These are typically installed via Windows Features or RSAT (Remote Server Administration Tools):
Tool | Description | Command / Location |
|---|---|---|
Hyper-V Manager (MMC Snap-in) | Graphical console to create/manage VMs, virtual switches, checkpoints, etc. |
|
Hyper-V PowerShell Module | Full scripting control over hosts and VMs. Includes cmdlets like | Add via PowerShell: |
Hyper-V Virtual Machine Connection (vmconnect.exe) | Lightweight console to connect directly to a VM’s display without RDP. | Located in |
Windows Admin Center | Modern web-based console for managing Hyper-V hosts, clusters, and guests remotely. |
Installed inside the VM, they provide performance and integration benefits:
Time synchronization
Heartbeat monitoring
Guest shutdown
Data Exchange
Synthetic network and storage drivers
Note: For Windows 10/11 and Server 2016+, integration services are built into the OS via Windows Update — you no longer install them manually.
For large or clustered environments:
Tool | Purpose |
|---|---|
System Center Virtual Machine Manager (SCVMM) | Enterprise management of multiple Hyper-V hosts and clusters; supports templates, fabric management, and automation. |
Failover Cluster Manager | Used for high availability and Live Migration configurations. |
Performance Monitor / Resource Metering | Monitor and record per-VM resource usage (CPU, memory, network). |
PowerShell DSC / Ansible / Terraform | Infrastructure-as-Code tools that can automate Hyper-V deployments. |
If you’re working with security-enhanced workloads:
Host Guardian Service (HGS) for attestation and key protection.
vTPM and Shielded VM Configuration in Hyper-V Manager or SCVMM.
Certificates under Shielded VM Local Certificates store for encryption and signing.
To install Hyper-V tools on Windows:
# On a Windows Server
Install-WindowsFeature -Name Hyper-V -IncludeManagementTools -Restart
# On Windows 10/11 Pro or Enterprise
Enable-WindowsOptionalFeature -Online -FeatureName Microsoft-Hyper-V -All -NoRestart
To install only the management tools (no hypervisor):
Install-WindowsFeature -Name RSAT-Hyper-V-Tools -IncludeAllSubFeature