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
You read his reply different than I did. I took it as there will be a 1 node ability with HCL, but that's it. That frankly does nothing to address the bulk of the issues most folks have posed. Certified hardware is a problem and eliminates all lab setups or using existing hardware. Then there is the cost issue as well; which may or may not be solved by insider program, but either way this combined with all the changes to Partner Program as well as NCE in CSP program, and well.... the writing is on the wall.
Yup, first this, and then NCE, then Partner Program minimum sales requirement. Hopefully Microsoft reverses all this, but as I was alluding to with my new found usage of FOSS, the writing is on the wall that Microsoft no longer care about Partners especially the small guys, and I am not the only one who is looking at alternatives to replace the entire Microsoft stack.
It is really quite incredible how Microsoft have completely turned on their own Partners in less than 6 months. We are the guys who actually make their solutions work and they act like end users can just press a button to make everything work and not need any IT support, despite being highly complex products.
It is basically a sinking ship at this point so that is why I am not even fussed anymore on whether this ends up being fixed, it just gives even more reason to use better products elsewhere when a free Hyper-V server doesn't exist. Microsoft are making the decision to not use them anymore quite easy. So actually, thanks Microsoft for discontinuing Hyper-V Server - you made me look at better solutions sooner.