[The following is an excerpt from the book: Windows Server 2019 Administration Fundamentals, Second Edition]
Windows Server 2019 Administration Fundamentals, Second Edition
You have probably heard about cloud services, but you have probably not yet visualized what a cloud infrastructure looks like. Regardless, you should be aware that it is a complex infrastructure that is completely virtualized. In a data center that provides cloud services, a large number of servers are grouped to form a cluster. On top of that cluster, there are hundreds or thousands of virtual machines (VMs) running to make up the cloud’s infrastructure.
So, in this chapter, you will get to know the virtualization concept, as well as become familiar with the Hyper-V software, which enables the virtualization of Windows-based servers. In addition, you will learn about the steps it takes to add the Hyper-V role to the server, get to know the Hyper-V Manager, and learn to create VMs. That way, you will be able to understand what virtualization is, how you can enable the Hyper-V role, and how to create VMs. This chapter concludes with an exercise where you will learn how to install the Hyper-V role on Windows Server 2019.
The following topics will be covered in this chapter:
- Understanding server virtualization
- Getting to know Hyper-V Manager
- Chapter exercise—Installing the Hyper-V role on Windows Server 2019
Technical requirements
In order to complete the lab for this chapter, you will need the following equipment:
- A PC with Windows Server 2019 Standard, at least 8 GB of RAM, 500 GB of HDD, and access to the internet
Understanding server virtualization
From a technical point of view, virtualization technology should be understood as a way of creating a virtual server. In addition, virtualization also enables you to create storage devices and network resources. So, instead of having ten physical servers, you can have one physical server and nine VMs running on it. Windows Server 2019 comes equipped with a Hyper-V feature that enables virtualization. As a descendant of Windows Virtual PC, Microsoft’s Hyper-V was introduced in Windows Server 2008. Since then, even though it is younger than its competition, Hyper-V has managed to attract the interest of system administrators, thereby positioning itself strongly in second place in terms of virtualization platform market share—right behind Amazon Web Services. In specific terms, Hyper-V provides the services that can be used to create and manage VMs, along with their resources.
We will now learn about various aspects of server virtualization, beginning with virtualization modes.
Understanding virtualization modes
Generally, the following two virtualized modes are the most commonly used in today’s virtualized environments:
- Fully virtualized mode: This enables an isolated and secure execution of one or more OSes in a single physical server where guest OSes use the host’s OS resources (see Figure 8.1):
Figure 8.1: Windows Server 2019 running in an isolated and secure virtual environment
- Paravirtualized mode: This can be understood as a computer inside a computer that has an installed OS that does not simulate the hardware. Rather, it offers a special application program interface (API) so that we can modify the guest OS.
A host OS is the OS on a physical server, whereas a guest OS is the OS on a VM. In my case, I am running Windows 10 Pro on a laptop as the host OS, and I am running Windows Server 2019 Standard as the guest OS.
Now, let’s understand what we mean by Hyper-V architecture.
Understanding Hyper-V architecture
The Hyper-V architecture is based on a hierarchical format where the first level represents the hypervisor as the main element that constitutes the Hyper-V virtual platform. Thus, a hypervisor is accommodated at the root and has direct access to hardware devices. The root component then creates branch OSes that represent isolated executable environments. Specifically, the branched OS represents a logical unit of isolation that has no access to hardware devices. Then, in these parts, it will be possible to run guest OSes. Components such as the virtualization service provider (VSP) and virtualization service consumer (VSC), through logical channels for communication known as the virtual machine bus (VMBus), enable communication between the root portion and the branch OSes (see Figure 8.2):
Figure 8.2: Hyper-V architecture
By correlating the Understanding virtualization modes and Understanding Hyper-V architecture sections, we understand that Figure 8.2 represents an example of a fully virtualized mode. Now that you are familiar with the architecture of Hyper-V, it would be great to become familiar with Hyper-V installation requirements.
Hyper-V installation requirements
First things first: to accommodate the hypervisor, the server must support virtualization. To fulfill this requirement, it must be based on an Intel or AMD processor with Intel Virtualization Technology (VT) or AMD Virtualization enabled.
Now, let’s understand what we mean by nested virtualization.
Understanding nested virtualization
Nested virtualization refers to a VM that runs inside another VM. In other words, it is the ability of the server’s hardware to run the Hyper-V inside a VM, which itself runs on a Hyper-V too. The concept of a VM inside a VM allows us to effectively nest one Hyper-V within another.
To set up nested virtualization in Windows Server 2019 using Windows PowerShell, complete the following steps:
- Right-click the Start button, and then select Windows PowerShell (Administrator) from the admin’s menu.
- In the Windows PowerShell window, run the following two commands:
Set-VMProcessor -VMName <VMname> -ExposeVirtualizationExtensions $true
Get-VMNetworkAdapter -VMName <VMname> | Set-VMNetworkAdapter - MacAddressSpoofing On
- Then, proceed with the installation of the Hyper-V (refer to the Chapter exercise – Installing Hyper-V on Windows Server 2019 section later on in this chapter).
In this section, we have learned about server virtualization concepts such as virtualization modes, Hyper-V architecture, Hyper-V installation requirements, and nested virtualization. In the next section, we will learn about Hyper-V Manager.
[the chapter continues …]
The book is available for purchase on:
Enjoy reading.
Follow me on Twitter or LinkedIn. Check out my blog or the vlog.
Bekim Dauti [Contributor]
I am the author of the Windows Server 2019 Administration Fundamentals book and the founder of Dautti, a Virtual Instructor-Led Training platform that provides real-time computer courses. I have published computer articles on PC World Albanian and CIO Albania, as well as computer books published by Packt and Amazon. My books are being sold by various online sales channels and are at your disposal 24/7. I’m a Cisco Certified Academy Instructor (CCAI) and Microsoft Certified Trainer (MCT) who teaches regularly computer courses. Example engagements include Dautti, InfoTech, and QuickStart. I hold an MSc. in Information Technology from the University of Maryland University College Europe. I received my BSc. in Informatics from the University of Tirana – Albania.
Amazon | Blogu | Facebook | Packt Publishing | LinkedIn | Twitter | YouTube | Acclaim
Bekim Dauti's Blog 