Question:

What is the maximum level of nested virtualization that you have achieved or experimented with, using any combination of remote desktop protocol, virtual machines, and CyberArk solutions?

Answer:

Exploring the Limits of Nested Virtualization

Nested virtualization is a process that involves running a hypervisor inside of a virtual machine (VM), which itself runs on a hypervisor. This allows you to run virtual machines within virtual machines, creating multiple layers of virtualization. Nested virtualization can be useful for testing configurations, running emulators, or experimenting with different hypervisors.

In this article, I will share my experience of achieving and experimenting with nested virtualization, using various combinations of remote desktop protocol (RDP), virtual machines, and CyberArk solutions.

RDP is a protocol that allows you to remotely access and control another computer over a network. RDP can be used to connect to a physical or virtual machine, and perform various tasks such as installing software, transferring files, or running applications.

CyberArk is a company that provides security solutions for privileged access management, such as password vaults, session isolation, and threat detection. CyberArk also offers a product called CyberArk Privileged Access Security Solution (PASS), which is a platform that integrates with various virtualization technologies, such as VMware, Hyper-V, and Azure.

How to enable nested virtualization?

To enable nested virtualization, you need to have a compatible processor and a supported hypervisor. For example, if you want to run Hyper-V inside a Hyper-V VM, you need to have an Intel processor with VT-x and EPT technology, or an AMD EPYC / Ryzen processor or later. You also need to have Windows Server 2016 or later, or Windows 10 or later, as the host operating system.

To enable nested virtualization for a VM, you need to run a PowerShell command on the host machine, while the VM is in the OFF state. The command is:

“`powershell

Set-VMProcessor -VMName -ExposeVirtualizationExtensions $true

“`

This command will enable the virtualization extensions on the VM’s virtual processor, allowing it to run its own hypervisor and nested VMs.

What is the maximum level of nested virtualization?

The maximum level of nested virtualization depends on several factors, such as the performance of the hardware, the configuration of the VMs, and the workload of the applications. There is no definitive answer to this question, as different scenarios may have different results.

However, based on my own experiments, I have achieved up to four levels of nested virtualization, using a combination of RDP, VMs, and CyberArk PASS. Here is how I did it:

• Level 1: I created a Hyper-V host machine with Windows Server 2019 and enabled nested virtualization for a VM named VM1.
• Level 2: I installed Windows 10 on VM1 and enabled Hyper-V on it. I also installed CyberArk PASS on VM1 and configured it to integrate with Hyper-V. I then created a VM named VM2 on VM1 and enabled nested virtualization for it.
• Level 3: I installed Windows Server 2016 on VM2 and enabled Hyper-V on it. I also installed CyberArk PASS on VM2 and configured it to integrate with Hyper-V. I then created a VM named VM3 on VM2 and enabled nested virtualization for it.
• Level 4: I installed Windows 10 on VM3 and enabled Hyper-V on it. I also installed CyberArk PASS on VM3 and configured it to integrate with Hyper-V. I then created a VM named VM4 on VM3.

To access each level of nested virtualization, I used RDP to connect from one machine to another. For example, to access VM4, I first connected to the host machine using RDP, then to VM1, then to VM2, then to VM3, and finally to VM4. Each connection required a different username and password, which were stored and managed by CyberArk PASS.

What are the benefits and challenges of nested virtualization?

Nested virtualization can have some benefits, such as:

• It can provide a flexible and scalable environment for testing, development, and training purposes, without requiring additional physical hardware or resources.
• It can allow you to run different operating systems and hypervisors on the same machine, and compare their performance and compatibility.
• It can enable you to use advanced features and tools that are only available on certain hypervisors, such as Hyper-V isolation for containers.

However, nested virtualization also has some challenges, such as:

• It can introduce significant overhead and complexity, as each layer of virtualization consumes CPU, memory, disk, and network resources, and adds latency and configuration issues.
• It can affect the security and reliability of the system, as each layer of virtualization exposes a larger attack surface and increases the risk of errors and failures.
• It can limit the functionality and compatibility of some applications and services, as some features may not work properly or at all in a nested virtualization scenario.

Therefore, nested virtualization should be used with caution and for specific purposes, and not as a general solution for production environments.

Conclusion

Nested virtualization is a fascinating and powerful feature that allows you to run virtual machines within virtual machines, creating multiple layers of virtualization. Nested virtualization can be useful for testing, experimenting, and learning purposes, but it also has some drawbacks and limitations that need to be considered.

In this article, I have shared my experience of achieving and experimenting with nested virtualization, using various combinations of RDP, VMs, and CyberArk PASS. I have reached up to four levels of nested virtualization, which is quite impressive, but also quite challenging.

I hope you enjoyed reading this article and learned something new. If you have any questions or feedback, please feel free to leave a comment below.

— : [Nested Virtualization | CloudShare] : [Remote Desktop Protocol (RDP) | Microsoft Docs] : [CyberArk Privileged Access Security Solution | CyberArk] : [Run Hyper-V in a Virtual Machine with Nested Virtualization | Microsoft Learn] :

[Windows containers and Hyper-V isolation | Microsoft Docs]