Non-uniform memory access: a multiprocessor design where every group of processors, called a NUMA node, gets to its own memory quicker than to memory belonging to other nodes. Hyper-V presents a virtual NUMA layout to guest VMs.
Also called Non-Uniform Memory Access.
Read more: Microsoft Learn
In the Ultra Transcenders books
Each book explains NUMA in context, with comparison tables and the common traps.
Terms in this definition
- WHERE
Limits a SELECT, UPDATE or DELETE to just the rows meeting a condition. Omit it, and the statement hits every row.
- Hyper-V
The hypervisor built into Windows. The VMs for the Azure Extended Network appliance require the Hyper-V role, using nested virtualisation, and an external virtual switch for each NIC.
- Virtual NUMA
Exposes the host's NUMA layout inside a Hyper-V VM, so guest software that understands NUMA can arrange threads and memory for best performance.
- Virtual machines
Infrastructure-as-a-service compute giving complete control of the operating system, making it a fit for lift-and-shift moves and for software relying on OS-level pieces like COM.
Related terms
- NUMA spanning
A Hyper-V host option allowing a single guest to draw on processors and RAM belonging to more than one NUMA node, which costs some performance. On Windows Server 2025, any guest whose virtual core count exceeds what one node offers requires it.