Engineer, System Admin at ebm
Real User
Stable, works on almost all hardware, and easy to deploy
Pros and Cons
  • "The initial setup is simple. There's not much to do. We input one command or just one or two clicks on the UI. Initial setup in the Windows environment for any software is not that difficult."
  • "I would like Microsoft to put more effort into the Admin Center interface and make it much easier. It is customizable, but you have to be a PowerShell expert to customize these things. That is a limitation."

What is our primary use case?

We are mainly using Hyper-V for VMs. The primary business is biscuit manufacturing, so we have 70 different types of sales-related software, some Windows-based SAP, and VMs running on Hyper-V. All VMs are running on Hyper-V. So indirectly, everyone is using it because it's our primary production system. We have maybe 650 employees at the moment. About 200 of these are computer users who are connected with Hyper-V in one way or another. Either they are using some of its services in a virtual machine or they're the IT guys directly involved with it. The non-IT people are using finance software or SAP-related software that they access through the web. Some servers are standalone Hyper-V, and there are two clusters of Hyper-V.

What is most valuable?

We have a cluster with storage space direct in Hyper-V, and we have virtual networking as well, so we are using all of the features except for Credential Guard, Host Guardian, and a few other things. We are not using these types of Hyper-V solutions because we don't need them.

What needs improvement?

Microsoft has developed a Windows Admin Center to manage its servers. I would like Microsoft to put more effort into the Admin Center interface and make it much easier. It is customizable, but you have to be a PowerShell expert to customize these things. That is a limitation. Microsoft could also do more modules related to servers and add administration features for that. I like Admin Center, and I want to deploy it in my organization, but the role-based access control feature is limited as we have to give a complete administrative right to other users as well. So these are some limitations that are blocking us. The Admin Center needs to provide a consolidated management interface that is easy to configure and provide a role-based access control so that we can give certain rights to our other users enabling them to administer the servers.

For how long have I used the solution?

I joined the organization where I currently work in the last year, and the organization has deployed Hyper-V since 2012. So, in this organization, I have used Hyper-V for one year. But before that, I was a Microsoft instructor teaching about Microsoft products, including Hyper-V.

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What do I think about the stability of the solution?

I would say that Hyper-V is pretty stable. But when it updates, we must restart all Windows systems. So if Microsoft can fix this thing so that the packages install restarting, then everything would be heaven for us. This means some downtime on our business side.

What do I think about the scalability of the solution?

Yeah. It's easy to scale cluster features like Microsoft or Hyper-V. We can add as many servers—a maximum of 64—so it can handle a lot and it's easy for us to add to it. But there is one requirement, which is that the servers have to be identical in hardware specs. So that is one of the limitations.

How are customer service and support?

Technical support was good. We didn't require Hyper-V technical support, but we have some issues with our Exchange online and email. So, for that, we opened a ticket with Microsoft, and they provided us with good and excellent support.

How was the initial setup?

The initial setup is simple. There's not much to do. We input one command or just one or two clicks on the UI. Initial setup in the Windows environment for any software is not that difficult. Installing Hyper-V takes five to 10 minutes, including two server restarts. And then, we have to make the VMs, so that depends on how many we are making. That's the other factor, not the initial deployment. Migrating VMs is easy. It does not require any specific configurations because it runs on most hardware. And Windows Update comes with automatic updates. We use the WSUS server to update our servers to have controlled update patches. We keep our servers up to date, so it's easier, and it does not require any specialized hardware.

What other advice do I have?

I rate it eight out of 10. I recommend Hyper-V because it's easy to install and supports most hardware. It runs on almost everything. I'm also recommending my company go for Azure Stack because it also uses Hyper-V, so we will not have to convert our VMs. But the top management in our organization is considering Nutanix or VMware solutions. I don't know why they're doing this. 

Which deployment model are you using for this solution?

On-premises
Disclosure: I am a real user, and this review is based on my own experience and opinions.
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Engineer at SIP
Real User
Free to use, ideal for smaller setups, and offers okay performance
Pros and Cons
  • "There are some products that you can mount over Hyper-V that provide the features that, in today's Hyper-V, are not present."
  • "If you have a bigger implementation, you need more tools to coexist with many, many features that are not present in the base Hyper-V."

What is our primary use case?

I primarily use the solution for consolidation, and I try to do replication using the last version. However, I need some time to do this configuration.

What is most valuable?

The solution is free.

The performance is okay.

For some customers that have a smaller implementation and not so much data, it's a good solution.

There are some products that you can mount over Hyper-V that provide the features that, in today's Hyper-V, are not present.

What needs improvement?

I'd like the performance to be better. 

If you have a bigger implementation, you need more tools to coexist with many, many features that are not present in the base Hyper-V.

The interface needs more options and more refinement. 

For how long have I used the solution?

I've used the solution since the first version. 

What do I think about the stability of the solution?

The solution is stable and reliable. There are no bugs or glitches. It doesn't crash or freeze. However, the performance could be better.

What do I think about the scalability of the solution?

If you have a bigger implementation, you need more tools and more people. You need to work more. That said, it's cheaper. Some enterprises, some companies, find it better since they may have no more money. Bigger enterprises have the money to spend and have the tools or buy the tools needed, or use they may use VMware implementations along with Hyper-V.

How are customer service and support?

The support is good, however, it is expensive. 

There's a lot of documentation and experience in the market. With some time and experience, you can manage alone. That said, for some problems, support is required. And the support is expensive.

Which solution did I use previously and why did I switch?

I use VMware and Hyper-V.

If the customer has an implementation with so many virtual machines and multiple networks, maybe VMware is a better solution for the client.

How was the initial setup?

The solution can be complex to set up. If you have a bigger implementation, you need more tools. 

On average, two engineers can deploy the solution. 

What was our ROI?

I haven't taken the time to calculate ROI actively. That said, it might be there as it is a cheaper option. 

What's my experience with pricing, setup cost, and licensing?

You do need to pay for support, which is expensive. The solution by itself is free. 

What other advice do I have?

I'm a reseller.

If the client is new to the solution, they likely will find the product to be complex. You need one or two engineers to handle the implementation, which is easy to manage. With some training, a company can handle it. 

I'd rate the solution eight out of ten.

Disclosure: My company has a business relationship with this vendor other than being a customer: Reseller
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Owner at a tech services company with 51-200 employees
Real User
Low on resources, easy to tailer, easy to move things, and highly reliable
Pros and Cons
  • "It is actually very low on resources. It doesn't use many resources. It is also very easy to tailor. You can change things like the amount of memory and storage on the fly. It is very stable and reliable. I like its replication feature, which is very good. It is also very easy to move the virtual machines across push servers without any difficulty. Its performance is also very good. Now with this pandemic, a lot of workers are working from home. A lot of workers have been using laptops as their desktop computers, and they would remote into a virtual PC. There is no difficulty, and they can't tell the difference between this and the real one. It is much easier to manage."
  • "The Hyper-V management console could be improved to make it easier. It should be a little bit more granular. Various virtual switches could also be improved to make virtual desk management slightly better. The replication could be improved slightly. The checkpoints or snapshots could be improved to make it a bit more transparent to the user."

What is our primary use case?

We basically use it to virtualize a service for email on-premise. We also use it to virtualize the apps, but it is mainly for virtualizing servers, such as SQL Server, Exchange Server, SharePoint, and CRM.

How has it helped my organization?

It has cut down the management role on the actual service itself because we only have four Hyper-V hosts. Recently we had two, but we've put in two all-flash Hyper-V hosts. We have all-flash storage. It is good storage with loads of RAM. Most of them have got three-quarters of a terabyte of RAM, and they all are dual 32-core processors. There is no lack of power or anything in them. Because our servers are virtualized, it means that we do have four rack servers.

It really reduces the load. By using replication, we can separate out the servers and put them at different locations. We have them attached to the 10 gig fiber. With the replication facility, even if we do lose a server, we can be up and running within seconds or minutes at worst.

What is most valuable?

It is actually very low on resources. It doesn't use many resources. It is also very easy to tailor. You can change things like the amount of memory and storage on the fly. 

It is very stable and reliable. I like its replication feature, which is very good. It is also very easy to move the virtual machines across push servers without any difficulty. 

Its performance is also very good. Now with this pandemic, a lot of workers are working from home. A lot of workers have been using laptops as their desktop computers, and they would remote into a virtual PC. There is no difficulty, and they can't tell the difference between this and the real one. It is much easier to manage.

What needs improvement?

The Hyper-V management console could be improved to make it easier. It should be a little bit more granular. Various virtual switches could also be improved to make virtual desk management slightly better. 

The replication could be improved slightly. The checkpoints or snapshots could be improved to make it a bit more transparent to the user.

For how long have I used the solution?

I have been using this solution for around 15 years.

What do I think about the stability of the solution?

It is very stable and very reliable. I never had any failures of any description with it, which is amazing. We might have had hardware failures on the host, but everything is redundant, so there is plenty of resilience there.

What do I think about the scalability of the solution?

I haven't come across any scalability issues, but you need a fairly powerful host machine. 

Nearly all users are using Hyper-V in some way, but they're not aware that it is Hyper-V that they're using while logging in to the servers. The servers are all virtualized, except for the physical servers that are hosting Hyper-V. We have quite a lot of virtual servers. The gateway that they use is a virtualized gateway server. Email servers are all virtualized. All sorts of services and filling servers are all virtualized. Virtualization reduces the physical footprint.

How are customer service and technical support?

I never had to use Hyper-V technical support from Microsoft. It has been pretty stable.

How was the initial setup?

It is very straightforward, very simple, and very quick. It is very quick to set up a virtual machine. You can set it up in minutes.

What's my experience with pricing, setup cost, and licensing?

Because we're an NGO or a charity, we get discount rates from Microsoft. The costs are not astronomical for us. To give you an example, Office 2019 would only cost 30 or 45 for us. We tend to use the on-premises version rather than the cloud version. The reason is that the subscription service works out more expensive after a few years than the on-premise version. We're not worried about having the bleeding edge stuff. We just want it to be functional.

What other advice do I have?

I would advise making sure that you have the hardware that is up to the job. You should also have a clear plan of what you want to virtualize. Make sure that there is room for growth in terms of the physical hardware for the host, which is the server hosting Hyper-V. 

It is very robust. It doesn't consume as many resources as VMware, for instance. It is fairly slick. It is very functional and doesn't really present great challenges.

I would definitely rate Hyper-V a ten out of ten. 

Which deployment model are you using for this solution?

On-premises
Disclosure: I am a real user, and this review is based on my own experience and opinions.
PeerSpot user
Ibrahim Mashal - PeerSpot reviewer
System Administrator at Al Abnaa
Real User
Top 10
Helps to make a replica server between two machines
Pros and Cons
  • "Hyper-V helps to make a replica server between two machines. It is very easy to learn."
  • "Hyper-V needs to improve its support."

What is our primary use case?

We use Hyper-V for virtualization. 

What is most valuable?

Hyper-V helps to make a replica server between two machines. It is very easy to learn. 

What needs improvement?

Hyper-V needs to improve its support. 

For how long have I used the solution?

I have been using the product for four years. 

What do I think about the scalability of the solution?

My company has three users for Hyper-V. 

How was the initial setup?

Hyper-V's deployment is easy. 

What's my experience with pricing, setup cost, and licensing?

The tool's pricing is cheap. 

What other advice do I have?

I rate Hyper-V an eight out of ten. 

Which deployment model are you using for this solution?

Hybrid Cloud
Disclosure: I am a real user, and this review is based on my own experience and opinions.
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Mohamed -Adel - PeerSpot reviewer
IT Specialist at IPIC
Real User
Top 5
A highly scalable and stable solution, but the technical support needs improvement
Pros and Cons
  • "The solution is highly scalable."
  • "The pricing and technical support can be improved."

What is our primary use case?

The solution is used as a hosting database. 

What is most valuable?

The solution is highly scalable. 

What needs improvement?

The pricing and technical support can be improved. 

For how long have I used the solution?

I have been using Hyper-V for a few months. 

What do I think about the stability of the solution?

The stability of the solution is satisfactory. 

What do I think about the scalability of the solution?

The solution is highly scalable. Fifty eight users are using the solution. 

How are customer service and support?

The technical support is moderate. 

How would you rate customer service and support?

Neutral

How was the initial setup?

Hyper-V's initial setup is straightforward. The deployment takes a day. 

What about the implementation team?

The solution can be implemented in-house. 

What's my experience with pricing, setup cost, and licensing?

Hyper-V is expensive. 

What other advice do I have?

I rate the overall solution a seven out of ten. 

Which deployment model are you using for this solution?

On-premises
Disclosure: I am a real user, and this review is based on my own experience and opinions.
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Project Engineer at ASE Group Global
Real User
An easy setup with good scalability and stability
Pros and Cons
  • "The solution has an easy setup."
  • "There needs to be more functionality overall in the Hyper-V manager."

What is our primary use case?

I use the Hyper-V for migration for the machines. We move our systems to Hyper-V and then from physical to virtual. I currently run on the physical server. I'm migrating this server from the physical to the Hyper-V virtual machine.

What is most valuable?

The solution has an easy setup.

The pricing is pretty good.

What needs improvement?

There are usability issues with Hyper-V's manager. VMware has a much better system, but it's a much more expensive solution.

The interface is not uniform at all, which makes the manager difficult to use. It's not very convenient and isn't smartly designed. They need to reimagine it to make it more effective.

There needs to be more functionality overall in the Hyper-V manager.

It might be helpful if Microsoft could recommend the use of STV. Then, at least you can use Nano products to manage the Hyper-V server. Currently, I don't use STV. I'm not too familiar with this product. It would be helpful if Microsoft could provide some guidance as to its usage and the options available and why users might opt for them so that we have a better understanding of what we can do and how we can use the services on offer effectively.

For how long have I used the solution?

I've been using the solution for five to six years now.

What do I think about the stability of the solution?

The solution is very stable. It doesn't crash. There aren't bugs and glitches that affect its functionality. It's a reliable product.

What do I think about the scalability of the solution?

There's a team of us working with the solution. We have about five or six people who work with it regularly. We use it weekly.

The solution is very scalable. You just need to use the default function and it can build on the high reliability fro there. If a company needs to expand the solution, they can do so quite easily.

How are customer service and technical support?

Microsoft's technical support is very good. Their team is very responsive and kind. We're more than satisfied with the level of service they provide. They're excellent.

Which solution did I use previously and why did I switch?

I'm also familiar with VMware, however, I find it to be much more expensive than Hyper-V, even though I believe their interface is far better.

How was the initial setup?

The initial setup is very straightforward. It's easy. It's not complex at all.

Deployment doesn't take long at all. You just need to download the Hyper-V system. In some cases, you may need to install Windows onto the server. I can get it up and running and start using it almost immediately. It's that simple.

You only need one person to handle maintenance.

What about the implementation team?

I can install and deploy the Hyper-V and the virtual machine by myself. I'm a systems administrator. I don't need the help of consultants or systems integrators. I have enough knowledge to manage everything on my own.

What's my experience with pricing, setup cost, and licensing?

The solution is not as expensive as other options, for example, specifically VMware.

What other advice do I have?

We're just Microsoft customers. We aren't partners and don't have a special relationship with the company and we don't sell Microsoft products. I focus on server virtualization. I work with both VMware and Hyper-V.

We're working with the 2019 and 2017 versions on Windows.

I'd recommend the solution. It's very good. I'd rate it eight out of ten overall.

Which deployment model are you using for this solution?

On-premises
Disclosure: I am a real user, and this review is based on my own experience and opinions.
PeerSpot user
Rouben Amirthasawmy - PeerSpot reviewer
System Administrator at Sun Resorts
Real User
Top 5
Free and scalable but limited and lacking features
Pros and Cons
  • "The initial setup was very easy."
  • "Hyper-V doesn't have a lot of features and is limited compared to other virtualization software."

What needs improvement?

Hyper-V doesn't have a lot of features and is limited compared to other virtualization software.

For how long have I used the solution?

I've been working with Hyper-V for more than ten years.

What do I think about the stability of the solution?

Hyper-V is not stable - we've had many errors and have had to do a lot of patch fixes for it.

What do I think about the scalability of the solution?

Hyper-V is scalable.

How was the initial setup?

The initial setup was very easy.

What's my experience with pricing, setup cost, and licensing?

Hyper-V is free-of-charge.

What other advice do I have?

Hyper-V is affordable, but if you have the budget, I recommend going with VMware. I'd rate Hyper-V as five out of ten.

Which deployment model are you using for this solution?

Hybrid Cloud

If public cloud, private cloud, or hybrid cloud, which cloud provider do you use?

Microsoft Azure
Disclosure: I am a real user, and this review is based on my own experience and opinions.
PeerSpot user
Works at a university with 1,001-5,000 employees
Real User
A compatible, easily installable, scalable and stable solution which allows us to utilize our physical environment
Pros and Cons
  • "The solution allows us to take advantage of our physical environment."
  • "Traditional architecture, such as converged infrastructure, should be done away with"

What is our primary use case?

The solution serves our needs as an education entity in the UAE.

What is most valuable?

Both Hyper-V and VMware have similar features, including network utilization. 

The solution allows us to take advantage of our physical environment. We save on cost and computing. It has good performance when compared with the physical, normal, traditional way of computing. The VMs are easy to deploy and to manage from a central administration portal, in respect of managing the workloads. 

What needs improvement?

Traditional architecture, such as converged infrastructure, should be done away with. So, nowadays, we can save space, like space footprint. If one is using hyper-converged infrastructure, everything will be virtualized. So, basically, we can state that we are a completely software-defined data center once we move to the hyper-converged infrastructure. That is our target.

At present, Hyper-V can be managed by the SCVMM, but it doesn't have the portal. In VMware vSphere there is a portal, through which the VMs can be managed. Microsoft is providing Windows helping center, but it should be dedicated to a certain extent. It doesn't have full features when compared to SCVMM. So, it's better to have something similar to that.

For how long have I used the solution?

We have been using Hyper-V for more than five years.

What do I think about the stability of the solution?

While every product comes with issues, the solution works for us. 

What do I think about the scalability of the solution?

The solution is scalable.

How are customer service and technical support?

The technical support is the best.

How was the initial setup?

The initial setup was easy and pretty straightforward. 

Since the solution is compatible with Azure Cloud and uses the same format, it will make it very easy for us to load the latter in the future, should we decide to do so. 

What's my experience with pricing, setup cost, and licensing?

Thanks to our enterprise agreement with Microsoft, Hyper-V is free for us. 

Which other solutions did I evaluate?

VMware vSphere licenses are very costly compared to Hyper-V because we have have our enterprise agreement with Microsoft, meaning that Hyper-V is free for us. We can use it without any problem.

What other advice do I have?

I would recommend the solution to someone who is fully Microsoft, one who is looking to implement Microsoft environment in its entirety. I recommend the solution to someone who plans to go with a hybrid environment through Azure. 

I rate Hyper-V as a ten out of ten. 

Which deployment model are you using for this solution?

Hybrid Cloud
Disclosure: My company has a business relationship with this vendor other than being a customer: partner
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Download our free Hyper-V Report and get advice and tips from experienced pros sharing their opinions.
Updated: March 2024
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Download our free Hyper-V Report and get advice and tips from experienced pros sharing their opinions.