For years, we've wondered when Microsoft would bring its Server-based Hyper-V virtualization platform to the Windows client. In Windows 7, of course, that didn't happen: Instead, Microsoft's corporate customers must make do with expensive and complex server-side solutions like App-V and MED-V, while end users can utilize the free Windows Virtual PC with XP Mode. So we've turned our attention to Windows 8, and when Rafael Rivera and I examined early pre-release versions of this upcoming product, we did indeed see proof that some Hyper-V code was in there. The question remained, however: What, exactly, are Microsoft's plans for integrating Hyper-V into Windows 8 on the PC client?
Today, those questions were answered. In yet another post on the Building Windows 8 Blog, Microsoft principal program manager Mathew John explains that Windows 8 will indeed include the Hyper-V virtualization platform. This has stunning ramifications to the future of backwards compatibility in Windows, as I've written about often in the past, since it means Microsoft can now more aggressively remove dated, legacy technologies from the core Windows product.
A quote:
In building Windows 8 we worked to enable Hyper-V, the machine virtualization technology that has been part of the last 2 releases of Windows Server, to function on the client OS as well. In brief, Hyper-V lets you run more than one 32-bit or 64-bit x86 operating system at the same time on the same computer. Instead of working directly with the computer’s hardware, the operating systems run inside of a virtual machine (VM).
Hyper-V enables developers to easily maintain multiple test environments and provides a simple mechanism to quickly switch between these environments without incurring additional hardware costs.
The requirements for the use of this featured will be a 64 bit version of Windows 8 and at least 4 gb of RAM.
Hyper-V in Windows 8 will allow the user to create eithe 32 bit or 64 bit OS’es in the VM.
Windows will provide two mechanisms to peek into the Virtual Machine:
■ The VM Console
■ Remote Desktop Connection.
The VM Console (also known as VMConnect) is a console view of the VM. It provides a single monitor view of the VM with resolution up to 1600×1200 in 32-bit color. This console provides you with the ability to view the VM’s booting process.
For a richer experience, you can connect to the VM using the Remote Desktop Connection (RDC). With RDC, the VM takes advantage of capabilities present on your physical PC. For example, if you have multiple monitors, then the VM can show its graphics on all these monitors. Similarly, if you have a multipoint touch-enabled interface on your PC, then the VM can use this interface to give you a touch experience. The VM also has full multimedia capability by leveraging the physical system’s speakers and microphone. The Root OS (i.e. the main Windows OS that’s managing the VMs) can also share its clipboard and folders with the VMs. And finally, with RDC, you can also attach any USB device directly to the VM.
For storage, you will be able to add multiple hard disks to the IDE or SCSI controllers available in the VM.
You will also be able to use Virtual Hard Disks (.VHD or .VHDX files) or actual disks that you pass directly through to the virtual machine.
VHD’s can also reside on a remote file server, making it easy to maintain and share a common set of predefined VHDs across a team.
Hyper-V will be able to take snapshots of a virtual machine while it is running. A snapshot saves everything about the virtual machine allowing you to go back to a previous point in time in the life of a VM, and is a great tool when trying to debug tricky problems.
This is cool – Windows Update can patch Hyper-V components, so you wont need to set up additional maintenance processes.
There are limitations however:
■ Features or applications that depend on specific hardware will not work well in a VM.
■ Games or applications that require processing with GPUs (without providing software fallback) might not work well either.
■ Also, applications relying on sub 10ms timers, i.e. latency-sensitive high-precision apps such as live music mixing apps, etc. could have issues running in a VM. The root OS is also running on top of the Hyper-V virtualization layer, but it is special in that it has direct access to all the hardware. This is why applications with special hardware requirements continue to work unhindered in the root OS but latency-sensitive, high-precision apps could still have issues running in the root OS.
Users will still need to license any operating systems you use in the VM’s.
Windows 8 Hyper-V (Using a wired connection)
