Issue

Use this article to troubleshoot Hyper-V incompatibility when running a nested Workstation VM on ZSphere.

Symptoms

• A nested Workstation VM cannot start inside a Windows Server 2016 VM.
• An error reports Hyper-V incompatibility or an inability to obtain the vmci driver.

Environment

• Product: ZVF
• Version: 4.x
• Component: ZSphere
• Affected object: nested virtualization
• Scenario: VM runtime issues. Confirm the current version, deployment topology, storage type, and operation timeline.

Possible causes

• Nested virtualization is not enabled, or CPU virtualization features are not exposed to the guest OS.
• The Hyper-V, VMware Workstation, and virtualization-hiding parameter combination is incompatible.
• Virtualization security features such as VBS and Device Guard in the guest OS conflict with nested virtualization capabilities.
• The vmci driver or Workstation configuration in the guest OS is abnormal.

Resolution

Perform the following checks in sequence, and record the affected objects, occurrence time, complete error messages, and current state.

1. Confirm that this is a nested-virtualization scenario. Assess performance and support boundaries before use in a production environment.
2. Enable CPU passthrough for the target VM and disable CPU virtualization hiding.
3. Enable or adjust Hyper-V-related features as required by the guest OS.
4. Check the VBS, Device Guard, and Hyper-V states in the guest OS, and verify the host CPU virtualization-passthrough configuration.
5. If the vmci driver error persists, collect guest OS event logs and Workstation errors.

Remediation

1. Enable CPU passthrough for the target VM and disable CPU virtualization hiding.
2. Adjust Hyper-V, VBS, or Device Guard settings as required by the guest OS and Workstation, then restart the VM.

Verification

• The nested Workstation VM starts normally without Hyper-V incompatibility or vmci driver errors.
• The states of related virtualization features in the guest OS match the intended configuration.

Notes

• Disabling Hyper-V, VBS, or Device Guard can affect existing software and security policies. Confirm the service purpose before making changes.