However, since Hyper-V hosts are responsible for hosting virtual machines and, therefore, need to be available and secure, introducing third-party software on these hosts might not be the greatest idea ever. Third-Party ToolsĪlternatively, you can use third-party tools to create and manage virtual machines on Server Core. This is a known issue that you can avoid by placing one (virtual) management host on the same side of the VPN connection as the Hyper-V host(s) and remote desktop into that. However, when managing Hyper-V hosts over VPN connections, you might not be able to connect. By default, remote management is enabled and configured on Hyper-V hosts. In contrast to earlier versions, it’s easy to connect Hyper-V Manager to Hyper-V hosts. You can enable them through Turn Window Features on or off:
Note:Hyper-V Remote Management Tools are not part of the RSAT for Windows 8 because they are already part of the operating system, since Hyper-V is now also available in the operating system. When you install the Hyper-V Server Role on Server with a GUI installations of Windows Server 2012, and when you enable the Hyper-V Management Tools on Windows Server 2012 (only available on Server with a GUI installations) or enable them on Windows 8, you gain access to the Hyper-V Manager you install the Remote Server Administration Tools (RSAT). To that purpose, we use the Hyper-V Manager or third-party tools. With PowerShell, it’s impossible to connect to the desktop of a virtual machine, especially when it’s installed and connected to an internal virtual network. When created, you can start the virtual machine using: Start-VM -name SC2 Note: A virtual machine’s BIOS is configured to boot from a connected DVD by default. Set-VMDvdDrive -VMName SC2 -Path C:\users\administrator\Downloads\Windows8.iso
The following, more elaborate commands create a second virtual machine that boots from a connected ISO image, has its disk stored in a specific location, and has its network adapter attached to a certain network: New-VM -name SC2 -MemoryStartupBytes 1GB -NewVHDPath C:\VMs\SC2.vhdx The command below will do that: md C:\VMs Now, that we’ve created a virtual network, we can create a folder on the disk of your Server Core installation to place virtual hard disks into. The command below creates an internal network (for test and acceptance purposes only, obviously) named Internal: New-VMSwitch -Name Internal -SwitchType Internal To connect a virtual machine’s network adapter to a network, we will first have to create that network. Now, this command will create the virtual machine, but it won’t have a disk, its default network adapter will not be connected to a virtual network, and it will be equipped with the default amount of virtual RAM (512MB) and a single virtual processor. There are 164 PowerShell cmdlets to manage Hyper-V–related settings on your Server Core host, import and export virtual machines, manage the complete virtual machine lifecycle, and every action you might want to perform related to virtual network adapters, virtual disks, virtual floppy drives, virtual iSCSI connections, and virtual Fibre Channel HBAs.Ĭreating a Hyper-V virtual machine in PowerShell is as easy as typing: New-VM -name SC1 Third-party tools (both remote and on the console)Īs you’d imagine, PowerShell can be used to manage Hyper-V both from the console of your Server Core Hyper-V host as well as from other Windows 8 and Windows Server 2012 installations.PowerShell (both remote and on the console).Three methods can be used to create and manage virtual machines on Server Core installations of Windows Server 2012: With Hyper-V installed, the foundation is laid on which to build virtual machines.
Install Hyper-V on Server Core Configuring Hyper-V ^ To install the Hyper-V Server Role, run the following PowerShell command (type PowerShell at the command prompt if you haven’t done so): Install-WindowsFeature Hyper-V Note: You can also install the Server Role without meeting the requirements, but then you won’t be able to actually run virtual machines. When you’ve fulfilled the requirements, you can install the Hyper-V role with success.
AMD labeled this feature NPT in its marketing materials.)Īfter you’ve enabled virtualization in the BIOS, make sure to cold boot your Server Core installation at least once, since this will actually activate the virtualization stuff. (In Intel processors, this feature is called EPT. For maximum performance, the processor needs to support Second Level Address Translation (SLAT). The motherboard and BIOS should be equipped with hardware-assisted virtualization and hardware-enforced DEP. The processor needs to be a recent x86-64 one, like an AMD64 or an Intel processor. To make the most of Hyper-V, you will need the right hardware.