How to Set Up Hyper-V for a Windows Server Environment: A Series on Active Directory Domain Services

Virtualization allows running multiple operating systems on a single machine, and Windows 11 comes with a native virtualization platform called Hyper-V. Hyper-V is free, robust, and easy to set up, but it requires specific system requirements, including Windows 11 Pro, Enterprise, or Education, a CPU with virtualization, and at least 8 GB of RAM. The guide provides a step-by-step process to install Hyper-V on a Windows 11 computer and configure a NAT switch. The first step is to sign in with an account that has local Administrator privileges. Then, access the Optional Features page and select Hyper-V, followed by a restart. After restarting, open Hyper-V Manager and set the location of virtual machines and hard disks. Next, create a NAT Network using PowerShell commands. Hyper-V turns a Windows 11 machine into a lab for testing, developing, or safely running multiple OSes. Mastering Hyper-V is a valuable skill in one's toolkit, whether building microservices, testing a new OS, or trying containers with Docker.