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Ive read that when running svc 2008 as a guest on hyperv 2008 that the host should not be joined to the domain because on restart if the host it presents a chicken and egg problem. I have been reading about hyperv 2012 and its recommended that it should be part of the domain but nothing is mentioned about SBS 2011.

If I will be running SBS 2011 as a guest on hyperv server 2012 should the host be joined to the svc domain? Does the answer change if there will be another physical server which is also a dc and part of the sbs domain?

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  • sobs 2011? What's that? – MDMarra Dec 12 '13 at 2:51
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    You should never get a chicken-and-egg problem because you should always have one bare-metal domain controller. For Small Business Server you can only have on DC, so if it is a guest (to which I'd ask, why?) then I'd make the Hyper-V parent a workgroup member. – Greenstone Walker Dec 12 '13 at 3:24
  • @MDMarra It's an autocorrect mistake. – Andy Dec 12 '13 at 15:23
  • @GreenstoneWalker You may have more than one DC in an SBS domain; the second server is explicitly mentioned in that context: download.microsoft.com/download/4/5/C/… Also: blogs.technet.com/b/sbs/archive/2007/10/04/… I see no evidence this has changed with SBS 2011. – Andy Dec 12 '13 at 15:39
  • @GreenstoneWalker To answer your second question, I run a small software development business from my house so I'm trying to keep the number of physicals small (max 2). SBS 2011 will be a guest, along with other virtuals (which will not always be running) so that I can more easily replicate my clients environments. Also, always needing a new physical server to move to the next SBS has been a pain (although when I move from SBS 2011 it will be to a normal Windows network as there will be no more SBS, sadly). – Andy Dec 12 '13 at 15:41
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The issue of needing a domain controller to start Hyper-V is more problematic when you are running a Hyper-V cluster as it leverages failover clustering in windows which requires the domain to start the services. A standalone Hyper-V host joined to the domain would still be able to start, have an admin login with either cached creds or the local admin account and start the virtual DC. Hyper-V 2012 now has the ability to start the cluster without a DC available as well (but you still need a domain built first to build the cluster in the first place).

That being said, regardless of if you join your Hyper-V host to the domain, I would still recommend having a physical DC.

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  • I won't be having a cluster (my home business is very small). The SBS would be a guest of the hyper-v host, but I'm planning on using the other physical server as a DC. The other physical server will not be running Hyper-V. Does that impact your answer at all? – Andy Dec 12 '13 at 15:43
  • Doesn't impact my answer. – Rex Dec 12 '13 at 15:49

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