The introduction of Microsoft® Hyper-V® Server 2008 has changed the way a virtual machine (VM) interacts with the host operating system and network resources. Unlike other Microsoft virtualization software like Virtual Server and Virtual PC, the virtualization technology of Hyper-V is integrated into the Microsoft Windows Server® 2008 x64 operating system. This facilitates better performance and increases integration of the virtualization layer (hypervisor) with other Microsoft Windows® components.

This document details the four available networking configurations for running Hyper-V on Dell™ PowerEdge™ systems. It also discusses the advantages and disadvantages of each networking configuration with an emphasis on typical Dell system configurations.