Ok, here it is, the free Hypervisor from Microsoft that will try to compete with VMware ESXi, Microsoft Hyper-V Server 2008.
The download is almost 1 GB in size so if you feel like giving it a try this is the link:
- Microsoft Hyper-V Server Download
A couple of things to take into account from the FAQ page:
Q: Is it possible to “upgrade” a Microsoft Hyper-V Server to Windows Server 2008?
A: No. Microsoft Hyper-V Server and Windows Server 2008 are different products. To migrate from a Microsoft Hyper-V Server environment to a Windows Server 2008 Hyper-V environment, export the virtual machines from Hyper-V Server, install Windows Server 2008 Enterprise Edition, enable the Hyper-V role and import the virtual machines.
Q: Does Microsoft Hyper-V Server include high availability (failover clustering) capabilities for unplanned downtime?
A: No. If high availability is a customer requirement, then we recommend using Windows Server 2008 Enterprise or Datacenter Editions which include integrated failover clustering support.
Q: Can you use PowerShell locally with Microsoft Hyper-V Server?
A: No. PowerShell is not included with Microsoft Hyper-V Server. However, if you use System Center Virtual Machine Manager you can use PowerShell remotely to manage a Microsoft Hyper-V Server.
Q: Does Microsoft Hyper-V Server use a parent partition like Windows Server 2008 with the Hyper-V role enabled?
A: Yes. Microsoft Hyper-V Server shares some things in common with Windows Server 2008 with the Hyper-V role enabled including a common kernel and drivers.
When to use Hyper-V Server 2008?
- Test and Development
- Basic Server Consolidation
- Branch Office Consolidation
- Hosted Desktop Virtualization (VDI)
Also, you can access the Technical Resources page here.
Posted by Gabriel Maciel
