# hyper-v-expert

> Microsoft Hyper-V virtualization expertise for Windows Server environments. Use when Claude needs to assist with (1) Installing and configuring Hyper-V hosts, (2) Creating and managing virtual machines, (3) Virtual networking - switches, VLANs, NAT, (4) Storage - VHD/VHDX, checkpoints, shared disks, (5) Live migration and high availability, (6) Hyper-V Replica for disaster recovery, (7) GPU acceleration - DDA and GPU partitioning, (8) Security - shielded VMs, Secure Boot, encryption, (9) PowerShell automation for Hyper-V, or any other Hyper-V administration and implementation tasks.

- Author: Hatem Mohamed
- Repository: hmohamed01/hyper-v-expert
- Version: 20260112162038
- Stars: 0
- Forks: 0
- Last Updated: 2026-02-06
- Source: https://github.com/hmohamed01/hyper-v-expert
- Web: https://mule.run/skillshub/@@hmohamed01/hyper-v-expert~hyper-v-expert:20260112162038

---

---
name: hyper-v-expert
description: Microsoft Hyper-V virtualization expertise for Windows Server environments. Use when Claude needs to assist with (1) Installing and configuring Hyper-V hosts, (2) Creating and managing virtual machines, (3) Virtual networking - switches, VLANs, NAT, (4) Storage - VHD/VHDX, checkpoints, shared disks, (5) Live migration and high availability, (6) Hyper-V Replica for disaster recovery, (7) GPU acceleration - DDA and GPU partitioning, (8) Security - shielded VMs, Secure Boot, encryption, (9) PowerShell automation for Hyper-V, or any other Hyper-V administration and implementation tasks.
---

# Hyper-V Expert

Comprehensive Microsoft Hyper-V administration and implementation expertise for Windows Server virtualization.

## Quick Reference

| Task | Reference File |
|------|----------------|
| Install Hyper-V, create VMs | [deployment.md](references/deployment.md) |
| Live migration, integration services | [management.md](references/management.md) |
| Virtual switches, VLANs, NAT | [networking.md](references/networking.md) |
| VHD/VHDX, checkpoints, Fibre Channel | [storage.md](references/storage.md) |
| Shielded VMs, Secure Boot, encryption | [security.md](references/security.md) |
| DDA, GPU partitioning | [gpu-acceleration.md](references/gpu-acceleration.md) |
| Hyper-V Replica, failover | [replication.md](references/replication.md) |
| Cmdlets, automation patterns | [powershell.md](references/powershell.md) |

## Core Workflows

### Install Hyper-V

```powershell
# Windows Server
Install-WindowsFeature -Name Hyper-V -IncludeManagementTools -Restart

# Windows 10/11
Enable-WindowsOptionalFeature -Online -FeatureName Microsoft-Hyper-V -All
```

### Create Virtual Machine

```powershell
# Create Gen 2 VM with new disk
New-VM -Name "VMName" -Generation 2 -MemoryStartupBytes 4GB `
    -NewVHDPath "C:\VMs\disk.vhdx" -NewVHDSizeBytes 60GB `
    -SwitchName "vSwitch"

# Mount ISO and start
Add-VMDvdDrive -VMName "VMName" -Path "C:\ISOs\windows.iso"
Start-VM -VMName "VMName"
```

### Create Virtual Switch

```powershell
# External (internet access)
New-VMSwitch -Name "External" -NetAdapterName "Ethernet" -AllowManagementOS $true

# Internal (host + VMs only)
New-VMSwitch -Name "Internal" -SwitchType Internal

# Private (VMs only)
New-VMSwitch -Name "Private" -SwitchType Private
```

### Enable Live Migration

```powershell
Enable-VMMigration
Set-VMMigrationNetwork 192.168.1.0/24
Set-VMHost -VirtualMachineMigrationAuthenticationType Kerberos

# Move VM
Move-VM -Name "VMName" -DestinationHost "DestHost"
```

### Create Checkpoint

```powershell
# Production checkpoint (recommended)
Set-VM -Name "VMName" -CheckpointType Production
Checkpoint-VM -VMName "VMName" -SnapshotName "Before Update"

# Restore
Restore-VMCheckpoint -VMName "VMName" -Name "Before Update" -Confirm:$false
```

### Enable Hyper-V Replica

```powershell
# On replica server
Set-VMReplicationServer -ReplicationEnabled $true `
    -AllowedAuthenticationType Kerberos `
    -DefaultStorageLocation "D:\Replicas"

# On primary - enable replication
Enable-VMReplication -VMName "VMName" `
    -ReplicaServerName "ReplicaHost.domain.com" `
    -ReplicaServerPort 80 `
    -AuthenticationType Kerberos

# Start initial replication
Start-VMInitialReplication -VMName "VMName"
```

## Decision Trees

### VM Generation Selection

```
Is guest OS Windows XP/Server 2003 or older?
├─ Yes → Use Generation 1
└─ No → Is it a 32-bit OS?
         ├─ Yes → Use Generation 1
         └─ No → Use Generation 2 (recommended)
```

### Storage Format Selection

```
Is this for a guest cluster (shared storage)?
├─ Yes → Use VHD Set (.vhds)
└─ No → Do you need legacy compatibility?
         ├─ Yes → Use VHD (max 2TB)
         └─ No → Use VHDX (max 64TB, recommended)
```

### GPU Acceleration Selection

```
Need dedicated GPU per VM with max performance?
├─ Yes → Use Discrete Device Assignment (DDA)
└─ No → Need to share GPU across multiple VMs?
         ├─ Yes (Server 2025+) → Use GPU Partitioning (GPU-P)
         └─ No → Use software rendering
```

### Scheduler Type Selection

```
Are you running untrusted workloads?
├─ Yes → Use Core scheduler (security isolation)
└─ No → Is SMT/hyperthreading enabled?
         ├─ Yes → Use Core scheduler (recommended)
         └─ No → Classic scheduler is acceptable
```

## Best Practices

### Host Configuration

- Use Server Core for reduced attack surface
- Dedicate separate NICs for management and VM traffic
- Enable BitLocker on storage volumes
- Apply Windows Security Baselines
- Configure antivirus exclusions for Hyper-V files

### VM Configuration

- Use Generation 2 for modern OSes
- Enable Secure Boot
- Enable vTPM for BitLocker support
- Use Production checkpoints for production VMs
- Configure integration services appropriately

### Networking

- Use SET (Switch Embedded Teaming) over NIC teaming
- Isolate management traffic from VM traffic
- Use VLANs for network segmentation
- Enable bandwidth management for critical VMs

### Storage

- Use VHDX format (64TB max, resilient)
- Place VHDs on separate physical volumes from OS
- Use fixed-size VHDs for performance-critical VMs
- Enable Storage QoS for shared storage

## Troubleshooting

### VM Won't Start

```powershell
# Check VM status and notes
Get-VM -Name "VMName" | Format-List *

# Check event log
Get-WinEvent -FilterHashTable @{LogName="Microsoft-Windows-Hyper-V-Worker-Admin"} -MaxEvents 20
```

### Network Connectivity Issues

```powershell
# Verify switch connection
Get-VMNetworkAdapter -VMName "VMName"

# Check VLAN settings
Get-VMNetworkAdapterVlan -VMName "VMName"

# Test from host
Test-NetConnection -ComputerName "VM-IP"
```

### Replication Errors

```powershell
# Check replication health
Get-VMReplication -VMName "VMName"

# Measure replication statistics
Measure-VMReplication -VMName "VMName"

# Force resync
Resume-VMReplication -VMName "VMName" -Resynchronize
```

### Performance Issues

```powershell
# Enable resource metering
Enable-VMResourceMetering -VMName "VMName"

# Check resource usage
Measure-VM -VMName "VMName"

# Check scheduler type
Get-WinEvent -FilterHashTable @{ProviderName="Microsoft-Windows-Hyper-V-Hypervisor"; ID=2} -MaxEvents 1
```

## Live Documentation Lookup

When you need to verify accuracy, check for updates, or answer questions about edge cases, use WebFetch to retrieve official documentation.

### When to Fetch Live Documentation

- User asks about version-specific features (Server 2025, etc.)
- User questions accuracy of provided information
- Topic involves recent changes or new features
- Local references don't cover the specific scenario
- User asks about cmdlet parameters or syntax details

### Documentation Sources

#### 1. Microsoft Learn - Hyper-V PowerShell Reference

For cmdlet syntax, parameters, and examples:

```
Base URL: https://learn.microsoft.com/en-us/powershell/module/hyper-v/
```

**Common cmdlet documentation URLs:**
- `https://learn.microsoft.com/en-us/powershell/module/hyper-v/new-vm`
- `https://learn.microsoft.com/en-us/powershell/module/hyper-v/get-vm`
- `https://learn.microsoft.com/en-us/powershell/module/hyper-v/set-vm`
- `https://learn.microsoft.com/en-us/powershell/module/hyper-v/new-vmswitch`
- `https://learn.microsoft.com/en-us/powershell/module/hyper-v/enable-vmreplication`

**URL pattern:** `https://learn.microsoft.com/en-us/powershell/module/hyper-v/{cmdlet-name}`

#### 2. GitHub - Windows Server Docs Repository

For conceptual documentation, architecture guides, and detailed explanations:

```
Base URL: https://github.com/MicrosoftDocs/windowsserverdocs/tree/main/WindowsServerDocs/virtualization/hyper-v
Raw content: https://raw.githubusercontent.com/MicrosoftDocs/windowsserverdocs/main/WindowsServerDocs/virtualization/hyper-v/
```

**Key documentation paths (append to raw content base URL):**
| Topic | Path |
|-------|------|
| Live migration overview | `manage/live-migration-overview.md` |
| Scheduler types | `manage/manage-hyper-v-scheduler-types.md` |
| CPU groups | `manage/manage-hyper-v-cpugroups.md` |
| Integration services | `manage/Manage-Hyper-V-integration-services.md` |
| Remote management | `manage/Remotely-manage-Hyper-V-hosts.md` |
| VHD Set files | `manage/Create-VHDSet-file.md` |
| Persistent memory | `manage/persistent-memory-cmdlets.md` |

**To discover additional paths:** Fetch the GitHub tree URL to browse available files:
`https://github.com/MicrosoftDocs/windowsserverdocs/tree/main/WindowsServerDocs/virtualization/hyper-v/{subdirectory}`

Subdirectories: `get-started/`, `plan/`, `deploy/`, `manage/`

### Fetch Workflow

1. **Identify the topic** - Determine if it's a cmdlet question (→ Microsoft Learn) or conceptual (→ GitHub docs)

2. **Construct the URL:**
   - For cmdlets: `https://learn.microsoft.com/en-us/powershell/module/hyper-v/{cmdlet-name-lowercase}`
   - For concepts: `https://raw.githubusercontent.com/MicrosoftDocs/windowsserverdocs/main/WindowsServerDocs/virtualization/hyper-v/{path}`

3. **Use WebFetch** with a focused prompt:
   ```
   WebFetch(url, "Extract the {specific information needed} from this documentation")
   ```

4. **Cross-reference** with local reference files if needed

### Example Fetch Scenarios

**Scenario: User asks about New-VM parameters for Server 2025**
```
WebFetch URL: https://learn.microsoft.com/en-us/powershell/module/hyper-v/new-vm
Prompt: "List all parameters for New-VM cmdlet with their descriptions"
```

**Scenario: User asks about live migration requirements**
```
WebFetch URL: https://raw.githubusercontent.com/MicrosoftDocs/windowsserverdocs/main/WindowsServerDocs/virtualization/hyper-v/manage/live-migration-overview.md
Prompt: "Extract the requirements and configuration steps for live migration"
```

**Scenario: User asks about scheduler types**
```
WebFetch URL: https://raw.githubusercontent.com/MicrosoftDocs/windowsserverdocs/main/WindowsServerDocs/virtualization/hyper-v/manage/manage-hyper-v-scheduler-types.md
Prompt: "Explain the different hypervisor scheduler types and when to use each"
```

**Scenario: User needs cmdlet parameter details**
```
WebFetch URL: https://learn.microsoft.com/en-us/powershell/module/hyper-v/set-vm
Prompt: "Find the CheckpointType parameter values and their meanings"
```

**Scenario: Discover available documentation on a topic**
```
WebFetch URL: https://github.com/MicrosoftDocs/windowsserverdocs/tree/main/WindowsServerDocs/virtualization/hyper-v/deploy
Prompt: "List all markdown files in this directory related to deployment"
```

## External Resources

- [Official Hyper-V Documentation](https://github.com/MicrosoftDocs/windowsserverdocs/tree/main/WindowsServerDocs/virtualization/hyper-v)
- [Hyper-V PowerShell Module](https://learn.microsoft.com/en-us/powershell/module/hyper-v/)
- [Windows Server Documentation](https://learn.microsoft.com/en-us/windows-server/)