Hyper-V integration services, are a arranged set of software which, when installed in the virtual machine improves integration betwixt the host server and the virtual motorcar. Integration services (often chosen integration components), are services that permit the virtual machine to communicate with the Hyper-5 host. Hyper-V Integration Services is a suite of utilities in Microsoft Hyper-V, designed to enhance the performance of a virtual machine's guest operating system.

In short and general, the integration services are a set of drivers so that the virtual machine can make use of the synthetic devices provisioned to the VM by Hyper-V.

Hyper-5 Integration Services optimizes the drivers of the virtual environments to provide end users with the all-time possible user experience. The suite improves virtual machine management by replacing generic operating organization commuter files for the mouse, keyboard, video, network and SCSI controller components. It as well synchronizes time between the guests and host operating systems and can provide file interoperability and a heartbeat.

The Hyper-Five Integration Services are sometimes chosen "enlightenments". This fancy word refers to the concept of making the virtual car enlightened of its environment. An "unenlightened" virtual machine doesn't "know" that it's virtualized. When the "enlightenments" are installed, information technology becomes "aware" of virtualization. To really understand what this means, you need to get-go empathise difference between  Emulated & Synthetic devices.

Difference betwixt Synthetic and Emulated devices

Emulated Hardware

Emulated hardware is a software construct that the hypervisor presents to the virtual machine as though it were actual hardware. This software component implements a unified to the lowest degree-common-denominator set of instructions that are universal to all devices of that type. This all but guarantees that information technology will be usable past almost any operating system, fifty-fifty those that Hyper-Five Server does not direct back up. These devices tin be seen even in minimalist pre-boot execution environments, which is why you can utilize a legacy network adapter for PXE functions and tin can boot from a disk on an IDE controller.

The drawback is that it tin can be computationally expensive and therefore slow to operate. The software component is a complete representation of a hardware device, which includes the need for IRQ and memory I/O operations. Within the virtual machine, all the translation you see in the above images occurs. Once the virtual CPU has converted the VM's communication into that meant for the device, information technology is passed over to the construct that Hyper-Five has. Hyper-V must and so perform the exact same functions to collaborate with the existent hardware. All of this happens in contrary as the device sends information dorsum to the drivers and applications within the virtual machine.

The common emulated devices y'all'll work with in Hyper-Five are:

  • IDE hard drive controllers
  • Emulated (legacy) network adapters
  • Video adapters

Some of the  emulated devices modle are Intel 440bx motherboard and an Intel 21140 network adapter. These devices are handled through emulation that runs in the management operating arrangement (parent partition).

Synthetic Hardware

Synthetic hardware is different from emulated hardware in that Hyper-V does non create a software construct to cover-up as a physical device. Instead, information technology uses a similar technique to the Windows HAL and presents an interface that functions more closely to the driver model. The invitee still needs to send instructions through its virtual CPU, just it is able to apply the commuter model to pass these communications straight up into Hyper-Five through the VMBus. The VMBus driver, and the drivers that are dependent on it, must be loaded in social club for the invitee to be able to employ the synthetic hardware at all. This is why constructed and SCSI devices cannot be used prior to Windows startup.

Mostly speaking you will never come across reference to a "synthetic" or "emulated" device in the user interface equally that has been hidden as much as possible.

By looking in Microsoft Device Managing director, y'all can always tell whether you are using the more efficient synthetic drivers in your Hyper-5 virtual machines. Open up Device Manager, If the Os is using the college performance Synthetic devices you lot'll meet the "VMBus" in its name or in latest versions "Microsoft Hyper-5 " in its proper noun For instance ,  "Hyper-V Network Adapter" nether Network Adapters whereas if information technology is emulated you volition find "Intel 21140 network adapter" Under Network Adapters or another.

Emulated devices emulate an existing hardware device that exists as physical hardware. The reward of emulated devices is that near operating systems usually take in-box drivers for them. Emulated devices might feel performance issues considering of the overhead of emulation. Additionally, because the emulated devices may not have been designed specifically for virtualization purposes, they could besides experience performance bug.

Synthetic devices are high performance software components that control access to concrete hardware devices that are designed for optimal operation in virtualized environments

Note: The new generation 2 virtual machines will not be able to utilize legacy hardware at all. However, they will utilize UEFI style (unified extensible firmware interface) instead of the traditional BIOS mode, so all hardware volition be usable right from startup.

Enlightenments  are presented via drivers in the invitee. The Hyper-V Integration Services take this concept a stride further to provide a number of boosted features. Whereas basic enlightments are standard commuter packs, the Integration Services require a little something more than. These are delivered in the course of services for Windows guests and daemons for Linux guests.

As with bones enlightenments, the Integration Services collaborate with the hypervisor and management operating system through drivers:

In a physical system, the purpose of a driver is to move instructions and data betwixt the operating system and hardware. In a virtual system, the "hardware" is the hypervisor. Therefore, it'due south only natural that drivers be exploited to serve equally a advice gateway. However, the driver model itself isn't quite enough to carry out a number of activities. A service is amend suited for such functionality. These appear in Windows alongside all the other services:

How to properly enable or disable one or more Integration Services for a Hyper-Five VM

Information technology is possible to disable these integration services via Device Manager or from the Services list. Tinkering in either of these locations is not recommended, and potentially not supported.

It is always recommend to enable/disable the integration services from VM settings . Clear the check box as shown in below figure if y'all are planning to disable and vice versa.

Notation: Post releases of Windows Vista and Windows Server 2008 are Integration Services-aware, but for other operating systems, the invitee iso file is located in the C:\windows\system32\ path of the Hyper-5 server. Hyper-V Integration Services are similar to the VMware Tools packet used to improve the interaction of guest operating systems within the VMware virtualization infrastructure.

Bachelor Integration Services

Later on the integration services software package has been installed in the virtual machine, the following integration services tin exist presented to the virtual machine.

By default, all of Integration services are enabled exceptInvitee services.

Many of these services are conveniences, such as guest file copy, while others are important to the virtual machine'south ability to function correctly, such as fourth dimension synchronization.

Operating system shutdown

The operating system shutdown service provides a mechanism to shut downward the operating system of a virtual machine from the management interfaces on the host or management computer. This allows the Hyper-5 administrator the ability to initiate an orderly shutdown of the virtual machines without having to log into the virtual machine. The virtual machine volition attempt to close open processes and write to disk any data in retentiveness before shutting downwardly the virtual machine, in the same mode if the administrator had selected Shutdown from within the virtual machine.

Time synchronization

The time synchronization service provides the ability to synchronize your virtual machines' time with the fourth dimension from the host. Simply equally time is disquisitional to physical servers it is critical to virtual machines.

Information Exchange

The data exchange service, also known as key-value pairs (KVP), allows for the sharing of information between the host and virtual machine. Full general information most the virtual machine and host is automatically generated and stored in the registry for virtual machines running Windows and in files for virtual machines running Linux. Additionally there is a registry primal and file where data tin be created manually that tin be shared between the host and the virtual machine. For example a service running in a virtual machine could write to this location when a specific event has occurred that requires the Hyper-V administrator to perform a specific action. Admission to the data from the host is via WMI scripts simply.

Heartbeat

The heartbeat service monitors the land of running virtual machines past reporting a heartbeat at regular intervals. This service helps you identify running virtual machines that might have stopped responding. Yous tin can bank check the heartbeat status of a virtual auto on the Summary tab of the Virtual Machines details page.

Backup (book snapshot)

The backup service enables consistent backup of the virtual machines from backup software running on the host. The backup service allows for the virtual machine to be backed up while information technology is running without any suspension to the virtual motorcar or the services running in the virtual car.

Guest services

The guest service allows the Hyper-V administrator to copy files to a running virtual automobile without using a network connectedness. Beforehand the simply way to re-create files to the virtual machine was for both the virtual machine and the host be connected to same network and then either use file services to copy file or to create a remote desktop session to the virtual machine and re-create files via RDS session. To copy a file to a virtual automobile you demand to employ the Copy-VMFile PowerShell cmdlet.

How to Install Integration Services in Hyper-5

https://world wide web.altaro.com/hyper-5/hyper-5-installing-integration-services/

Updating/Upgradinng Integration Services

While the basic architecture has remained relatively unchanged since Windows Server 2008 Hyper-V, the integration components have continuously been updated past Microsoft:

  • Each release of Hyper-V adds new features, and you lot need a current version of the integration components to utilize these features.
  • Security and bug fixes update the integration components between major releases.

Information technology is, therefore, of import to proceed the integration components upwardly-to-engagement so:

  • You have access to the latest Hyper-V features
  • Your deployments get fixes for bugs
  • Security vulnerabilities are patched

Why Upgrading Integration Service is required?

In that location were ii ways that Microsoft supplied integration components before Windows Server 2022 (and therefore, Windows 10):

  • The latest version of the integration components was built into that version of Windows at the time of release.
  • A file on the host, called "VMGuest.ISO", was updated by Windows Updates.

The process of deploying updated integration services into a Windows guest after full general availability was tiresome. The bones method was to use Hyper-V Connect to attach to each virtual automobile, log in, and run an integration services update from "VMguest.ISO", which required a reboot. This manual task would require a maintenance window for each virtual auto. Because this was a manual job and introduced downtime, I doubtable that many simply decided to alive without the updates, possibly falling out of support and becoming vulnerable to any otherwise-fixed security issues.

The second option was to use System Center Virtual Auto Director (SCVMM). This process immune y'all to update all of your machines at once (or in batches), with the obligatory reboot. At least you could automate this process using PowerShell, but I believe only a very small percentage of Hyper-Five customers accept meaningfully deployed (although sales figures will differ) SCVMM. And in that location are multiple to push VMGuest.iso with 3rd part tools

How Updating has Changed

After years of feedback, starting with Windows 10, and so with subsequently released Windows Server 2022, Microsoft changed the update process. You won't be able to find a VMGuest.ISO in WS2016, and that's because it's non used anymore. Instead, Microsoft is updating the Hyper-V integration components in the guest Bone via Windows Update. For virtually customers, this is going to be pretty elementary: just deploy Hyper-V and your virtual machines and in that location'south nothing more to do. But for a few, they'll need to sympathize the system requirements.

The get-go requirement is that the invitee Os in your virtual machines must take access to Windows Update in some mode, such as directly admission, WSUS or System Center Configuration Manager.

The 2nd requirement is dependent on the guest Os that you are running on WS2016 (or Windows ten).

If yous are running any of the beneath in the guest Bone, and then Windows Update will work without anything special being done:

  • Windows Server 2022,2012 R2, 8.ane & x

If you are running an older OS, such as below, then y'all need to brand certain that the Data Exchange integration service is running:

  • Windows Server 2022,2012 R2 SP1,7,8 & Vista SP2

For Windows XP/Windows Server 2003 till through Windows eight.1/Windows Server 2022 R2 while running on whatsoever Hyper-V host version from 2008 through 2022 R2, you would install/update past inserting the host'due south vmguest.iso in the invitee.

Any time that Microsoft released an update for the integration services via Windows Update, only the host would be automatically updated. The guests could but be updated via a transmission procedure. You could use the action shown above, manually insert the vmguest.iso, or even manually transfer the install files into the invitee.

Any time that Microsoft released an update for the integration services via Windows Update, but the host would be automatically updated. The guests could only be updated via a manual process. You could apply the action shown above, manually insert the vmguest.iso, or even manually transfer the install files into the guest.

Now, the client packages for the integration services are too delivered via Windows Update. Simply keep your guests upwardly-to-date and you lot will no longer need to worry well-nigh this.

In improver, if your virtual machines are isolated from Windows Update? There is a workaround for that, too. You can download the latest version of the integration components (as a .CAB file) from the https://back up.microsoft.com/kb/3071740 to your guest Os. Then you can run a PowerShell cmdlet to install the update:

PowerShell: Add-WindowsPackage -Online –PackagePath <path to .CAB file>

Some operating systems have the integration services built-in, while others crave that you install or upgrade this package as a separate procedure after you set up the operating system in the virtual machine.

Invitee operating system (server) Integration Services Notes
Windows Server 2022 Built-in Datacenter, Standard, and Essentials editions.
Windows Server 2022 R2 Built-in
Windows Server 2022 Built-in
Windows Server 2008 R2 with Service Pack 1 (SP 1) Install the integration services afterwards you set up the operating system in the virtual motorcar. Datacenter, Enterprise, Standard and Spider web editions.
Windows Server 2008 with Service Pack 2 (SP 2) Install the integration services after you lot set the operating system in the virtual car. Datacenter, Enterprise, Standard and Web editions (32-bit and 64-bit).
Windows Home Server 2022 Install the integration services afterward you set up the operating system in the virtual machine.
Windows Minor Business Server 2022 Install the integration services after you fix the operating organization in the virtual auto. Essentials and Standard editions.
Windows Server 2003 R2 with Service Pack 2 (SP2) Install the integration services after you set up the operating system in the virtual machine. Standard, Spider web, Enterprise, and Datacenter editions (32-bit and 64-chip).
Windows Server 2003 SP2 Install the integration services later you lot fix the operating system in the virtual machine. Standard, Web, Enterprise, and Datacenter editions (32-scrap and 64-;:bit).

Ref: https://technet.microsoft.com/en-us/library/dn792027(v=ws.11).aspx

Hyper-Five VM Integration Services: Listing of Build Numbers

Windows Server 2008

Build Number Knowledge Base of operations Article ID Comment
6.0.6001.17101 n/a Windows Server 2008 RTM
6.0.6001.18016 KB950050 Windows Server 2008 RTM + KB950050
6.0.6001.22258 KB956710 Windows Server 2008 RTM + KB956710
6.0.6001.22352 KB959962 Windows Server 2008 RTM + KB959962
6.0.6002.18005 KB948465 Windows Server 2008 Service Pack 2
6.0.6002.22233 KB975925 Windows Server 2008 RTM + KB975925

Windows Server 2008 R2

Build Number Cognition Base Article ID Annotate
6.i.7600.16385 due north/a Windows Server 2008 R2 RTM
half-dozen.1.7600.20542 KB975354 Windows Server 2008 R2 RTM + KB975354
6.1.7600.20683 KB981836 Windows Server 2008 R2 RTM + KB981836
6.one.7600.20778 KB2223005 Windows Server 2008 R2 RTM + KB2223005
half-dozen.i.7601.16562 n/a Windows Server 2008 R2 Service Pack 1 Beta
6.1.7601.17105 n/a Windows Server 2008 R2 Service Pack 1 RC
6.1.7601.17514 KB976932 Windows Server 2008 R2 Service Pack 1 RTM

Windows Server 2022

Build Number Knowledge Base Article ID Annotate
6.ii.9200.16384 n/a Windows Server 2022 RTM
6.2.9200.16433 KB2770917 Windows Server 2022 RTM + KB2770917
6.two.9200.20655 KB2823956 Windows Server 2022 RTM + KB2823956
six.2.9200.21885  KB3161609 June 2022 update rollup for Windows Server 2022

Windows Server 2022 R2

Build Number Knowledge Base of operations Article ID Comment
6.three.9600.16384 n/a Windows Server 2022 R2 RTM
half dozen.3.9600.17415

KB3000850

Windows Server 2022 R2 RTM + KB3000850
vi.three.9600.17831 KB3063283 Windows Server 2022 R2 RTM + KB3063283
6.three.9600.18080 KB3063109 Windows Server 2022 R2 RTM + KB3063109
half-dozen.iii.9600.18339 KB3161606 June 2022 update rollup for Windows Server 2022 R2
6.3.9600.18398 KB3172614 July 2022 update rollup for Windows Server 2022 R2
6.3.9600.18692

KB4022720

June 27, 2022—KB4022720 (Preview of Monthly Rollup)

Ref: https://social.technet.microsoft.com/wiki/contents/articles/33796.hyper-v-integration-services-list-of-build-numbers.aspx

How to determine Integration Service Version  at Host & Guest and Country'south

Integration Version states can exist plant in the Summary section in Hyper-V Manager Console or Failover Cluster Manager.  IS states are "UpToDate, UpdateRequired, MayBeRequired &  NotDetected"

How to determine Integration Service Version at Hyper-v Host(Management Bone)

Option one

To determine the version of integration services that is installed on the management operating arrangement, check the registry primal that has the version of the electric current Hyper-V Guest Installer: HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Microsoft\Windows NT\CurrentVersion\Virtualization\GuestInstaller\Version\Microsoft-Hyper-V-Guest-Installer-Win60-Package . The value in the Information cavalcade is the version number.

Option ii

Login to Hyper-V Server and Go to the c:\windows\system32\VMMS.exe -> Check File version

Option 3

Login to Hyper-5 Server -> Open Powershell with Runas Admin ->

Get-VM | select VMName, IntegrationServicesState

How to determine Integration Service Version from Guest OS (Inside VM)

To determine the version information for a guest operating system, log on to the invitee operating system and check the version of the drivers installed in the \System32 folder. For instance, C:\Windows\System32\drivers\vmbus.sys has a file version that should friction match the number found in the registry central on the direction operating system.

Download  Link : Hyper-V integration components update for Windows virtual machines

Linux Integration Services:

Hyper-V supports both emulated and Hyper-V-specific devices for Linux and FreeBSD virtual machines. When running with emulated devices, no additional software is required to be installed. Notwithstanding emulated devices practise not provide high performance and cannot leverage the rich virtual machine management infrastructure that the Hyper-V engineering science offers. In society to fill up utilise of all benefits that Hyper-V provides, it is all-time to apply Hyper-V-specific devices for Linux and FreeBSD. The drove of drivers that are required to run Hyper-V-specific devices are known as Linux Integration Services (LIS) or FreeBSD Integration Services (BIS).

LIS has been added to the Linux kernel and is updated for new releases. But Linux distributions based on older kernels may not have the latest enhancements or fixes. Microsoft provides a download containing installable LIS drivers for some Linux installations based on these older kernels. Because distribution vendors include versions of Linux Integration Services, it is best to install the latest downloadable version of LIS, if applicative, for your installation.

For other Linux distributions, LIS changes are regularly integrated into the operating organisation kernel and applications so no separate download or installation is required.

For older FreeBSD releases (before ten.0), Microsoft provides ports that contain the installable BIS drivers and corresponding daemons for FreeBSD virtual machines. For newer FreeBSD releases, BIS is built in to the FreeBSD operating system, and no separate download or installation is required except for a KVP ports download that is needed for FreeBSD 10.0

Installing Hyper-V Integration Services for Linux Distributions that Do Not Ship with LIS Drivers and Services

You may find y'all need to install Hyper-5 Integration Services in a Linux Distribution in the following cases:

  • Linux distributions that do not ship with LIS already integrated
  • When in that location is a new version of LIS bachelor at the Microsoft site. The current Hyper-Five Linux Integration Services version is 4.0

Since Linux can only understand RPM files for installation, the LIS ISO comes with the required RPM files to assistance in installing or updating the existing LIS components.

Important: Hyper-Five LIS 4.0 is available in 2 formats: a Tar file (lis4-0-xi.tar.gz) that tin be transferred to the target Linux virtual machine or an ISO file (lis4-0-11.iso) that tin be attached to the Linux virtual automobile. We'll explain how to install LIS four.0 by attaching the ISO file. (Annotation: The previous Hyper-V Integration Services release, LIS 3.five, included merely an ISO file).

The LIS installation process starts by attaching the LIS ISO to a virtual machine using Hyper-Five Manager and and so executing a ready of commands to cease the installation as explained in the steps beneath:

  1. Attach the LinuxICv35.ISO file to a Linux virtual machine.
  2. As a root user, execute the command below to mountain the ISO file: mount /dev/cdrom /media
  3. Next, run the script provided with the LIS ISO to install LIS: ./install.sh
  4. Finally, you demand to reboot the Linux virtual machine so that the Hyper-5 LIS components are initialized and registered successfully. To reboot, type "reboot" in the terminal and then printing enter.

One time rebooted, utilize the "lsmod" or "Modinfo" command to bank check the condition of LIS drivers and services as explained in the "Verifying Hyper-V LIS 4.0 Services and Drivers" section in this article.

Upgrading Hyper-V Linux Integration Services

Microsoft has provided upgrade scripts needed to update the Hyper-V LIS drivers for Linux distributions. Delight follow the steps above to mountain the ISO file and so execute the "Upgrade.sh" script after switching to the directory relevant to your Linux distribution.

Once the script has finished installing LIS drivers and services, reboot the virtual machine so that the Hyper-V LIS drivers and services are registered with the Linux kernel.

Verifying Hyper-V Linux Integration Services 4.0 Services and Drivers

After upgrading/installing LIS 4.0 on a Linux virtual machine, you can run the following command to verify the registration of the LIS drivers and services:

lsmod OR lsmod | grep hv

The to a higher place command should list the Hyper-V LIS drivers and services. You'll need to look for hid_hyperv, hv_netvsc, hv_utils, hv_storvsc and hv_vmbus for the successful activation of LIS. The output of the command should look like to this screenshot:

Ref: https://docs.microsoft.com/en-the states/windows-server/virtualization/hyper-five/Supported-Linux-and-FreeBSD-virtual-machines-for-Hyper-V-on-Windows