Difference between Hyper-V and Microsoft Virtual Server

Question

I'm beginner with windows virtualization. Can anyone please tell the difference between Hyper-V and Microsoft Virtual Server.

Answer 1

Microsoft Virtual Server runs as a software program on the machine and provides virtualisation as a regular program (all be it in an efficient and good way). So, you run Windows, Virtual Server runs as a program on top of Windows and any VM runs inside it.

Hyper-V on the other hand is a HyperVisor, it sits at a very low level on the system and using a management interface, you communicate directly with it. Even the original copy of Windows that you install the Hyper-V feature from (if not using stand alone Hyper-V Server), becomes a virtual machine on top of the hypervisor (with special privileges).

Hyper-V and other Hypervisor based virtualisation programs are the future - they offer much higher performance, reliability and other features.