Server Virtualization with Hyper-V and System Center

Install and configure Hyper-V and virtual machines, including storage and networking on Hyper-V hosts. Learn Hyper-V features across Windows Server versions and gain insight into Windows Server containers and Docker.

Explore new Hyper-V host features in Windows Server, including shielded VMs with offline mode, fallback AGS, and PowerShell direct.

Explore new Hyper-V virtual machine features for server 2016+, including discrete device assignment, hot add for memory and network adapters, production checkpoints, and memory and processor capacity upgrades.

Install the Hyper-V server role on Windows Server 2022, review prerequisites including SLAT support, and demonstrate nested virtualization for a demo virtual machine.

Master Hyper-V prerequisites and nested virtualization configuration. Identify 64-bit SLAT hardware, Windows Server 2016+ requirements, and use PowerShell to expose virtualization extensions for nested VMs with mac spoofing.

Configure storage on Hyper-V host servers by selecting virtual hard disk formats and types, including VHD/VHDX, fixed, dynamically expanding, differencing, and passthrough, including SMB3 shares, for optimal performance and availability.

Examine virtual hard disk formats and types in Hyper-V, including VHD and dynamic versus fixed sizing, differential disks, and storage considerations with SMB three file shares and Fibre Channel.

Learn to create differencing disks from a base disk in Hyper-V using Hyper-V Manager and PowerShell, and explore storage options like dynamically expanding VHDX disks.

Explore Hyper-V storage options and virtual hard disk formats, including dynamically expanding and differential disks, then test knowledge on Fibre Channel and SMB 3.0 storage planning.

Learn how Hyper-V networks use external, internal, and private switches to control traffic on a host, including NAT for private address spaces, VLANs, and switch manager configuration.

Configure bandwidth management to guarantee minimum bandwidth per virtual network adapter. Deploy NIC teaming with adapters on different switches to maintain connectivity; enable vmk and use network virtualization over VLANs.

Windows Server 2016 introduces new Hyper-V networking features with software defined networking enhancements, QoS integration, RDMA for virtual switches, and switch embedded teaming.

Learn to configure Hyper-V networking using PowerShell and Hyper-V manager, creating an internal net switch, assigning IPs and gateway, enabling DNS and ICMP, and testing VM connectivity.

Explore Hyper-V network best practices, including NIC teaming across multiple switches, VM queue and QoS for predictable bandwidth, and the advantages of network virtualization in Windows Server.

Learn to check and upgrade Hyper-V virtual machine configuration versions, compare generation 1 and 2, review shielded VMs, and understand import, upgrade, and feature implications across versions.

Plan, create, and configure Hyper-V virtual machines by choosing generation one or two, allocating memory and networking, selecting or attaching disks, and assessing guest OS support and compatibility.

Create and configure Hyper-V virtual machines with PowerShell using New-VM, assign memory, attach new or existing VHDs, set generation, and manage operations with Get-VM, Start-VM, and Stop-VM.

Manage virtual machine state in Hyper-V, create and manage checkpoints, export and import virtual machines, and use PowerShell Direct from the host to manage the OS with no network connectivity.

Explore Hyper-V virtual machine configuration, including versions and generations, planning, creating, and managing virtual machines, with knowledge checks on secure boot and dynamic memory.

Manage Hyper-V checkpoints, including standard and production types, with synchronization for VMs with dependencies, and understand restore impacts, domain rejoin, VSS, and backup considerations.

Learn to manage Hyper-V checkpoints with production and standard types using Hyper-V manager. Use PowerShell direct to create, rename, apply, export, delete, and restore checkpoints and understand default checkpoint locations.

Explore how Hyper-V manages virtual machine states and checkpoints, including memory state handling. Learn about production versus standard checkpoints, differential disks, and why backups remain essential.

Import and export virtual machines in Windows Server, detailing import options, handling checkpoints and VHD files, and live migration across Hyper-V hosts.

Demonstrates live migrations of virtual machines in Hyper-V, including enabling migrations, selecting destination hosts and networks, and configuring storage moves while troubleshooting authentication, Kerberos delegation, and resource limits.

Practice importing, exporting, and migrating Hyper-V virtual machines, including copy import creating a VM with a unique ID, exporting with checkpoints, SMB-based live migrations, and Kerberos authentication.