Hyper-V requires specific hardware. You can identify systems that support the x64 architecture and Hyper-V by searching the Windows Server catalog for Hyper-V as an additional qualification. The Windows Server catalog is available at the Microsoft Web site (http://go.microsoft.com/fwlink/?LinkId=111228).
To install and use the Hyper-V role, you need the following:
- An x64-based processor. Hyper-V is available
in x64-based versions of Windows Server 2008—specifically, the
x64-based versions of Windows Server 2008 Standard, Windows
Server 2008 Enterprise, and Windows Server 2008
Datacenter.
- Hardware-assisted virtualization. This is
available in processors that include a virtualization
option—specifically, Intel Virtualization Technology (Intel VT) or
AMD Virtualization (AMD-V).
- Hardware-enforced Data Execution Prevention
(DEP) must be available and be enabled. Specifically, you must
enable the Intel XD bit (execute disable bit) or AMD NX bit (no
execute bit).
Additional considerations
- The settings for hardware-assisted
virtualization and hardware-enforced DEP are available in the BIOS.
However, the names of the settings may differ from the names
identified above. For more information about whether a specific
processor model supports Hyper-V, check with the manufacturer of
the computer.
- If you modify the settings for
hardware-assisted virtualization or hardware-enforced DEP, you may
need to turn off the power to the computer and then turn it back
on. Restarting the computer may not apply the changes to the
settings.
Additional references
- For more information about Hyper-V, see the
Windows Server 2008 Technical Library (http://go.microsoft.com/fwlink/?LinkId=93752).
- Create Virtual
Machines
- Create Virtual Hard
Disks
- Configuring Virtual
Machines
- Install a Guest
Operating System
- Resources for
Hyper-V