization, isolation, and resource management while maintaining high performance and security. It is made up of several key components:
Component
Description
Hypervisor
Directly manages hardware resources and VM execution.
Root partition or parent VM
Hosts the Windows OS, manages hardware access, and provides virtualization services.
Child Partitions or guest VMs
Isolated virtual machines that rely on the root partition for hardware access.
Virtualization service provider (VSP)
Provides hardware resources from the root partition to child partitions.
Virtualization service client (VSC)
Runs in guest VMs, requesting resources from VSP.
VMBus
High-speed communication channel between VMs and the root partition.
Virtual switch
Manages networking for virtual machines.
Virtual hard disks (VHD/VHDX)
Storage options for VMs, supporting dynamic resizing and snapshotting.
Learning the components of Hyper-V
The following are the key components of Hyper-V:
VMs. The isolated environments where you install different OSes.
Hyper-V manager. A graphical interface to create and manage VMs.
Hyper-V virtual switch. A software-defined networking component for VM connectivity.
Checkpoints. Save the state of a VM for easy rollback. Checkpoints are also known as snapshots.
Dynamic memory. Automatically adjusts RAM allocation for VMs.
Hyper-V manager
VM Management allows you to create, configure, and manage multiple VMs on a single physical system. Windows, Linux and other OSes are supported as guest VMs. You can use Hyper-V Manager -- the GUI -- or PowerShell for automation and scripting. There are tools to monitor the health and performance of VMs, including CPU and memory usage and uptime.
Hyper-V virtual switch
This component enables networking between the host system and external networks. There are three types of virtual switches:
External. Connects VMs to the internet or LAN.
Internal. Allows communication between the host and VMs.
Private. Isolated network between VMs only.
Checkpoints
Taking a snapshot of a VM's current state allows you to revert to this state if you need to roll back changes. Snapshot functionality also enables you to test updates or software configurations.
Dynamic memory allocation
RAM usage is automatically adjusted by Hyper-V for VMs, based on workload demands. Memory is optimized, and overall system efficiency is improved.
Other notable Hyper-V features
Hyper-V replica. This disaster recovery feature replicates a VM to another system for failover and disaster recovery. It supports asynchronous replication between primary and secondary servers.
Virtual hard disks. Hyper-V supports VHDX files up to 64 TB in size. These disks have built-in protection against corruption.
Enhanced session mode (ESM). VMs can use the host's local resources through the ESM. This lets Hyper-V connect to the virtual machines using RDP, allowing seamless clipboard, file sharing and display scaling between the host and VM. It also supports audio redirection and high-resolution displays.
How to enable Hyper-V on Windows 11
To enable Hyper-V, follow this simple process.
Open Settings > Apps > Optional Features > More Windows Features.
Check Hyper-V and click OK.
Restart your PC when prompted.
Once enabled, you can open Hyper-V Manager to start creating virtual machines.
Why would IT need to use Hyper-V?
There are numerous use cases for Hyper-V in the enterprise, and you should learn each of them to make the most of this flexible virtualization technology.
Testing and development lab
One of the biggest reasons to use Hyper-V is to create isolated test lab environments for software developers. Software development and testing will not impact production, and developers can create isolated environments to test applications, updates, or system changes without affecting their main system. Hyper-V supports running multiple OS versions for cross-platform compatibility testing.
Secure and isolated environment
Although all devices should have a supported and up-to-date OS, realistically, businesses still need to run legacy software that does not run on modern OSes. Hyper-V allows you to run legacy applications securely in a VM and in a controlled environment without affecting the host OS. This is particularly useful for IT professionals managing legacy systems in corporate environments.
Hyper-V allows you to run legacy applications securely in a VM and in a controlled environment without affecting the host OS.
Administrators can also use Hyper-V to create a private cloud for on-demand deployments of IT services.
VDI
Enabling remote working is vital for businesses, and Hyper-V lets administrators deploy virtual desktops for employees while keeping data centralized and secure.
Server consolidation and cost reduction
Computing infrastructure is expensive to build and maintain, and optimizing resources is key to keeping business overheads low. Instead of maintaining multiple physical machines, IT teams can run multiple virtual servers or desktops on a single system. Running multiple virtual servers on a single physical machine reduces hardware costs and the number of underused physical servers while maintaining performance and flexibility.
Disaster Recovery and Business Continuity
Administrators can mitigate critical production VM failure with the disaster recovery functionality, and you can incorporate Hyper-V into your business continuity plan. VM failover and restoration of VM snapshots are quick, providing a short Recovery Time Objective and Recovery Point Objective -- also known as RTO and RPO.
Cloud integration
Extending your on-premises infrastructure to the cloud also helps keep business costs down as you need less computing power at your premises.
Helen Searle-Jones holds a group head of IT position in the manufacturing sector. She draws on 30 years of experience in enterprise and end-user computing, utilizing cloud and on-premise technologies to enhance IT performance.
