LAB on local Hyper-V

based on Windows 11 (should also work on Windows 10)

Basic preparation

You need a "powerful" machine as Hyper-V Host:

• CPU: Intel I5/7/9 or AMD Ryzen 5/7/9
• Memory (RAM) 32 GB ++
• SSD around 1024 GB ++

If you are choosing/building a new one, do not spend too much on CPU, Memory is way the better way for better performance with more then 4 VM's.

Next you need to have Windows 11/11 Pro++ installed on it including the Hyper-V role. Being able to install VM's you need also some ISO Files for each System you wanna include in your LAB: some of them are available at: https://www.microsoft.com/en-us/evalcenter/

System	trial available	Link	Notes
Windows Server 2016	[X]	https://www.microsoft.com/en-us/evalcenter/evaluate-windows-server-2016
Windows Server 2019	[x]	https://www.microsoft.com/en-us/evalcenter/evaluate-windows-server-2019
Windows Server 2022	[x]	https://www.microsoft.com/en-us/evalcenter/evaluate-windows-server-2022
Windows 10 Enterprise	[x]	https://www.microsoft.com/en-us/evalcenter/evaluate-windows-10-enterprise
Windows 11 Enterprise	[x]	https://www.microsoft.com/en-us/evalcenter/evaluate-windows-11-enterprise
Microsoft SQL Server 2016	[x]	https://www.microsoft.com/en-us/evalcenter/evaluate-sql-server-2016
Microsoft SQL Server 2019	[x]	https://www.microsoft.com/en-us/evalcenter/evaluate-sql-server-2019
Microsoft SQL Server 2022	[x]	https://www.microsoft.com/en-us/evalcenter/evaluate-sql-server-2022
Skype for Business Server 2019	[x]	https://www.microsoft.com/en-us/evalcenter/evaluate-skype-business-server-2019
SharePoint Server 2016	[X]	https://www.microsoft.com/en-us/evalcenter/evaluate-sharepoint-server-2016
SharePoint Server 2019	[x]	https://www.microsoft.com/en-us/evalcenter/evaluate-sharepoint-server-2019
SharePoint Server Subsription Edition	[X]	https://www.microsoft.com/de-DE/download/details.aspx?id=103599
Microsoft Exchange 2016	[]	https://learn.microsoft.com/en-us/exchange/new-features/build-numbers-and-release-dates?view=exchserver-2019&WT.mc_id=M365-MVP-5003086#exchange-server-2016	as there is no ISO for Exchange Server it's best to download it directly into you designated VM (use the latest CU) or build your own ISO from the lates CU
Microsoft Exchange Server 2019	[]	https://learn.microsoft.com/en-us/exchange/new-features/build-numbers-and-release-dates?view=exchserver-2019&WT.mc_id=M365-MVP-5003086#exchange-server-2019	as there is no ISO for Exchange Server it's best to download it directly into you designated VM (use the latest CU) or build your own ISO from the lates CU
Office Online Server	[]		Office Online Server can be downloaded from the Volume Licensing Service Center (VLSC:https://go.microsoft.com/fwlink/p/?LinkId=256561). Office Online Server is a component of Office; therefore, it will be shown under each of the Office product pages including Office Standard 2016, Office Professional Plus 2016, and Office 2016 for Mac Standard.
System Center 2022	[X]	https://www.microsoft.com/en-us/evalcenter/evaluate-system-center-2022
System Center 2019	[X]	https://www.microsoft.com/en-us/evalcenter/evaluate-system-center-2019

the other way is to download the products from your visualstudio subscription: https://my.visualstudio.com/Downloads/Featured as long you own one.

Here you will find some usefull PowerShell scripts, which will make a LAB deployement on Hyper-V (local) faster and hopefully also easier.

Prerequisites

VHDX

The script buids a new VM based on differentiating VHDX File(s), so you need to create one VM Manually and Sysprep the system after updating it to the latest time.

sysprep location: systemdrive:\windows\system32\sysprep

sysprep command: sysprep /oobe /generalize /shutdown

options meaning:

• oobe = (re)activate Out-of-Box-Experience
• generalize = remove any GUID/UUID and such uniq identifiers
• shutdown = Shutdown the VM after sysprep cleanup

Scripts included from 23.09.2022

• VM Prepopulation (Working on GUI and automation)
• Install and Setup AD
• rename and domainjoin VM
• install all prerequisites for office online server
• create ISO file from folder
• Exchange Server prerequisites

Variables used in the scripts (which should be selfexplaining) 🤓😎

Variable	meaning
$VMPrefix = ""	used to set mark (VMname, Network and so on) in case of more then one lab
$VMSwitchName = ""	building the new virtual switch name
$VMPath = ""	where to save the whole VM data
$ISOPath = ""	Where is your path to the ISO files
$ISO = ""	Windows iSO name
$sfbiso = ""	Skype for Business Server iSO name
$exiso = ""	Exchange Server iSO name
$sqliso = ""	SQL Server iSO name
$oosiso = ""	Office Online Server iSO name
$ex13iso = ""	Exchange Server 2013 ISO name
$ex16iso = ""	Exchange Server 2016 ISO name
$ex19iso = ""	Exchange Server 2019 ISO name
$sp16iso = ""	SharePoint Server 2016 ISO name
$sp19iso = ""	SharePoint Server 2019 ISO name
$spseiso = ""	SharePoint Server SE ISO name
$ParentPath = ""	where to find your prepared Windows Server 2019 vhdx file
$Parentws16 = ""	where to find your prepared Windows Server 2016 vhdx file
$Parentws22 = ""	where to find your prepared Windows Server 2022 vhdx file
$VMList = ""	all of your VM machines list
$VM = ""	temporary variable for vm creation

The Preparation script is easy to be enhanced for more then the predefined number of VM's. In the same way you can also add your ISO Files for the staging.