Windows Virtualization

Introduction

If you are a student or a software developer, a technology enthusiast, or an IT professional, many have felt the need to use more than one operating system. Windows 10, in its new feature, allows you to create a virtual machine. The Virtual Machine is a packaged Operating system that works on top of the host operating system. It allows the same host to run multiple operating systems and quickly move virtual machines between hosts. A virtual machine works as a software emulation of a computer system. Virtual machines are created within real physical computers. It helps you use multiple computers on a  single device. Virtual Machines are handled by special software called Hyper-Visor. In the case of Windows 10, Microsoft's Hyper-Visor called Hyper-V helps maintain its Virtualization. Hyper V works on hardware virtualization, i.e., all virtual Machine runs on virtual hardware.

Reason to use windows virtualization

• It helps us run software that requires older versions of windows or different operating systems.
• Hyper V helps us create and remove different operating systems.
• We test software on different operating systems. With Hyper-V, we can test software on a single computer.
• Virtual Machines could be exported or imported into another hyper v system.

System Requirements to run Hyper-V on Windows

• The system needs to be a 64-bit edition of Windows 10 pro or windows enterprise, but it's available for windows 10 home edition.
• The system must have a minimum of 4GB of RAM available on the host machine. Also, to run more VMs, RAM is needed.
• Windows virtualization needs to be enabled in system BIOS to handle the computer's boot process.
• The system must have sufficient I/O bandwidth to run virtual workloads without interruption. 
• The system must have CPU support for Virtual Machine Monitor Mode Extension.
• The system should have a 64-bit processor with Second Level Address Translation(SLAT).

How to check your Windows Version

1. Search for the Control Panel in the Windows Search bar
2. After the Control Panel is open, choose system and security.
3. After the system and security tab is open, choose the system.
4. Inside the system window, you will be able to see the device and the window specification of your system. Information like windows version, type of CPU, RAM is displayed in the tab.

Enabling Windows Virtualization in the BIOS

BIOS stands for Basic Input/output system, a program the microprocessor uses whenever we turn on the computer. The primary function of BIOS is to help boot up the system by making sure everything is working fine. You might be guessing why we are studying BIOS in Windows Virtualization. BIOS  controls some of our system's advanced features that need to be enabled first to set up our VM. E.g., features like Windows Virtualization in BIOS need to be enabled.

To enable BIOS in your system, follow the steps below 

1. First, restart your computer to enter the BIOS setup. We could enter the BIOS setup by pressing the F2, F10, or Del keys when the computer starts turning on. Keys could be system-specific and could vary from one system to another.
2. Once you have entered the BIOS setup, select the virtualization settings and enable them.
3. Once all windows virtualization settings are enabled, save the setting and exit BIOS setup. The F10 key usually does it.
4. Once the above steps are done, the computer restarts again.

Setting up Hyper-V

We need to set up the Hyper-V in windows to create and manage the virtual machines. To do that, follow the below steps.

1. Search for the Control Panel in the Windows Search bar.
2. After the Control Panel window is open, select Programs and features.
3. Once the Programs and Features window is open, select the “Turn windows on or off” feature from the top left corner.
4. Once windows feature windows open, select all checkboxes inside the Hyper-V feature option. Click Ok.
5. Windows now installed and configured the Hyper-V and will ask for a restart of the computer.
6. Once confirmed to all requests, it will go through a series of restarts to finish configuring the system.

Creating Virtual Machine using Hyper-V

Once Hyper-V is installed on your system, you can open it and use it to create your Virtual Machine on a Windows 10 computer. To create a Virtual Machine, follow the below steps.

1. Search for the Control Panel in the Windows Search bar.
2. After the Control Panel window is open, select Administrative tools.
3. Once the Administrative tools window opens, select the Hyper-V manager.
4. Hyper-V will start after selecting the Hyper-V manager, and you will be able to see your computer name on the top left side of the application window. Select the computer to work in it.
5. In the Hyper-V window, go for Action second in the top left. Click in Action and select new, and choose virtual Machine from the picklist that appears.
6. Hyper-V will open a new virtual machine wizard window to help you create the virtual machine.
7. Click into the finish option to create a virtual machine with basic configuration.
8. If the user desires to create a customized virtual machine, the user can go to the next rather than finish and set up a customized virtual machine.
9. Once the Virtual Machine is successfully created, you will be able to see them in the Hyper-V window.
10. Virtual machines require an operating system to work similarly to how real computers need.
11. Hyper-V allows you to turn the virtual Machine shut down or turn them on using the buttons present in the bottom right corner of the Hyper-V window.

FAQs

1. What is Virtualization?
   Virtualization refers to running a virtual instance of the Machine in an abstracted layer of the actual hardware. Virtualization helps us create a machine that works on top of the host operating system. It allows the same host to run multiple operating systems and quickly move virtual machines between hosts. 
    
2. What is Hyper-V?
   Windows 10, Microsoft's Hyper-Visor is called Hyper-V. It helps to maintain Virtualization in the windows system. Hyper V works on hardware virtualization, i.e., all virtual machines run on the virtual hardware.
    
3. Why should we use Windows Virtualization?
   Virtualization refers to running a virtual instance of the Machine in an abstracted layer of the actual hardware. Virtualization helps us run the software that requires older versions of windows or different operating systems than what we have in our computer. It helps us test the software on multiple OS using virtual machines. These Virtual machines could be exported or imported into another hyper v system.