Hyper-V supports the Virtualizing of Windows domain controllers in production environments, where as in previous versions of Microsoft virtualization technology, this was not recommended. There are a few best practices to keep in mind when managing downtime associated with a virtualized DC.

Whenever you need to take a virtualized domain controller offline for maintenance it is a best practice to always fully shut down the VM completely. You should never use the “Save State” option, and you should also never pause the VM for a great deal of time. Lastly, don’t plan on taking a snapshot of a virtualized domain controller and restoring it elsewhere. Performing any of these actions could result in synchronization and replication issues that will prevent your domain controller from functioning properly.