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Managing Windows Server 2012 Hyper-V from Windows 8.1

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In the past we have always required that you use Hyper-V Manager on the same version of Windows as the version of Windows that you are using to run Hyper-V (i.e. Use Windows 7 to manage Windows Server 2008 R2, use Windows 8 to manage Windows Server 2012).  But we have made a change with Windows 8.1.

You can use Hyper-V manager on Windows 8.1 (or on Windows Server 2012 R2) to manage either Windows Server 2012 R2 or Windows Server 2012.  In fact, you can connect to both at the same time if you want to.

What happens is that when you connect to a new instance of Hyper-V, we check to see what the version is that we are connecting to.  If it is Windows 8 / Windows Server 2012 we will load the UI for that version of Hyper-V.  If it is Windows 8.1 / Windows Server 2012 R2 we will load the UI for that version of Hyper-V.

Here you can see an instance of Hyper-V manager where I have connected to a number of servers:

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Above; I have selected “MELPOMENE” – which is a Windows Server 2012 R2 instance of Hyper-V.  You can tell that this is case because we are using the term “checkpoints”.  Below; I have selected “POLYHYMNIA” – which is a Windows Server 2012 instance of Hyper-V.  Here you can see that we are using the term “snapshots”.

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This all happens automatically, with no configuration needed.

One issue that you should be aware of is that there are now two versions of VMCONNECT.EXE.  Hyper-V Manager will always launch the correct instance for the server you are connected to – but, if you start VM Connect directly you should know that "C:\Windows\System32\vmconnect.exe” is the Windows 8.1 / Windows Server 2012 R2 version of VM Connect.  While “C:\Program Files\Hyper-V\6.2\vmconnect6.2.exe” is the Windows 8 / Windows Server 2012 version of VM Connect.

Cheers,
Ben

Comments

  • Anonymous
    January 25, 2014
    I just noticed this myself a couple of days ago. My local win 8.1 machine spoke of checkpoints but pointing my tools at my yet-to-be-upgraded test server gave me snapshots. (not sure why I haven't got around to upgrading the server since then in-place upgrade of server is pretty seamless, even did my 2008r2 production server in-place to 2012r2 without any fuss!)

  • Anonymous
    January 30, 2014
    The comment has been removed

  • Anonymous
    February 02, 2014
    The comment has been removed

  • Anonymous
    April 10, 2014
    Ben, simple question (but very hard to Google for): *** Does this work on Windows 8.1 non-pro? *** Reading your article, I would say the answer is YES. Also, reading many other things out there on the Internet, including Microsoft sites, the answer is yes. So I told a client to go buy a Windows 8.1 non-pro license to manage their brand new Hyper-V 2012 R2 server. But now they tell me they can't install it, it seems Pro is needed. I Google again and in fact many sites, including from Microsoft, do state that Pro is needed... To make things trickier, Microsoft decided to name the non-pro version just "Windows 8.1". No "Home Edition", no "Basic", nothing that we can actually ask Google (or Bing!) for what we want. Please tell me I can install this in a Windows 8.1 non-pro. I would feel very robbed if I can't - I was misled, and this confusion is widespread due to the product naming: some people write "Windows 8.1" meaning "windows 8.1 in general, all versions", while other people write the same "Windows 8.1" but meaning "Windows 8.1 non-pro". Also, if the answer is NO, well, why not? Why is administering Hyper-V so complicated? Hvremote, permissions, windows versions, no GUI administration on the Core servers, I can't tell you how many headaches I've had with this when it was so easy with VMWare... install the admin tools anywhere, connect with a user and password, done. Hyper-V is such an excellent product for you to then send us jumping through hoops just to start and stop VM's... Ben, I would really appreciate your answers: yes or no, and why. Thank you!

  • Anonymous
    June 04, 2014
    Agree with Ben. Yes or No, and Why? Thanks

  • Anonymous
    April 16, 2015
    The comment has been removed

  • Anonymous
    June 04, 2015
    The comment has been removed