Server virtualization represents one of the top trends in modern IT, and Microsoft offers three options to get started with it on Windows Server 2016—Standard, Datacenter, and Core. Hyper-V Server, however, has been missing from the lineup… until now! On Tuesday, April 17th 2018 Microsoft announced the general availability of its newest free SKU called Windows Server 2019 Datacenter Core. Here’s what you need to know about this new free version of Hyper-V Server and why you might want to try it out in your environment.
The biggest news
In a move that has surprised many in the industry, Microsoft has announced a new SKU for its Hyper-V Server product that will be available for free. The company believes that this will address the needs of customers who do not want to incur the cost of licensing Windows Server for their virtualization hosts. This free SKU will provide all the core features of Hyper-V Server, including live migration and support for up to 320 logical processors and 4TB of memory. It will also include a subset of enterprise capabilities such as failover clustering, storage area networks (SANs), and high availability file services (HAFS).
What are we missing?
When it comes to virtualization, Microsoft has always been a leader in the space. With the release of their new Hyper-V Server SKU, they’re once again shaking things up. Here’s what you need to know about this new offering. 1) It’s free and will continue to be free for both Windows and Linux. Unlike other offerings from Citrix or VMware, this one won’t cost anything.
2) Unlike its predecessors, it doesn’t come with any GUI tools for configuration. You’ll have to use command-line tools for all management tasks which may be daunting if you’re not familiar with them.
Why would I use it?
If you’re looking for a free and easy way to get started with virtualization, Microsoft’s new Hyper-V Server SKU is a great option. It includes all the basic features you need to get up and running quickly, and it’s easy to use. Plus, it’s backed by Microsoft, so you can be confident in its reliability. The downside? It only runs Windows Server 2008 R2 SP1 or Windows Server 2012. But if you already have those licenses or don’t mind getting them, then this is a great option.
How can I get it?
If you’re thinking about getting Microsoft’s new Hyper-V Server SKU, there are a few things you should know first. For one, it’s not actually free – you’ll need to pay for a Windows Server license if you want to use it. Secondly, it’s only available for download from the Microsoft Volume Licensing Service Center – so if you don’t have a subscription, you’re out of luck. Finally, there are some hardware requirements you’ll need to meet in order to run the software. You’ll need at least 8GB of RAM and 60GB of hard drive space, and your CPU needs to be 64-bit capable.
Where can I learn more?
When it comes to running a virtualized environment, there are a lot of options out there. But Microsoft has a new offering that they think is the best option for those looking for a free solution: Hyper-V Server. Here’s what you need to know about it. What is it? It’s a Windows Server operating system that provides an optimized hypervisor and management tools for small organizations.
With no local storage or GUI, Hyper-V Server can be deployed on top of your choice of physical hardware as either a standalone installation or nested within your organization’s existing IT infrastructure. The configuration includes the Windows Server Core edition with its many command line utilities and PowerShell automation capabilities for configuring networking and storage as well as access to remote management tools such as RSAT.
Is this something that will stand up in production?
Microsoft has announced a new SKU for its Hyper-V virtualization platform, and it’s called the Hyper-V Server. This new service offering is a free version of Microsoft’s Hyper-V that can be used in production environments. Unlike other versions of Hyper-V, this one does not include features like clustering or live migration capabilities. It does come with a few management features such as configuration and device discovery tools but there are some limitations on this product.
