As a domain expert with a deep understanding of virtualization technologies, I can provide an insightful response to your query regarding Hyper-V and its classification as a Type 1 hypervisor.

Hyper-V is indeed a Type 1, or bare-metal, hypervisor. This classification is fundamental to understanding how it operates and its relationship with the underlying hardware and the host operating system. A Type 1 hypervisor is one that runs directly on the host's hardware to manage multiple guest operating systems, providing full hardware virtualization capabilities.

The key distinction between Type 1 and Type 2 hypervisors, commonly known as hosted hypervisors, is that Type 1 hypervisors do not require an underlying operating system to function. They interact directly with the hardware, while Type 2 hypervisors run as an application within an existing operating system.

When you install Hyper-V on Windows Server, it fundamentally changes the way the server operates. The original operating system is effectively sandboxed into a virtual machine, and the Hyper-V hypervisor is placed at the system level, managing all hardware resources and virtual machines. This is a critical point that differentiates it from a Type 2 hypervisor, where the host OS remains the primary interface with the hardware.

The installation process of Hyper-V on Windows Server involves a transformation of the system architecture. The original Windows Server operating system is encapsulated within a virtual machine, known as the 'parent partition,' while the Hyper-V hypervisor takes control of the hardware. This design allows for greater efficiency and performance, as the hypervisor can directly manage the hardware without the overhead of a host operating system.

Moreover, Hyper-V provides advanced features such as dynamic memory, live migration of virtual machines, and support for a wide range of guest operating systems, which are characteristic of Type 1 hypervisors. These features are essential for enterprise environments where high availability, scalability, and performance are paramount.

In summary, Hyper-V is a Type 1 hypervisor that offers robust virtualization capabilities for Windows Server environments. Its design allows for direct management of hardware resources, leading to improved performance and efficiency compared to Type 2 hypervisors.

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It is type 1 (bare metal) in both cases. The trick here is that when you install Hyper-V as a role on Windows Server 2008 R2 you see the Windows Server like a host OS and it is not. The setup converts the original OS in something like a VM and puts the hypervisor below.Nov 1, 2011read more >>