How hyper-v works

Hyper-V is a virtualization technology developed by Microsoft that allows multiple operating systems to run on a single physical machine as virtual machines (VMs). It operates as a hypervisor, which is a layer of software that sits between the physical hardware and the operating systems. Here’s a simplified explanation of how Hyper-V works:

1. Type-1 Hypervisor

• Hyper-V is a Type-1 or "bare-metal" hypervisor, which means it runs directly on the physical hardware rather than on top of an operating system.
• This allows Hyper-V to have direct access to physical resources, offering better performance and efficiency compared to Type-2 or "hosted" hypervisors, which run on top of a host operating system.

2. Partitioning

• Hyper-V abstracts the physical hardware to create multiple virtual environments, known as partitions. Each partition is a separate, isolated environment where a guest operating system can run.
• There is one special partition called the parent partition (in Hyper-V on Windows Server) or root partition (in Hyper-V on Windows 10/11), which has direct access to the hardware. This partition runs the Windows operating system and the Hyper-V management tools.
• The other partitions are called child partitions, where the guest operating systems (Windows, Linux, etc.) are run. These partitions do not have direct access to the hardware.

3. Virtualized Hardware

• Each child partition is provided with a virtualized set of hardware, including CPU, memory, storage, and networking resources. This virtual hardware is mapped to the physical hardware by the hypervisor.
• Hyper-V uses a mechanism called the Virtual Machine Monitor (VMM) to manage CPU scheduling and memory allocation among the VMs, ensuring that each VM has access to the resources it needs without interfering with others.

4. Integration Services

• Hyper-V includes Integration Services, which are services, drivers, and utilities that improve interaction between the host system and the guest VMs. These services enhance performance, provide time synchronization, and improve mouse and keyboard integration, among other benefits.
• For Linux VMs, Hyper-V provides Linux Integration Services (LIS) to ensure that Linux-based VMs can run smoothly and efficiently on Hyper-V.

5. Networking and Storage

• Hyper-V virtualizes network and storage by using virtual switches and virtual hard disks (VHDs or VHDXs). This allows VMs to connect to the network and access storage in a manner similar to physical machines.
• Administrators can configure virtual networks, manage virtual disks, and set up advanced features like VLANs, network isolation, and live migrations (moving VMs between hosts without downtime).

6. Management Tools

• Hyper-V can be managed through various tools, including Hyper-V Manager (a GUI-based management tool), PowerShell cmdlets (for scripting and automation), and System Center Virtual Machine Manager (SCVMM) for managing a larger Hyper-V infrastructure.