Created Thursday 14 June 2012
I have two computers available for my testing lab.
This is definitly not the latest and greatest hardware for virtualization. No RAID, only 4 GB RAM, only one PC supports virtualization. But I cannot afford to buy a new server, so that has to suffice.
And it is an incentive for others to try out virtualization. If it is o.k. for you, then go buy some decent server hardware.
See: What is Hyper-V ?
I decided to use Microsoft Hyper-V Server 8 Release Candidate because
Created Thursday 14 June 2012
The process for finding out if my system is capable of running Hyper-V is far from straigthforward.
I used these resources:
Check the System requirements
Linux Tip: How to Tell if Your Processor Supports VT
Hyper-V: Will My Computer Run Hyper-V? Detecting Intel VT and AMD-V
Before You Begin: Select a Computer to Test Hyper-V
Hyper-V 8 has even steeper demands on the hardware. It needs Second Level Address Translation (aka SLAT).
Be Prepared for Windows 8 Hyper-V Gotcha
SIW - System Information for Windows
Coreinfo v3.04
Be aware of the -v parameter for virtualization related features.
Intel® Processor Identification Utility
CPU-Z
AMD Virtualization™ Technology and Microsoft® Hyper-V™ System Compatibility Check Utility
This utility was useful for me. My host machine has an AMD processor
Virtualization has to be activated in the computer BIOS.
I was fortunate. My PC can run Hyper-V 2012.