Microsoft has unveiled scalability enhancements for its Hyper-V hypervisor, set to be introduced in Windows Server 2025. Jeff Woolsey, Microsoft’s principal program manager for Azure Stack HCI, Windows Server, and hybrid cloud, emphasized the authenticity of the newly announced figures, urging the audience to note, “These are not typos.” The forthcoming version of Windows Server will enable virtual machines (VMs) to operate with up to 2,048 virtual CPUs (vCPUs) and 240 TB of memory, marking a substantial increase in capacity and performance potential for users.
Hyper-V’s Expanded Specifications
Further details released by Microsoft reveal that each VM under the Hyper-V on Windows Server 2025 can support up to 256 SCSI disks, four SCSI controllers, and virtual disks of up to 64 TB each. Additionally, configurations can include 68 virtual network adapters and four virtual fiber channel adapters. However, the system will limit users to a single virtual floppy drive. On the host side, Hyper-V’s capabilities are even more impressive, allowing for up to 4 PB of memory. Cluster configurations can scale to 64 nodes, hosting a maximum of 8,000 VMs. It’s important to note that these advancements primarily apply to Gen-2 VMs, which are designed for higher scalability and incorporate features like Trusted Platform Modules and the Unified Extensible Firmware Interface. Gen-2 VMs will become the standard in Windows Server 2025.
PLEASE RT: IMPORTANT HYPER-V SCALABILITY UPDATES…
Hyper-V is a strategic technology at Microsoft used in Azure, Azure Stack, Windows Server, Windows & even Xbox.
Today, we are announcing new Hyper-V scalability maximums. Please read carefully.
These are not typos.
— Jeff Woolsey (also on Threads as WSV_GUY) ☮️ (@WSV_GUY) April 11, 2024
Implications and Industry Context
The announcement comes at a pivotal time, as the acquisition of VMware by Broadcom has prompted organizations to reassess their virtualization platforms. Despite Hyper-V and its associated tools traditionally being viewed as less capable than VMware’s offerings, Broadcom’s controversial licensing plans have sparked widespread discontent. This situation, combined with the inherent access many IT operations have to Windows Server and Hyper-V, could lead to increased adoption of Microsoft’s virtualization solutions. Woolsey also highlighted Hyper-V’s role in the Xbox ecosystem, where it is used to isolate different workloads, including gaming experiences. This mention hints at the broad applicability and potential of Hyper-V’s technology across different Microsoft products and services.
The scalability improvements in Hyper-V are designed to accommodate demanding workloads, such as those required by SAP and AI training, which necessitate extensive storage and memory resources. As Windows Server 2025 is currently in preview, Microsoft encourages users to begin
Last Updated on November 7, 2024 9:00 pm CET
