Hyper-V Dynamic Memory Evaluation Guide

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What is Dynamic Memory?

Dynamic Memory is a new feature that lets Hyper-V balance memory automatically among running virtual machines. This feature adjusts the amount of memory available to the virtual machines in response to the needs of the virtual machine, based on values that you specify. Dynamic Memory is currently available for Hyper-V in the release candidate (RC) of Windows Server 2008 R2 Service Pack 1 (SP1). You can make the Dynamic Memory feature available by applying the service pack to the Hyper-V role in Windows Server 2008 R2 or to Microsoft Hyper-V Server 2008 R2. For more information about installing the service pack, see Deployment Guide for Windows Server 2008 R2 with SP1 and Windows 7 with SP1 (https://go.microsoft.com/fwlink/?LinkId=192441).

What are the Benefits of Dynamic Memory?

Dynamic Memory helps you use memory resources more efficiently by making it possible for Hyper-V to reallocate memory automatically among virtual machines while the virtual machines are running. Before this feature was introduced, changing the amount of memory available to a virtual machine could be done only when the virtual machine was turned off. With Dynamic Memory, Hyper-V can provide a virtual machine with more or less memory dynamically in response changes to the amount of memory required by the workloads or applications running in the virtual machine. As a result, Hyper-V can distribute memory more efficiently among the running virtual machines configured with Dynamic Memory.

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