With Windows Server 2012 and the latest Hyper-V, Microsoft has also released a new version of their virtual hard drive file. This file, with the extension VHDX, can do much more than the older VHD file. Here are the highights:
- VHDX files can be up to 64 TB in size as opposed to 2 TB for VHD files.
- VHDX files have a 4K block size, which can improve performance.
- Updated metadata structures help to prevent data loss during power failures.
The size difference alone is worth a look as it can enable Hyper-V to support ever-increasing workload sizes.