Hyper v on win10? type 1 or 2?

[Jcx500]

Google isn't helping today...

 

I Know that hyper v on windows server modifies the bootloader when the role is installed and turns the host into something similar to a vm, Is this the case with windows 10 hyper v or is it more of a type 2 hypervisor

 

Just wondering out curiosity

[Michael]

Gen 1 = BIOS

Gen 2 = UEFI

 

UEFI should be your choice for new VMs, unless you're migrating something over or you're running a legacy OS (such as Windows 95).

[Jcx500]

Gen 1 = BIOS

Gen 2 = UEFI

 

UEFI should be your choice for new VMs, unless you're migrating something over or you're running a legacy OS (such as Windows 95).

 

 

I meant is it a type 1 hypervisor on windows 10 or is it a type 2 hypervisor like VMware workstation, apologies for any confusion, as I know its a type 1 hypervisor on windows Server

[Michael]

Type 1 is like a lightweight OS, directly on hardware

 

Type 2 runs as a software layer, like other applications

 

Hyper-V is a Type 2, regardless if it's Windows 10 or Server 2016/2019

[jtotheb]

Hyper-V is a Type 1 hypervisor.

 

https://garvis.ca/2012/01/03/layer-1-or-layer-2-hypervisor-a-common-misconception-of-hyper-v-and-a-brief-explanation-of-the-parent-partition/

 

Even in Windows 10 the "host" OS runs on top of Hyper-V with passthrough. Hyper-V is still what touches the bare-metal.

https://docs.microsoft.com/en-gb/virtualization/hyper-v-on-windows/about/

 

...with virtualization enabled, the host OS also runs on top of the Hyper-V virtualization layer, just as guest operating systems do. However, unlike guests, the host OS is special in that it has direct access to all the hardware, which means that applications with special hardware requirements can still run without issues in the host OS.

[Norphy]

Hyper-V is a Type 1 hypervisor.

 

https://garvis.ca/2012/01/03/layer-1-or-layer-2-hypervisor-a-common-misconception-of-hyper-v-and-a-brief-explanation-of-the-parent-partition/

 

Even in Windows 10 the "host" OS runs on top of Hyper-V with passthrough. Hyper-V is still what touches the bare-metal.

https://docs.microsoft.com/en-gb/virtualization/hyper-v-on-windows/about/

 

Which is why type 2 hypervisors like VirtualBox and VMware Workstation don't work on Windows when HyperV is enabled.

[Michael]

I think the issue is all down to interpretation or definition.

 

Even if that's correct and the Hyper-V touches bear metal, it still requires the OS installed to install the role. It's all very complicated.

[aicrd]

Don't forget Hyper-V doesn't actually need Windows Server to run on top of. You can download the free version of Hyper-V Server which effectively runs a core build of Windows Server.

[Norphy]

Don't forget Hyper-V doesn't actually need Windows Server to run on top of. You can download the free version of Hyper-V Server which effectively runs a core build of Windows Server.

 

This is the point. Hyper-V doesn't run on top of Windows Server. Windows Server runs on top of Hyper-V when Hyper-V is enabled. That's the case, even when you're running the Core edition or Hyper-V Server. It is a Type 1 Hypervisor.

[Arthur]

Which is why type 2 hypervisors like VirtualBox and VMware Workstation don't work on Windows when Hyper-V is enabled.

VMware Workstation does work now as of v15.5.

 

https://blogs.vmware.com/workstation/2020/05/vmware-workstation-now-supports-hyper-v-mode.html

 

How does VMware Workstation work before version 15.5.5?

VMware Workstation traditionally has used a Virtual Machine Monitor (VMM) which operates in privileged mode requiring direct access to the CPU as well as access to the CPU’s built in virtualization support (Intel’s VT-x and AMD’s AMD-V). When a Windows host enables Virtualization Based Security (“VBS“) features, Windows adds a hypervisor layer based on Hyper-V between the hardware and Windows. Any attempt to run VMware’s traditional VMM fails because being inside Hyper-V the VMM no longer has access to the hardware’s virtualization support.

 

Introducing User Level Monitor

To fix this Hyper-V/Host VBS compatibility issue, VMware’s platform team re-architected VMware’s Hypervisor to use Microsoft’s WHP APIs. This means changing our VMM to run at user level instead of in privileged mode, as well modifying it to use the WHP APIs to manage the execution of a guest instead of using the underlying hardware directly.

 

What does this mean to you?

VMware Workstation/Player can now run when Hyper-V is enabled. You no longer have to choose between running VMware Workstation and Windows features like WSL, Device Guard and Credential Guard. When Hyper-V is enabled, ULM mode will automatically be used so you can run VMware Workstation normally. If you don’t use Hyper-V at all, VMware Workstation is smart enough to detect this and the VMM will be used.