Working with Nested Virtualization on Amazon WorkSpaces
Desktop & Application Streaming Blog
This article explains nested virtualization on Amazon WorkSpaces Personal and Core bundles, which enables processor-level virtualization extensions to support Hyper-V and KVM workloads at no additional cost.
- Nested virtualization exposes a second hypervisor level inside WorkSpaces, enabling tools like Docker Desktop, WSL2, and AI agents with sandboxed execution.
- Supported on Windows Server 2019/2022/2025, Windows 11, Ubuntu 22.04+, RHEL 8+, and Rocky 8+ with DCV or BYOP protocol.
- Requires non-GPU bundles (Power or higher recommended) and excludes China (Ningxia) and Israel (Tel Aviv) regions.
- Credential Guard and VBS are automatically disabled when nested virtualization is enabled on Windows WorkSpaces.
- Nested VMs consume additional compute resources; Power (4 vCPU) or higher bundles recommended for optimal performance.
- Not supported with AutoStop mode on Windows Server 2025/Windows 11 24H2/25H2, GPU bundles, or Standby WorkSpaces.
Nested virtualization removes barriers for developer-focused virtual desktop deployments, enabling use of virtualization-dependent tools within managed WorkSpaces environments.
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