Hyper-V Server 2008 R2 is a good solution for situations where you need a virtualization platform but not the overhead, complexity, or cost of a full-blown operating system. For example, I use a Hyper-V Server setup in my own office as a nice alternative to having eight physical computers running the different opeating systems I need to experiment with for my teaching and consulting work. Hyper-V Server 2008 R2 has a relatively small footprint and is readily managed remotely after the initial setup. I offer kudos to Microsoft for making a useful product available at no charge.

Continue reading to learn more about free virtualization without a server operating system.