For both x86 architectures (64bit and 32bit) and editions (Standard, Enterprise and Datacenter) there’s a “Without Hyper-V” Stock Keeping Unit (SKU) and a SKU that includes the Hyper-V technology. What’s the difference between these versions?
Microsoft describes Windows Server 2008 without Hyper-V as:
For customers that do not need virtualization, Windows Server 2008 Standard, Enterprise, and Datacenter editions are available without Windows Server Hyper-V Technology.
A bit vague for my taste, so I started investigating using multiple versions of Windows Server 2008 with and without Hyper-V to answer the following questions:
- Does it include Hyper-V as a Server Role?
This question is about the ability to install the Hyper-V role using the Server Manager, servermanagercmd.exe or ocsetup.exe on systems that meet the minimum requirements to run Hyper-V. - Does it include the Hyper-V Management Console?
This question is regarding the availability of the Hyper-V Manager Microsoft Management Console (MMC) in the Server Manager or servermanagercmd.exe under Role Administration Tools in the Remote Server Administration Tools feature. - Does it feel it wants Hyper-V updates?
This answer to this question answers whether the list of updates Hyper-V update KB9500500, when using Windows Update or WUA_SearchDownloadInstall.vbs.
The following table shows my findings:
| Stock Keeping Unit (SKU) | Server Role | Management | Updates |
| Windows Server x64 |
Yes |
Yes |
Yes |
| Windows Server x86 |
No |
Yes |
Yes |
| Windows Server x64 Server Core |
Yes |
No |
Yes |
| Windows Server x86 Server Core |
No |
No |
Yes |
| Windows Server x64 without Hyper-V |
No |
No |
Yes |
| Windows Server x86 without Hyper-V |
No |
No |
Yes |
| Windows Server x64 without Hyper-V Core |
No |
No |
Yes |
| Windows Server x86 without Hyper-V Core |
No |
No |
Yes |
Note:
Server Core installations of Windows Server 2008 don’t include the Hyper-V Manager.
Concluding
“Without Hyper-V” means the Windows Server 2008 SKU doesn’t include:
- The Hyper-V Role
- The Hyper-V Manager
All versions of Windows Server 2008 however feel they want to install Hyper-V updates. These updates however will not add the Hyper-V role or the Hyper-V Manager to Windows Server 2008 RTM.
Further Reading
Windows Server 2008: Editions without Hyper-V
Why is there a 32-bit Windows Server 2008 option "without Hyper-V"?
VMWare Forums – 2008, with or without hyper-v?
Eggheadcafe – Add RTM Hyper-V to 2008 "Without Hyper-V"
Vista Forums – Role Hyper-V on windows server 2008
Microsoft TechNet Forums – unable to install hyper-v roll on 2008 core
Microsoft TechNet Forums – Hyper-V Server Management Tools.
Buy World Of Warcraft Power Leveling,welcome to our Wow power leveling
site http://www.powerleveling2000.com. we offer wow powerleveling & WOW Gold
servie.cheap World Of Warcraft Powerleveling.We are the leading MMORPG services company.
We offer a range of services for your World of Warcraft character. We are selling World of Warcraft Gold and doing power leveling for you at an unimaginable price. Cheap WOW Gold is on hot sale on all servers, especially on American servers. You can buy WOW Gold and wow power leveling from us, a professional, loyal and reliable wow gold exchange corporation and power leveling work group.
Hi Sander – I think the reason that SKUs without Hyper-V still attempt to download and install the 950050 update is because that update also includes the integration services for Windows Server running in a Hyper-V child partition (see http://support.microsoft.com/kb/950050).
Mark
Hi Mark,
Thanks for your insightful reply!
The Integration Components seem like a plausible explanation for KB950050 applying to Windows Server 2008 versions without Hyper-V.
I feel it's still curious as to why the Integration Components are recommended for a version of Windows Server 2008, touted as having no Hyper-V technology at all.
With Automatic Updates enabled a Windows Server 2008 version without Hyper-V would download and install this update whereas the administrator would expect his (or her) environment to be clean of Hyper-V technology (for whatever reason).
Since this behaviour might be inconsistent with expectations I felt it should be part of What 'Without Hyper-V' means.