Forum Discussion
Hyper-V Server 2022
Free 'Microsoft Hyper-V Server' product update
Since its introduction over a decade ago in Windows Server 2008, Hyper-V technology has been, and continues to be, the foundation of Microsoft’s hypervisor platform. Hyper-V is a strategic technology for Microsoft. Microsoft continues to invest heavily in Hyper-V for a variety of scenarios such as virtualization, security, containers, gaming, and more. Hyper-V is used in Azure, Azure Local, Windows Server, Windows Client, and Xbox among others.
Starting with Microsoft Hyper-V Server 2019, the free ‘Microsoft Hyper-V Server’ product has been deprecated and is the final version of that product. Hyper-V Server 2019 is a free product available for download from the Microsoft Evaluation Center: https://www.microsoft.com/en-us/evalcenter/evaluate-hyper-v-server-2019
Microsoft Hyper-V Server 2019 will continue to be supported under its lifecycle policy until January 2029, see this link for additional information: https://docs.microsoft.com/en-us/lifecycle/products/hyperv-server-2019.
While Microsoft has made a business decision to no longer offer the free 'Microsoft Hyper-V Server' product, this has no impact to the many other products which include the Hyper-V feature and capabilities. This change has no impact to any customers who use Windows Server or Azure Local.
For customers looking to do test or evaluation of the Hyper-V feature, Azure Local includes a 60-day free trial and can be downloaded here: https://learn.microsoft.com/en-us/azure/azure-local/ . Windows Server offers a free 180-day evaluation which can be downloaded from the Evaluation Center here: https://www.microsoft.com/en-us/evalcenter
Microsoft remains committed to meeting customers where they are and delivering innovation for on-premises virtualization and bringing unique hybrid capabilities like no other can combined with the power of Azure Arc. We are announcing that Microsoft Hyper-V Server 2019 was the last version of the free download product and that customers begin transitioning to one of the several other products which include Hyper-V or consider Azure.
Thank you,
Elden Christensen
Principal Group PM Manager
Windows Server Development Team
Not sure how this post devolved (but I can imagine). This is an extraordinarily unfortunate decision. Time to move back to the other guys.
I am referring to the following license terms from Windows 2019: Standard edition permits use of one Running Instance of the server software in the Physical OSE on the Licensed Server (in addition to one Virtual OSE), if the Physical OSE is used solely to host and Manage the Virtual OSE.
This announcement/change has nothing to do with the Hyper-V role of Windows Server 2022. The role and associated features are still available
- EldenChristensen
Microsoft
An important point, we are discussing the free download of Microsoft Hyper-V Server SKU.
The Hyper-V feature is the backbone of what we run in the public cloud with Azure, and on-prem. The Hyper-V feature is being heavily invested in and is not going anywhere. We are discussing the strategic shift of Azure Stack HCI as the premier hypervisor platform, which of course uses Hyper-V feature as well. Windows Server (Standard / Datacenter SKU's) remain unchanged as well, and also use Hyper-V feature.
Thanks!
Elden- Again, as an MCSE: Cloud Platform and Infrastructure (I am literally certified on microsoft hypervisor platforms), I know the difference between the SKUs and licensing models.
I am very disappointed to hear that the Microsoft Hyper-V Server is being discontinued.
I know the Hyper-V feature in windows server is alive and well; I am not misunderstanding the statement.
To be clear: I am disappointed the free hypervisor only non-licensed product Hyper-V Server is being discontinued. It was a valuable product and it served a specific purpose: Allowing densification of virtual machines on stand-alone servers with active-directory integrated authentication and no additional licensing.
Stop redirecting or pretending this is a good thing. Microsoft is discontinuing the only "free and unlicensed" way of perpetually using Hyper-V without using windows. Plain and simple.- EldenChristensen
Hi asdlkf,
I appreciate the passion, but please take a deep breath. I was responding to Mirza who was confused between the Hyper-V feature and the Microsoft Hyper-V Server SKU.
Microsoft Hyper-V Server still required licenses for the Windows Server guests running on top. Unlike Windows Server Datacenter which includes the guest licenses. So I'm a little confused by your statement that it was completely free.
I thank everyone for their feedback, I recognize change is hard and taking away anything which might have been perceived as completely free is unpopular. I would love any specific feedback around the scenarios, and we can look at how to incorporate them into Azure Stack HCI. I thank the several people who have take the time to do so already!!!
Thanks!
Elden
