Windows Server 2008 R2

Hyper-V version 2

Processor Support

64 logical processor support

−This is a 4x improvement over Hyper-V R1 and means that Hyper-V can take advantage of larger scale-up systems with greater amount of compute resources. As our friends at AMD and Intel drive up core counts, we want you to know that Hyper-V is ready to take advantage of the compute resources in your server today and those you’re buying tomorrow

Maximum support Concurrently Running Virtual Machines

−Support for up to 384 Concurrently Running Virtual Machines & 512 Virtual Processors PER SERVER

−Maximum number of concurrently running virtual machines to 384 per server and the maximum number of virtual processors to 512 for the highest virtual machine density on the market

1. 384 single virtual processor vms OR

2. 256 dual virtual processor vms (512 Virtual Processors) OR

3. 128 quad virtual processor vms (512 Virtual Processors) OR

4. any combination so long as you’re running up to 384 VMs and up to 512 Virtual Processors

Live Migration & Processors

With the addition of Live Migration in Hyper-V R2, one of the immediate questions we’re asked is: “Do the physical processors have to be exactly the same?”

Introducing: Processor Compatibility

−With Hyper-V R2, we include a new Processor Compatibility feature. Processor compatibility allows you to move a virtual machine up and down multiple processor generations from the same vendor

When a VM is started with processor compatibility mode enabled, Hyper-V normalizes the

processor feature set and only exposes guest visible processor features that are available on all Hyper-V enabled processors of the same processor architecture, i.e. AMD or Intel. This allows the VM to be migrated to any hardware platform of the same processor architecture. Processor features are “hidden” by the hypervisor by intercepting a VM’s CPUID instruction and clearing the returned bits corresponding to the hidden features

Processor Compatibility In Action

This is a 4 node cluster using 4 generations of Intel Processors with VT, all attached to a small iSCSI SAN over 1 Gb/E

Processor Compatibility Time To Get Uber-Geeky

When a VM in processor compatibility mode is started, the following processor features are hidden from the VM:

Host running AMD based processor

−SSSE3, SSE4.1, SSE4.A, SSE5, POPCNT, LZCNT, Misaligned SSE, AMD 3DNow!, Extended AMD 3DNow!

Host running Intel based proces

−SSSE3, SSE4.1, SSE4.2, POPCNT, Misaligned SSE, XSAVE, AVX