Hyper-V On-The-Go – Sending Files to Your VMs (Part 2)

In a previous blog I discussed methods for sending files to the VMs in your portable lab. Those methods included the following:

1. ISO transfer
2. PowerShell Cmdlet transfer
3. Direct VHD Transfer
4. Network Transfer

I covered the ISO method and discarded the Network method for practicality reasons. In THIS (albeit foreshortened) blog I will be discussing the Direct VHD Copy method. unfortunately there are several issues that make this method really unusable:

1. It is production intrusive as it requires your VM to be shutdown.
2. If your VM has snapshots this method will not work.
3. If you’re using a VHDx instead of a VHD, this method will not work (it will mount in explorer but not grant admin access, any attempt to override will corrupt the image and pretty much torpedo your VM).

Given the very narrow application for this method and it’s limitation to rusting-edge VMs using outdated file types and the ease of corruptibility, I really do NOT recommend attempting this method. Hyper-V really does not play well with external manipulation of its core files.

So now you’re thinking “Well that’s just great, this topic had it’s own blog entry and now there’s nothing to it! False advertising says I!!” but I would have you consider my motives first.

I’ve included this part so that you would be aware of the problems and limitations with this method and to save you much time and aggravation re-inventing the wheel. Furthermore, if you are building a portable lab to support one of our current day customers, you are not going to be using the really old VMs that this method would work on. Your time is limited enough without having to review a method you will most likely never need to use.

That being said, I look forward to continuing our “Boldly-Going” series and the next section (part 3) on using PowerShell to copy files to your VM. Until then “Lab long and prosper!“.

More Blogs in the ‘Boldly Going” Series

1. Hardware Considerations for Portable Labs
2. Enabling the Hyper-V Engine
3. Reclaiming Drivespace
4. Sending Files to Your VMs (Part 1)
5. Sending Files to Your VMs (Part 2)
6. Sending Files to Your VMs (Part 3)
7. Changing the Lab VM State
8. Lab Maintenance (pending)