Setting Default Dynamic Memory Values

Q: In Hyper-V's Dynamic Memory feature, do the default values automatically change based on the workload running on the virtual machine?

A: No. Dynamic Memory allows you to specify an initial amount of memory (startup), a minimum amount of memory, and a maximum amount of memory. When the virtual machine (VM) first starts, it's allocated the startup memory value. After the Hyper-V integration services load, the working set (i.e., the memory used by processes) is monitored and additional memory is added if necessary, where available in the host—or memory might be removed if it's no longer required. There is no automatic customization of the values configured for a VM based on the workload, which is why it's important to set realistic values—especially for the startup value, to ensure the operating system can boot and launch the initial workloads. Note that if you're using a management solution such as System Center Virtual Machine Manager (VMM), you can create different templates that are workload-specific and that have customized values for memory allocation.