Im a programmer and Im trying to build up my personal Lab. I have a machine with Hyper-V Standalone Server 2012 R2 installed. I need to create VMs which will be used for testing applications, creating small virtual networks for learning Networking Basics and other learning purpose. None of these VMs are gonna exist for long, as I will be deleting them as their purpose is served and then Im gonna create some new ones.

So, definitely I need some Cloning-type feature that is available on VMWare. Im aware of the Export-Import feature available on Hyper-V. What I'm really confused with is this Sysprep tool, as I found articles saying this tool actually prepare the VHD to be used with new VMs, and it assigns new SID, MAC, GUID etc so that new cloned VM doesnt conflict with existing ones.

Id like to know

1. What is the difference between using Export-Import and using Sysprep? If I use the Export-Import feature, do I still need to Sysprep the guest? What Sysprep really does?
   
2. For my scenario do I need to use Sysprep?
3. What is the best procedure (steps) to create a Template VM for my scenario?

Export import generate totally same vm for you. Sysprep tool can generate different sid. If you do not use sysprep you can not join your clone vm in same domain.

if you do not have domain you do not need sysprep. Just change ip adress and hostname

it is correct about cloning and the same sid - but you can do the same with just change the system to a workgroup (be sure that the cloned vm has disabled all network.interfaces because of possible troubles with the cloned computer account in tge ads) with different system-host-name and after you join the workgroup-joined host back to your domain