Vmware Server User'S Guide

VMware Server Users Guide
VMware Server 2.0


Item: EN-000057-00
You can find the most up-to-date technical documentation on the VMware Web site at:
http://www.vmware.com/support/
The VMware Web site also provides the latest product updates.
If you have comments about this documentation, submit your feedback to:
docfeedback@vmware.com
2008 VMware, Inc. All rights reserved. Protected by one or more U.S. Patent Nos. 6,397,242,
6,496,847, 6,704,925, 6,711,672, 6,725,289, 6,735,601, 6,785,886, 6,789,156, 6,795,966, 6,880,022,
6,944,699, 6,961,806, 6,961,941, 7,069,413, 7,082,598, 7,089,377, 7,111,086, 7,111,145, 7,117,481,
7,149,843, 7,155,558, 7,222,221, 7,260,815, 7,260,820, 7,269,683, 7,275,136, 7,277,998, 7,277,999,
7,278,030, 7,281,102, 7,290,253, 7,356,679, 7,409,487, 7,412,492, 7,412,702, and 7,424,710; patents
pending.
VMware, the VMware boxes logo and design, Virtual SMP, and VMotion are registered trademarks or
trademarks of VMware, Inc. in the United States and/or other jurisdictions. All other marks and names
mentioned herein may be trademarks of their respective companies.
VMware, Inc.
3401 Hillview Ave.
Palo Alto, CA 94304
www.vmware.com
2 VMware, Inc.
Contents
AboutThisBook 13
RevisionHistory 13
IntendedAudience 13
DocumentFeedback 14
TechnicalSupportandEducationResources 14
OnlineandTelephoneSupport 14
SupportOfferings 14
VMwareProfessionalServices 14
ReportingProblems 15
LogFiles 16
1 IntroductionandSystemRequirements 19
VMwareServerProductBenefits 19
NewFeaturesofVMwareServer2.0 20
WebBasedInterface 20
VMwareRemoteConsole 21
IncreasedMemorySupport 21
IncreaseinNumberofNetworkAdaptersSupported 21
QuiescedBackupsofVirtualMachinesonWindows 21
SupportforHighSpeedUSB2.0Devices 21
AdditionalHostOperatingSystemSupport 22
AdditionalGuestOperatingSystemSupport 22
Improved64BitGuestSupport 22
64BitSoundDriver 22
Native64BitHostSupportonLinux 22
UpdatedVIXAPI 23
VMCISocketsInterface 23
AbouttheHostandGuestComputers 23
HostSystemRequirements 23
PCHardware 23
Memory 24
DiskDrives 24
LocalAreaNetworking 25
VMware, Inc. 3
WindowsHostOperatingSystems 25
LinuxHostOperatingSystemRequirements 26
VIWebAccessandVMwareRemoteConsoleClientSystemRequirements 27
VirtualMachineSpecifications 28
Processor 28
ChipSet 28
BIOS 28
Memory 29
Graphics 29
IDEDrives 29
SCSIDevices 29
PCISlots 29
FloppyDrives 30
Serial(COM)Ports 30
Parallel(LPT)Ports 30
USBPorts 30
Keyboard 30
MouseandDrawingTablets 30
EthernetCard 30
VirtualNetworking 31
Sound 31
SupportedGuestOperatingSystems 31
ProcessorSupportfor64BitGuestOperatingSystems 33
2 InstallingVMwareServer 35
InstallationPrerequisites 35
PreparingtoInstallVMwareServer 36
SharingaVMwareServerHostwithOtherVMwareProducts 36
InstallingVMwareServeronaWindowsHost 37
InstallingVMwareServerSilently 39
UninstallingVMwareServeronaWindowsHost 41
InstallingVMwareServeronaLinuxHost 41
ConfiguringVMwareServeronaLinuxHostUsingvmwareconfig.pl 42
UninstallingVMwareServeronaLinuxHost 43
UninstallingatarInstallationofVMwareServer 43
UninstallinganRPMInstallationofVMwareServer 44
UpgradingfromVMwareServer1 44
WheretoGoNext 45
4 VMware, Inc.
Contents
3 LearningVMwareServerBasics:UsingVIWebAccess 47
OverviewofVIWebAccess 48
UsingtheVMwareServerHostWorkspace 49
UsingtheVirtualMachineWorkspace 50
ViewingVirtualMachineSummaryInformation 51
InstallingtheVMwareRemoteConsoleAddOn 52
StartingVMwareRemoteConsolefromtheConsoleTab 53
UsingVIWebAccessMenuOptions 54
ApplicationMenu 54
VirtualMachineMenu 55
AdministrationMenu 56
ViewingVMwareServerandVirtualMachineTasks 56
ViewingVMwareServerandVirtualMachineEvents 57
LoggingOut 57
4 CreatingandUpgradingVirtualMachines 59
BeforeYouCreateaVirtualMachine 59
VirtualMachineLocation 59
GuestOperatingSystem 60
ProductCompatibility(VirtualMachineHardwareVersion) 61
AmountofMemory 61
NumberofProcessors 62
HardDiskTypeandProperties 62
NetworkConnectionType 64
UsingtheNewVirtualMachineWizard 65
InstallingtheGuestOperatingSystem 68
UpdatingtheGuestOperatingSystem 71
UpgradingtheVirtualMachineVersion 72
5 InstallingandUsingVMwareTools 73
ComponentsofVMwareTools 73
VMwareToolsService 74
VMwareDeviceDrivers 74
VMwareUserProcess 75
VMwareToolsControlPanel 75
ManuallyInstallingVMwareToolsinaWindowsGuestSystem 76
ConfiguringtheVideoDriveronOlderVersionsofWindows 77
InstallingVMwareToolsinaLinuxGuestSystem 80
InstallingVMwareToolsinaSolarisGuestSystem 84
InstallingVMwareToolsinaFreeBSDGuestSystem 86
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InstallingVMwareToolsinaNetWareGuestSystem 88
StartingtheVMwareUserProcessManuallyIfYouDoNotUseaSession
ManageronUNIX 89
UpdatingVMwareTools 90
UninstallingVMwareTools 91
RepairingorChangingVMwareTools 91
UsingtheVMwareToolsControlPanel 91
UsingtheWindowsControlPaneltoDisplaytheTaskbarIcon 92
OptionsTab 93
DevicesTab 94
ScriptsTab 94
SharedFoldersTab 95
ShrinkTab 95
AboutTab 95
ConfiguringVMwareToolsinaNetWareGuest 96
CustomizingVMwareTools 97
HowVMwareToolsScriptsAffectPowerStates 97
ExecutingCommandsAfterYouPowerOfforResetaVirtualMachine 101
PassingaStringfromtheHosttotheGuestatStartup 101
PassingInformationBetweentheGuestandAnotherProgram 104
UsingtheVMwareToolsCommandLineInterface 104
6 ManagingVMwareServer 107
AddingaVirtualMachinetotheInventory 108
RemovingaVirtualMachinefromtheInventory 108
PerformingPowerOperationsonVirtualMachines 109
ManagingDatastores 110
AddingDatastores 110
RenamingDatastores 111
RemovingDatastores 112
RefreshingDatastores 112
EditingHostWideMemoryandSnapshotSettings 113
ConfiguringHostMemory 113
EnablingandDisablingBackgroundSnapshots 115
ConfiguringVirtualMachineStartupandShutdownSettings 115
EnablingSystemWideStartupandShutdownSettings 116
SpecifyingtheStartupandShutdownOrderforVirtualMachines 117
CustomizingtheStartupandShutdownSettingsforIndividualVirtual
Machines 117
EnablingQuiescedBackupsofVirtualMachinesonWindows 118
6 VMware, Inc.
Contents
7 RunningVirtualMachines 121
RunningVMwareTools 122
ChangingthePowerStateofaVirtualMachine 122
ChangingVirtualMachineSnapshotSettings 126
LockingtheSnapshot 126
SettingSnapshotPowerOffOptions 127
ChangingVirtualMachineAdvancedSettings 127
DeletingaVirtualMachine 130
UsingVMwareRemoteConsole 130
InteractingwiththeGuestOperatingSystem 131
EnteringandLeavingFullScreenMode 131
ConnectingandDisconnectingClientDevices 132
ResettingandPoweringOff 132
ViewingtheMessageLog 133
QuittingVMwareRemoteConsole 133
GeneratingandSharingVirtualMachineShortcuts 133
GeneratingaWebShortcut 133
GeneratingaVMwareRemoteConsoleDesktopShortcut 134
EditingNotesintheVirtualMachineSummaryTab 135
EditingtheHardwareConfigurationofaVirtualMachine 135
AddingHardwaretoaVirtualMachine 137
InstallingNewSoftwareinaVirtualMachine 138
8 ConfiguringVirtualMachineHardware 141
ConfiguringHardDisks 141
HardDiskTypesandProperties 142
AddingaHardDisktoaVirtualMachine 144
EditingaVirtualHardDisk 145
RemovingaHardDiskfromaVirtualMachine 146
VirtualDiskMaintenanceTasks 147
ConfiguringCD/DVDDrives 150
CD/DVDDriveTypeandProperties 150
AddingaCD/DVDDrivetoaVirtualMachine 151
EditingaVirtualCD/DVDDrive 152
RemovingaCD/DVDDrivefromaVirtualMachine 153
ConfiguringFloppyDrives 154
AddingaFloppyDrivetoaVirtualMachine 154
EditingaVirtualFloppyDrive 155
RemovingaFloppyDrivefromaVirtualMachine 156
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ConfiguringPassthrough(Generic)SCSIDevices 156
AddingaPassthrough(Generic)SCSIDevicetoaVirtualMachine 157
EditingaVirtualPassthrough(Generic)SCSIDevice 158
RemovingaPassthrough(Generic)SCSIDevicefromaVirtualMachine 158
ConfiguringSCSIControllers 159
ConfiguringUSBControllersandDevices 159
AddingaUSBControllertoaVirtualMachine 159
RemovingaUSBControllerfromaVirtualMachine 160
ConnectingUSBDevices 160
UsingUSBDevicesinaVirtualMachine 161
DisconnectingUSBDevicesfromaVirtualMachine 164
ConfiguringSound 164
AddingaSoundAdaptertoaVirtualMachine 165
EditingaVirtualSoundAdapter 165
RemovingaSoundAdapterfromaVirtualMachine 166
ConfiguringSerialPorts 166
AddingaSerialPorttoaVirtualMachine 166
EditingaVirtualSerialPort 169
RemovingaSerialPortfromaVirtualMachine 170
SerialPortGeneralUsageExamples 170
SerialPortDebuggingUsageExamples 174
ConfiguringParallelPorts 177
AddingaParallelPorttoaVirtualMachine 177
EditingaVirtualParallelPort 178
RemovingaParallelPortfromaVirtualMachine 179
UsingParallelPorts 179
ConfiguringaParallelPortonaWindowsHost 179
ConfiguringaParallelPortonaLinuxHost 180
NotesforUsingtheIomegaZipDrive 184
KeyboardMappingonLinuxHosts 184
9 PreservingtheStateofaVirtualMachine 193
SuspendingandResumingVirtualMachines 193
ConfiguringHardSuspendorSoftSuspend 194
SuspendingorResumingaVirtualMachine 195
UsingSnapshots 195
WhattoUseSnapshotsFor 195
WhatIsCapturedbyaSnapshot 196
ActivitiesThatConflictwithSnapshots 196
EnablingandDisablingBackgroundSnapshotsforAllVirtualMachines 197
SnapshotsandaVirtualMachinesHardDisks 197
8 VMware, Inc.
Contents
ExcludingVirtualDisksfromSnapshots 198
TakingaSnapshot 198
RevertingtoaSnapshot 199
RemovingaSnapshot 199
LockingaSnapshot 199
10 ManagingRolesandPermissions 201
AccessElements 201
ManagingUsers 203
ManagingGroups 203
ManagingRoles 203
CreatingRoles 204
EditingandRenamingRoles 205
RemovingRoles 205
ManagingPermissions 206
CreatingPermissions 206
EditingPermissions 207
RemovingPermissions 208
RulesforPermissionPropagation 208
11 ConfiguringaVirtualNetwork 211
NetworkBasics 212
ComponentsoftheVirtualNetwork 213
VirtualNetworkSwitch 213
InternalDHCPServer 214
VirtualNetworkAdapter 214
HostVirtualAdapter 214
CommonNetworkingConfigurations 215
BridgedNetworking 215
NetworkAddressTranslation(NAT) 216
HostOnlyNetworking 218
ExampleCustomNetworkingConfiguration 219
ChangingtheNetworkingConfiguration 222
RefreshingtheNetwork 223
AddingaNetworkAdaptertoaVirtualMachine 223
EditingaVirtualNetworkAdapter 224
RemovingaNetworkAdapterfromaVirtualMachine 225
ConfiguringBridgedNetworkingOptionsonaWindowsHost 225
Enabling,Disabling,Adding,andRemovingHostVirtualAdapters 227
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AdvancedNetworkingTopics 230
SelectingIPAddressesonaHostOnlyNetworkorNATConfiguration 230
AvoidingIPPacketLeakageinaHostOnlyNetwork 232
MaintainingandChangingtheMACAddressofaVirtualMachine 234
ControllingRoutingforaHostOnlyNetworkonaLinuxHost 235
PotentialIssueswithHostOnlyNetworkingonaLinuxHost 236
SettingUpaSecondBridgedNetworkInterfaceonaLinuxHost 237
ConfiguringBridgedNetworkingWhenUsingTeamedNetworkInterface
Cards 238
SettingUpTwoSeparateHostOnlyNetworks 240
RoutingBetweenTwoHostOnlyNetworks 243
UsingVirtualNetworkAdaptersinPromiscuousModeonaLinuxHost 247
UnderstandingNAT 248
UsingNAT 248
TheHostComputerandtheNATNetwork 249
DHCPontheNATNetwork 249
DNSontheNATNetwork 249
ExternalAccessfromtheNATNetwork 250
AdvancedNATConfiguration 251
CustomNATandDHCPConfigurationonaWindowsHost 254
ConsiderationsforUsingNAT 255
UsingNATwithNetLogon 255
SampleLinuxvmnetnat.confFile 257
UsingSambaforFileSharingonaLinuxHost 258
UsingtheVirtualNetworkEditor 267
SummaryTab 267
AutomaticBridgingTab 268
HostVirtualNetworkMappingTab 268
HostVirtualAdaptersTab 269
DHCPTab 269
NATTab 270
12 PerformanceTuningforVMwareServer 273
ConfiguringandMaintainingtheHostSystem 273
DefragmentingHardDisks 274
MaintainingAdequateFreeDiskSpace 274
EnablingDiskWriteCachingonWindowsHosts 274
ConfiguringSwapSpaceonLinuxHosts 274
IncreasingNICInterruptCoalescing 275
10 VMware, Inc.
Contents
CalculatingMemoryRequirementstoAllowforVirtualMachine
Overhead 275
ConfiguringHostWideVirtualMachineMemoryUsage 275
AllocatingMemorytoaVirtualMachine 277
EditingVirtualMachineMemory 277
UsingTwoWayVirtualSymmetricMultiprocessing 278
EditingVirtualProcessors 279
ConfiguringandMaintainingGuestOperatingSystems 279
InstallingLinuxGuestOperatingSystemsinTextMode 279
SelectingtheCorrectGuestOperatingSystem 279
InstallingVMwareTools 280
TemporarilyDisablingAccelerationintheGuestOperatingSystem 280
AvoidingRemoteDiskAccess 280
ManagingSnapshotsandVirtualDisks 280
DisablingDebuggingMode 281
DisablingCD/DVDDrivePolling 281
DisablingFadeEffectsinWindows2000,WindowsXP,andWindowsServer
2003 282
DisablingVisualEffectsinWindows98 282
ConfiguringSwapFileUsageinWindows95andWindows98 282
EnablingHardwareAccelerationinWindowsServer2003 282
ConfiguringDirectMemoryAccess(DMA)DiskSettings 283
UsingDMAinWindowsNTGuestsonMultiprocessorHostSystems 284
MonitoringVirtualMachinePerformanceonWindowsHosts 284
13 ConfiguringClusteringonWindowsHosts 287
OverviewofClusteringwithVMwareServer 287
ClusteringSoftwareRequirements 288
ApplicationsThatCanUseClustering 288
UsingSCSIReservationtoShareVirtualSCSIDisks 288
SCSIReservationPrerequisitesandRestrictions 289
EnablingSCSIReservation 289
CreatingaClusterinaBox 291
ConfiguringVirtualMachinesforClusterinaBox 292
CreatingaTwoNodeClusterwithMicrosoftClusteringServices 293
VMware, Inc. 11
A DefinedPrivileges 299
Alarms 300
Datacenter 301
Datastore 301
Extensions 302
Folders 303
Global 303
HostCIM 305
HostConfiguration 306
HostInventory 308
HostLocalOperations 309
Network 310
Performance 310
Permissions 311
Resource 311
ScheduledTask 313
Sessions 313
Tasks 314
VirtualMachineConfiguration 314
VirtualMachineInteraction 317
VirtualMachineInventory 319
VirtualMachineProvisioning 319
VirtualMachineState 321
B FilesThatMakeUpaVirtualMachine 323
FilesThatMakeUpaVirtualMachine 323
Glossary 327
Index 335
12 VMware, Inc.
About This Book
TheVMwareServerUsersGuideprovidesinformationaboutinstallingandusing
VMwareServer2.
Revision History
Thismanualisrevisedwitheachreleaseoftheproductorwhennecessary.Arevised
versioncancontainminorormajorchanges.Table 1summarizesthesignificant
changesineachversionofthismanual.
Table 1. Revision History

Revision Description
20080828 FirstversionoftheVMwareServer2.0documentation.
Toviewthemostcurrentversionofthemanual,seetheVMwareWebsite:
http://www.vmware.com/support/pubs/server_pubs.html
Intended Audience
Thisbookisintendedforanyonewhoneedstoinstall,upgrade,configure,oruse
VMwareServer.VMwareServeruserstypicallyworkinsmallandmediumsized
businesses,doingsoftwaredevelopmentandtestingorworkingwithmultiple
operatingsystemsorcomputingenvironments.Usersincludesoftwaredevelopers,QA
engineers,trainers,salespeoplewhorundemos,andanyonewhowantstocreate
virtualmachines.
VMware, Inc. 13
Document Feedback
VMwarewelcomesyoursuggestionsforimprovingourdocumentation.Ifyouhave
comments,sendyourfeedbackto:
docfeedback@vmware.com
Technical Support and Education Resources

Thefollowingsectionsdescribethetechnicalsupportresourcesavailabletoyou.To
accessthemostcurrentversionofthisbookandotherbooks,goto:
http://www.vmware.com/support/pubs
Online and Telephone Support

Useonlinesupporttosubmittechnicalsupportrequests,viewyourproductand
contractinformation,andregisteryourproducts.Goto:
http://www.vmware.com/support
Customerswithappropriatesupportcontractsshouldusetelephonesupportforthe
fastestresponseonpriority1issues.Goto:
http://www.vmware.com/support/phone_support.html
Support Offerings
FindouthowVMwaresupportofferingscanhelpmeetyourbusinessneeds.Goto:
http://www.vmware.com/support/services
VMware Professional Services

VMwareEducationServicescoursesofferextensivehandsonlabs,casestudy
examples,andcoursematerialsdesignedtobeusedasonthejobreferencetools.
Coursesareavailableonsite,intheclassroom,andliveonline.Foronsitepilotprograms
andimplementationbestpractices,VMwareConsultingServiceshelpsyouassess,
plan,build,andmanageyourvirtualenvironment.Toaccessinformationabout
educationclasses,certificationprograms,andconsultingservices,goto:
http://www.vmware.com/services
14 VMware, Inc.
About This Book
Reporting Problems
IfyouhaveproblemswhilerunningVMwareServer,reportthemtotheVMware
supportteam.Youmustfirstregisteryourserialnumber.Thenyoucanreportyour
problemsbysubmittingasupportrequestto:
http://www.vmware.com/requestsupport
Logfilesareneededtodiagnoseandreportproblems.Therequiredlogfilesdependon
theproblemyouencounter.
Youcansimplifytheprocessofcollectingtheinformationbyrunningthesupportscript
tocollectthelogfilesandsysteminformation.Followtheprocedurethatappliesto
yourhostcomputer.
NOTEThesupportscriptrunsonlyontheVMwareServerhost.Ifyouencounter
problemsonaremoteclient,youmustcollectthelogfilesmanually.
To run the support script on a Linux host
1 Openaterminalwindow.
2 Runthesupportscriptastherootuser:
vm-support
Ifyoudonotrunthescriptasroot,thescriptdisplaysmessagesindicatingthatit
cannotcollectsomeinformation.Thisisnormal.IftheVMwaresupportteam
needsthatinformation,asupportrepresentativemightaskyoutorunthescript
again,asroot.
Thescriptcreatesacompressed.tgzfileinthecurrentdirectory.
3 Includetheoutputfilewithyoursupportrequest.
Ifyourvirtualmachinesareinstalledinanonstandardlocation,thescriptmight
notpickupalltherequireddata.Makesurethatthe*.log and*.vmxfilesfrom
yourvirtualmachinefoldersareincludedwiththefilesyousend.
VMware, Inc. 15
To run the support script on a Windows host
1 Openacommandprompt.
2 ChangetotheVMwareServerprogramdirectory.Thedefaultdirectoryis:
C:\Program Files\VMware\VMware Server
3 Runthesupportscript:
cscript vm-support.vbs
Afterthescriptruns,itdisplaysthenameandlocationofthezippedoutput.
Log Files
ThefollowinglogfilesaregeneratedbyVMwareServerandcollectedbythesupport
script.
Virtual Machine Log File

Ifavirtualmachineexitsabnormallyorcrashes,runthesupportscriptorsavethe
virtualmachinelogfilesbeforeyourestartthevirtualmachine.
Thevirtualmachinelogfilesarelocatedinthesamedirectoryasthevirtualmachine
configuration(.vmx)file.IntheCommandssectionofthevirtualmachinesSummary
tab,clickConfigureVM.ThepathtotheconfigurationfileisshownintheGeneraltab.
OnWindowsandLinuxhosts,thefilesarenamedvmware-<n>.log.
Alsosaveanydump(Windows)orcore(Linux)files.
VMware Host Agent Log File

TheVMwareHostAgentwritesinformationtologfiles.
OnaWindowsandLinuxhosts,thefilesarenamedhostd-<n>.log.
OnWindowshosts,thefilesarelocatedinthedirectory
<%ALLUSERSPROFILE%>\VMware\VMware Server.
Forexample:
C:\Documents and Settings\All Users\Application Data\VMware\VMware Server
OnLinuxhostsystems,thefilesarelocatedinthedirectory/var/log/vmware.
VMware Authorization Service Log File

YoucanmanuallyenableloggingfortheVMwareAuthorizationService,named
vmware-authdonLinuxhosts.
16 VMware, Inc.
About This Book
To enable logging for the VMware Authorization Service
1 Inatexteditor,editthefollowingfile:
Windowsconfig.ini,locatedinthedirectory
<%ALLUSERSPROFILE%>\VMware\VMware Server
Forexample:
C:\Documents and Settings\All Users\Application
Data\VMware\VMware Server
Linux/etc/vmware/config
2 Addthefollowinglinestotheconfigurationfile:
vmauthd.logEnabled = TRUE
log.vmauthdFileName = "vmauthd.log"
pref.hardLimitDebug = 2
3 Toenablelogging:
OnaWindowshost,selectStart>AdministrativeTools>Services,rightclick
VMwareAuthorizationService,andselectRestart.
OnaLinuxhost,thelogfileisenabledwhenyousaveandclosethe
configurationfile.
OnWindowshosts,thevmauthd.logfileiscreatedinC:\Windows\system32or
C:\WINNT\system32.
OnLinuxhosts,thevmauthd.logfileiscreatedin/var/log/vmware.
VI Web Access Log Files

OnWindowshosts,TomcatWebserverlogfilesarelocatedinthedirectory
<%ALLUSERSPROFILE%>\VMware\tomcat-logs.
Forexample:
C:\Documents and Settings\All Users\Application Data\VMware\tomcat-logs
OnLinuxhosts,logfilesarelocatedinthedirectory/var/log/vmware/WebAccess.
VMware Remote Console Log Files

OnWindowsclients,theVMwareRemoteConsolelogfilesarenamed
vmware-<username>-<nnnn>.log,locatedinthedirectory
%TEMP%\vmware-<username>.
OnLinuxclients,theVMwareRemoteConsolelogfilesarenamedvmrc-<nnnn>.log
and<nnnn>.log,locatedinthedirectory/tmp/vmware-<username>.
VMware, Inc. 17
18 VMware, Inc.
1
Introduction and System

Requirements 1
ThischapterdescribesthekeyproductfeaturesandbenefitsofusingVMwareServer.
ItalsodescribesthesystemrequirementsforoperatingVMwareServer.Thischapter
includesthefollowingtopics:
VMwareServerProductBenefitsonpage 19
NewFeaturesofVMwareServer2.0onpage 20
HostSystemRequirementsonpage 23
VIWebAccessandVMwareRemoteConsoleClientSystemRequirementson
page 27
VirtualMachineSpecificationsonpage 28
SupportedGuestOperatingSystemsonpage 31
VMware Server Product Benefits

VMwareServerisafreevirtualizationproductforMicrosoftWindowsandLinux
servers.Itenablesyoutoquicklyprovisionnewservercapacitybypartitioninga
physicalserverintomultiplevirtualmachines.YoucanuseVMwareServerto
provisionawidevarietyofplugandplayvirtualappliancesforcommonlyused
infrastructure.
VMwareServersupportsthefollowinghardwareandsoftware:
Anystandardx86compatibleorx8664compatiblepersonalcomputer
AwidevarietyofWindows,Linux,Solaris,andotherguestoperatingsystems,
including64bitoperatingsystems
VMware, Inc. 19
TwowayVirtual SMP
IntelVirtualizationTechnology(IntelVT)
AMDVirtualization(AMTV)
WithVMwareServer,youcandothefollowing:
Provisionanewserverwithoutpurchasingmorehardwarebylocatingmultiple
virtualmachinesonthesamehost.
RunWindows,Linux,andotheroperatingsystemsandapplicationswithout
softwareconflictsbecausevirtualmachinesarecompletelyisolatedfromone
anotherandfromthephysicalhost.
Movevirtualmachinesfromonephysicalhosttoanotherwithouthavingto
reconfigurethem.
New Features of VMware Server 2.0

ThissectionprovidesinformationaboutkeynewfeaturesofVMwareServer2.0.
Web-Based Interface
UseVMwareInfrastructureWebAccess(VIWebAccess)toperformhostandvirtual
machineconfigurationforVMwareServer2.0.Thisintuitivewebbasedinterface
providesasimpleandflexibletoolforvirtualmachinemanagement.Using
VI Web Access,youcandothefollowing:
Create,configure,anddeletevirtualmachines
Addandremovevirtualmachinesfromtheinventory
Performpoweroperations(start,stop,reset,suspend,andresume)onvirtual
machines
Monitortheoperationofvirtualmachines
GenerateaWebshortcuttocustomizetheVI WebAccessuserinterfaceforusers,
withtheoptiontolimittheirviewtotheconsoleorasinglevirtualmachine
GenerateaVMwareRemoteConsoledesktopshortcutthatallowsvirtualmachine
userstointeractdirectlywiththeguestoperatingsystemoutsideofaWebbrowser
ConfigurehostwideVMwareServersettings
VI WebAccessandVMwareRemoteConsolereplacetheVMwareManagement
InterfaceandVMwareServerConsole.SeeChapter 3,LearningVMwareServer
Basics:UsingVIWebAccess,onpage 47.
20 VMware, Inc.
Chapter 1 Introduction and System Requirements
VMware Remote Console

VMwareRemoteConsoleenablesyoutointeractwiththeguestoperatingsystem
runninginavirtualmachine.
YoucanrunVMwareRemoteConsoleonthehostoraremoteclientsystem.Afteryou
installitasaWebbrowseraddonfromVI Web Access,VMware Remote Consolecan
runindependentlyfromVI Web Access.
VMware Remote ConsolealsoallowsyoutoconnectanddisconnectclientCD/DVD

andfloppydevices.
SeeUsingVMwareRemoteConsoleonpage 130.
Increased Memory Support

Themaximumamountofmemorythatcanbeallocatedpervirtualmachineis
increasedfrom3.6GBto8GB.Theamountofmemorythatcanbeusedbyallvirtual
machinescombinedislimitedonlybytheamountofmemoryonthehostcomputer.
Increase in Number of Network Adapters Supported

Youcannowhaveatotalof10networkadaptersforavirtualmachine.
Quiesced Backups of Virtual Machines on Windows

OnWindowshosts,youcanenabletheVMwareVSSWriter,whichusessnapshotsto
maintainthedataintegrityofapplicationsrunninginsidethevirtualmachinewhen
youtakebackups.SeeEnablingQuiescedBackupsofVirtualMachinesonWindows
onpage 118.
Support for High-Speed USB 2.0 Devices

IftheguestoperatingsystemhastheappropriateUSB2.0devicedrivers,youcanuse
peripheralsthatrequirehighspeedperformance,suchasspeakers,webcams,
nextgenerationprintersandscanners,faststoragedevices,MP3players,DVDRW
drives,andhighcapacityCDROMjukeboxes.YoucanalsoconnecttoUSB1.1devices.
SeeConfiguringUSBControllersandDevicesonpage 159.
USB2.0supportisavailableonlyforVMwareproductsthatsupportvirtualmachine
hardwareversions6and7,suchasVMwareServer2andWorkstation6.ForUSB2.0
support,yourhostmachinemustalsosupportUSB2.0.
VMware, Inc. 21
Additional Host Operating System Support

Newlysupportedhostoperatingsystemsincludethefollowing:
WindowsServer2008StandardEditionandEnterpriseEdition
RedHatEnterpriseLinux4.5,5.0,and5.1
UbuntuLinux6.10Edgy,7.04Fiesty,7.10Gutsy,and8.04Hardy
SUSELinuxEnterpriseServer10,10SP1,and10.1
Forafulllistofsupported32bitand64bithostoperatingsystems,seeHostSystem
Requirementsonpage 23.
Additional Guest Operating System Support

Newlysupportedguestoperatingsystemsincludethefollowing:
WindowsServer2008StandardEditionandEnterpriseEdition
WindowsVistaBusinessEditionandUltimateEdition
RedHatEnterpriseLinux4.5,5.0,and5.1
UbuntuLinux6.10Edgy,7.04Fiesty,7.10Gutsy,and8.04Hardy
SUSELinuxEnterpriseServer10,10SP1,and10.1
SeeSupportedGuestOperatingSystemsonpage 31.
Improved 64-Bit Guest Support

64bitguestoperatingsystemsthatrunonIntelEM64TVTcapableandAMD64
revisionDorlaterprocessorsaresupported.SeeProcessorSupportfor64BitGuest
OperatingSystemsonpage 33.
64-Bit Sound Driver

VMwareToolsinstallsasounddriverin64bitWindowsguestoperatingsystems.
Newlycreated64bitWindowsvirtualmachinesarenowconfiguredwithaudio
hardwarebydefault.SeeSoundonpage 31.
Native 64-Bit Host Support on Linux

VMwareServernowrunsnativelyon64bitLinuxhostoperatingsystems.
22 VMware, Inc.
Updated VIX API

TheVMwareVIXAPI(formerlyknownastheProgrammingAPI)allowsyoutowrite
scriptsandprogramstoautomatevirtualmachineoperations.TheVIXAPIishigh
level,easytouse,andpracticalforbothscriptwritersandapplicationprogrammers.
ThisreleaseoftheVIXAPIisavailableintheClanguage.APIfunctionsallowyouto
registervirtualmachines,powervirtualmachinesonoroff,andrunprogramsinthe
guestoperatingsystems.AdditionallanguagebindingsforPerl,COM,andshellscripts
(vmrun)areavailable.SeetheVMwareVIXAPI1.6ReleaseNotes.
VMCI Sockets Interface

Developerswhowanttowriteclientserverapplicationsforvirtualmachinescanuse
thissocketsinterfacefortheVirtualMachineCommunicationInterface.VMCIprovides
afastermeansofcommunicationamongapplicationsrunningonthehostandinvirtual
machines.SeetheVMCISocketsProgrammingGuide.
About the Host and Guest Computers

Thetermshostandguestdescribeyourphysicalandvirtualmachines:
ThephysicalcomputeronwhichyouinstalltheVMwareServersoftwareiscalled
thehostcomputer,anditsoperatingsystemiscalledthehostoperatingsystem.
Theoperatingsystemrunninginsideavirtualmachineiscalledaguestoperating
system.
Host System Requirements

YoucaninstalltheVMwareServersoftwareonaWindowsorLinuxserver.Youcan
storevirtualmachinesontheserverhostorlocatethemonanetworkshare.
PC Hardware
Thenumberofvirtualmachinesyoucanrunconcurrentlydependsontheresources
theyrequire.VMwareServersupportsupto16waymultiprocessorservers,witha
maximumoffourvirtualmachinesrunningconcurrentlyperprocessor.
VMwareServerhostsmustmeetthefollowingrequirements:
Standardx86compatibleorx8664compatibleserverwithupto16processors.
Hostswith32bitIA32processorsandIA32processorswith64bitextensionsare
supported.
733MHzorfasterCPUminimum.
VMware, Inc. 23
Compatibleprocessorsinclude:
IntelXeon:
DualCore,including5000series(Dempsey),5100series(Woodcrest),
3000series(Conroe),7000series(PaxvilleMP),and7100series(Tulsa)
QuadCore,including5300series(Clovertown)
IntelCore2,includingE6300,E6400,E6600,andE6700(Conroe),Q6600
andQ6700/E(Kentsfield),andE4300(Allendale)Series
AMDOpteron1000/2000/8000series(SantaAna,SantaRosa)
AMDOpteron100/200/800series(Venus,Troy,Athens,Denmark,Italy,Egypt)
AMDAthlon64(Clawhammer,Newcastle,Winchester,Venice,SanDiego,
Orleans,Lima)
AMDAthlon64X2/X2(Manchester,Toledo,Windsor,Brisbane)
Memory
Youmusthaveaminimumof512MBofmemory(2GBisrecommended).Thetotal
amountofmemoryyoucanassigntoallvirtualmachinesrunningonasinglehostis
limitedonlybytheamountofmemoryonthehostcomputer.
Youmusthaveenoughmemorytorunthehostoperatingsystem,plusthememory
requiredforeachguestoperatingsystemandforapplicationsonthehostandguest
systems.SeeVirtualMachineSpecificationsonpage 28andyourguestoperating
systemandapplicationdocumentationforadditionalmemoryrequirements.The
maximumamountofmemorypervirtualmachineis8GB.
Disk Drives
Guestoperatingsystemstypicallyresideinvirtualdiskfiles,althoughyoucanalso
bootfromCDROMorfromaPrebootExecutionEnvironment(PXE)server.
Hard Disk
IDEandSCSIharddrivesaresupported.
Atleast1.7GBfreediskspaceisrequiredforbasicinstallation.Youcandeletethe
installerafterwardstoreclaimapproximately600MBdiskspace.
Ifyouuseadefaultsetup,thediskspaceneedsareapproximatelythesameas
thoseforinstallingandrunningtheguestoperatingsystemandapplicationsona
physicalcomputer.
24 VMware, Inc.
Optical CD/DVD Drive

IDEandSCSIopticaldrivesaresupported.
CDROMandDVDROMdrivesaresupported.
ISOdiskimagefilesaresupported.
Floppy Drives
Virtualmachinescanconnecttothehostsfloppydrives.Floppydiskimagefilesare
alsosupported.
Local Area Networking

AnyEthernetcontrollersupportedbythehostoperatingsystem
StaticIPaddressforyourhostmachine(recommended)
Windows Host Operating Systems

YoumustuseaWindowsserveroperatingsystem.
NOTEOperatingsystemsandservicepacksthatarenotlistedarenotsupportedfor
useasahostoperatingsystemforVMwareServer.
64bithostcomputerscanrunthefollowingoperatingsystemsfor64bitextended
systems:
WindowsServer2008x64StandardEdition
WindowsServer2008x64EnterpriseEdition
NOTEWindows2008ServerCoreinstallationsarenotsupported.
WindowsServer2003x64StandardEdition,SP1,SP2,R2
WindowsServer2003x64WebEdition,SP1,SP2
WindowsServer2003x64EnterpriseEdition,SP1,SP2,R2
32bithostcomputerscanrunthefollowingoperatingsystems:
WindowsServer2008StandardEdition
WindowsServer2008EnterpriseEdition
NOTEWindows2008ServerCoreinstallationsarenotsupported.
VMware, Inc. 25
WindowsServer2003StandardEdition,SP1,SP2,R2
WindowsServer2003WebEdition,SP1,SP2
WindowsServer2003EnterpriseEdition,SP1,SP2,R2
WindowsSmallBusinessServer2003StandardEdition,R2
WindowsSmallBusinessServer2003PremiumEdition,R2
Windows2000ServerSP3,SP4
Windows2000AdvancedServer,SP3,SP4
Linux Host Operating System Requirements

Supporteddistributionsandkernelsarelistedinthissection.VMwareServermightnot
runonsystemsthatdonotmeettheserequirements.Platformsthatarenotlistedare
notsupported.
NOTEAsnewLinuxkernelsanddistributionsarereleased,VMwaremodifiesand
testsitsproductsforstabilityandreliabilityonthosehostplatforms.VMwaremakes
everyefforttoaddsupportfornewkernelsanddistributionsinatimelymanner,but
untilakernelordistributionisaddedtothelist,itsuseisnotsupported.Lookfornewer
prebuiltmodulesintheDownloadsectionofVMwareWebsiteat
http://www.vmware.com/download.
64bithostcomputerscanrunthefollowingoperatingsystemsfor64bitextended
systems:
MandrivaCorporateServer4
RedHatEnterpriseLinux5.1
RedHatEnterpriseLinuxAS4.5
RedHatEnterpriseLinuxES4.5
RedHatEnterpriseLinuxWS4.5
SUSELinuxEnterpriseServer10.1
SUSELinuxEnterpriseServer10SP1
SUSELinuxEnterpriseServer10
UbuntuLinux8.04
UbuntuLinux7.10
UbuntuLinux7.04
UbuntuLinux6.10
UbuntuLinux6.06
26 VMware, Inc.
32bithostcomputerscanrunthefollowingoperatingsystems:
MandrakeLinux10.1
MandrivaCorporateServer4
RedHatEnterpriseLinuxAS4.5
RedHatEnterpriseLinuxES4.5
RedHatEnterpriseLinuxWS4.5
SUSELinuxEnterpriseServer10.1
SUSELinuxEnterpriseServer10
TurboLinuxEnterpriseServer10
UbuntuLinux8.04
UbuntuLinux7.10
UbuntuLinux7.04
UbuntuLinux6.10
UbuntuLinux6.06
VI Web Access and VMware Remote Console Client

System Requirements
VIWebAccessenablesyoutomanagevirtualmachinesfromaWebbrowseronthehost
oraremoteclient.
VMwareRemoteConsoleenablesyoutointeractwiththeguestoperatingsystemon
thehostoraremoteclient.ItisinstalledasaWebbrowseraddon.
TouseVIWebAccessorinstallVMwareRemoteConsole,runoneofthefollowingWeb
browsers:
MozillaFirefox2.0or3.0forLinux
MozillaFirefox2.0or3.0forWindows
InternetExplorer6.0or7.0(7.0recommended)
NOTEOtherbrowsersarenotexcluded,butarenotcertifiedbyVMware.Pleaserefer
toyourbrowservendorsdocumentationforadditionalrequirements.Forthebest
experience,makesurethatyourbrowserincludesallofthesecurityandstability
updatesrecommendedbythevendor.
VMware, Inc. 27
JavaScript,XMLHttpRequest,andcookiesmustbeenabledinyourWebbrowser
settingstouseVIWebAccess.Thesefeaturesareenabledbydefault.
Toavoidperformancedegradation,disabletheFirebugextensiontoFirefoxwhenusing
VIWebAccess.
TheVMwareRemoteConsoleaddonmightconflictwithotherFirefoxaddons.Ifyou
experienceproblemswhenyouattempttoinstalltheVMwareRemoteConsoleaddon,
trydisablingotheraddonsyouhaveenabled.Specifically,youmighthavetodisable
thethirdpartyLeakMonitoraddonbeforeyouinstalltheVMwareRemoteConsole
addon.
Virtual Machine Specifications

ThefollowingsectionsdescribethedevicessupportedbyVMwareServervirtual
machines.
Processor
Sameprocessorasthehostcomputer
Onevirtualprocessoronahostsystemwithoneormorelogicalprocessors
Twovirtualprocessors(twowayvirtualsymmetricmultiprocessingor
Virtual SMP)onahostsystemwithatleasttwologicalprocessors
Thefollowingareallconsideredtohavetwologicalprocessors:
AmultiprocessorhostwithtwoormorephysicalCPUs
AsingleprocessorhostwithamulticoreCPU
Asingleprocessorhostwithhyperthreadingenabled
SeeUsingTwoWayVirtualSymmetricMultiprocessingonpage 278.
Chip Set
Intel440BXbasedmotherboard
NS338SIO
82093AAIOAPIC
BIOS
PhoenixBIOS4.0Release6withVESABIOS
28 VMware, Inc.
Memory
Upto8GB,dependingonhostmemory,virtualmachinehardwareversion,and
guestoperatingsystemsupport.
Totalmemoryavailableforallvirtualmachinesislimitedonlybytheamountof
memoryonthehostcomputer.
Graphics
VGA
SVGA
IDE Drives
Uptofourdevices.AnyofthesedevicescanbeavirtualharddiskorCD/DVD
drive.
IDEvirtualdisksupto950GB.
CD/DVDdrivecanbeaphysicaldeviceonthehostorclientsystem,oranISO
imagefile.
SCSI Devices
Upto60devices.AnyofthesedevicescanbeavirtualharddiskorCD/DVDdrive.
SCSIvirtualdisksupto950GB.
LSILogicLSI53C10xxUltra320SCSII/Ocontroller.ForWindowsXPguest
systems,thisrequiresanaddondriverfromtheLSILogicWebsite.Formore
information,seetheVMwareGuestOperatingSystemInstallationGuideat
http://pubs.vmware.com/guestnotes/.
Mylex(BusLogic)BT958compatiblehostbusadapter.ForWindowsXPand
WindowsServer2003guestsystems,thisrequiresanaddondriverfromthe
VMwareWebsite.Formoreinformation,seetheVMwareGuestOperatingSystem
InstallationGuideathttp://pubs.vmware.com/guestnotes/.
PCI Slots
SixvirtualPCIslotscanbedividedamongthevirtualSCSIcontrollers,virtualEthernet
cards,virtualdisplayadapter,andvirtualsoundadapter.
VMware, Inc. 29
Floppy Drives
Uptotwo1.44MBfloppydevices
Physicaldrivesorfloppyimagefiles
Serial (COM) Ports

Uptofourserial(COM)ports
Outputtoserialports,hostoperatingsystemfiles,ornamedpipes
Parallel (LPT) Ports

Uptothreebidirectionalparallel(LPT)ports
Outputtoparallelportsorhostoperatingsystemfiles
USB Ports
USB2.0supportisavailableonlyforVMwareproductsthatsupportvirtual
machinehardwareversions6and7,suchasVMwareServer2andWorkstation6.
ForUSB2.0support,yourhostmachinemustsupportUSB2.0.
Supportsmostdevices,includingUSBprinters,scanners,PDAs,harddiskdrives,
memorycardreadersanddigitalcameras,aswellasstreamingdevicessuchas
webcams,speakers,andmicrophones.
Keyboard
104keyWindows95/98enhanced
Mouse and Drawing Tablets

PS/2mouse
Serialtablets
USBtablets
Ethernet Card
Upto10virtualEthernetcardsinhardwareversion6and7virtualmachines.
AMDPCnetPCIIIcompatible.
For64bitguests:IntelPro/1000MTServerAdaptercompatible.
30 VMware, Inc.
Virtual Networking
Supportfor10virtualnetworkswitchesonWindowshostoperatingsystems.
Supportfor255virtualnetworkswitchesonLinuxhosts.Threeswitchesare
configuredbydefaultforbridged,hostonly,andNATnetworking.
SupportformostEthernetbasedprotocols,includingTCP/IP,Microsoft
Networking,Samba,NovellNetware,andNetworkFileSystem(NFS).
BuiltinNATsupportsclientsoftwareusingTCP/IP,FTP,DNS,HTTP,andTelnet,
includingVPNsupportforPPTPoverNAT.
Sound
Soundoutputandinputonhostsystemonly.
EmulatesCreativeLabsSoundBlasterAudioPCI.MIDIinput,gamecontrollers,
andjoysticksarenotsupported,exceptforUSBdevices.
Supported Guest Operating Systems

VMwareiscontinuallyaddingsupportfornewguestoperatingsystemsandnew
versionsandupdatesofcurrentlysupportedoperatingsystems.Thissectionprovides
asimplifiedlistofsupportedguestoperatingsystemsforVMwareServer.Forthemost
currentlistofsupportedguestoperatingsystems,includingdetailedinformationabout
thespecificoperatingsystemversions,servicepacks,andupdatessupported,seethe
VMwareGuestOperatingSystemInstallationGuideat
http://pubs.vmware.com/guestnotes/.Thisguidealsoprovidesnotesoninstallingthe
mostcommonguestoperatingsystems.
OperatingsystemsthatarenotlistedarenotsupportedforuseinaVMwareServer
virtualmachine.
Windows 64-Bit Operating Systems

WindowsVistax64BusinessEdition
WindowsVistax64UltimateEdition
WindowsXPProfessionalx64
WindowsServer2003x64WebEdition
VMware, Inc. 31
Windows 32-Bit Guest Operating Systems

WindowsVistaBusinessEdition
WindowsVistaUltimateEdition
WindowsXPProfessional
WindowsServer2003WebEdition
WindowsSmallBusinessServer2003StandardEdition
WindowsSmallBusinessServer2003PremiumEdition
Windows2000Server
Windows2000AdvancedServer
Linux 64-Bit Guest Operating Systems

MandrakeLinux
MandrivaLinux
RedHatEnterpriseLinux
SUSELinux
SUSELinuxEnterpriseServer
openSUSELinux
OpenEnterpriseServer(OES)
UbuntuLinux
Linux 32-Bit Guest Operating Systems

MandrakeLinux
MandrivaLinux
RedHatEnterpriseLinux
SUSELinux
SUSELinuxEnterpriseServer
32 VMware, Inc.
openSUSELinux
OpenEnterpriseServer(OES)
UbuntuLinux
Sun Solaris 64-Bit Guest Operating Systems

Solarisx86
Sun Solaris 32-Bit Guest Operating Systems

Solarisx86
Novell NetWare 32-Bit Guest Operating System

NetWare
Processor Support for 64-Bit Guest Operating Systems

VMwareServersupportsvirtualmachineswith64bitguestoperatingsystemsonlyon
hostmachinesthathaveIntelEM64TVTcapableorAMD64revisionDorlater
processors.
Whenyoupoweronavirtualmachinewitha64bitguestoperatingsystem,
VMware Serverperformsaninternalcheck.IfthehostCPUisnotasupported64bit
processor,youcannotpoweronthevirtualmachine.
VMwarealsoprovidesastandaloneutilitythatyoucanusewithoutVMwareServerto
performthesamecheckanddeterminewhetheryourCPUissupportedfor
VMware Servervirtualmachineswith64bitguestoperatingsystems.Youcan
downloadthe64bitprocessorcheckutilityfromhttp://www.vmware.com/download.
VMware, Inc. 33
34 VMware, Inc.
2
Installing VMware Server 2

ThischapterdescribeshowtoinstallVMwareServeronWindowsandLinuxhost
systemsandincludesthefollowingtopics:
InstallationPrerequisitesonpage 35
InstallingVMwareServeronaWindowsHostonpage 37
UninstallingVMwareServeronaWindowsHostonpage 41
InstallingVMwareServeronaLinuxHostonpage 41
ConfiguringVMwareServeronaLinuxHostUsingvmwareconfig.plon
page 42
UninstallingVMwareServeronaLinuxHostonpage 43
UpgradingfromVMwareServer1onpage 44
WheretoGoNextonpage 45
Installation Prerequisites
InstallingVMwareServerisusuallyasimpleprocessofrunningastandardinstallation
wizard.Thissectionoutlinesthetasksyouneedtoperformbeforestartingan
installationandwhichVMwareproductscanbeinstalledonthesamecomputeras
VMwareServer.
VMware, Inc. 35
Preparing to Install VMware Server

Beforeyoubegininstallation,besureyouhave:
CompatiblehostVerifythatthecomputerandhostoperatingsystemmeetthe
systemrequirementsforrunningVMwareServer,asdescribedinHostSystem
Requirementsonpage 23.
VMwareServerinstallationsoftwareVMwareServerisavailableforboth
WindowsandLinuxhostcomputers.Theinstallationsoftwareisinthefileyou
download.
VMwareServerserialnumberYourserialnumberissentbyemail.
YourserialnumberallowsyoutouseVMwareServeronlyonthehostoperating
systemforwhichyoulicensedthesoftware.Forexample,ifyouhaveaserial
numberforaWindowshost,youcannotrunthesoftwareonaLinuxhost.Make
surethatyouentertheserialnumberforthecorrectoperatingsystem.
GuestoperatingsystemAfterVMwareServerisinstalled,youneedthe
operatingsysteminstallationCDsorOSimagestosetupyourguestsystems.You
canalsodownloadavirtualappliancefromtheVirtualApplianceMarketplaceor
useabootableCDorPXEimagefile.
WebbrowserTomanageVMwareServerusingVIWebAccess,useasupported
Webbrowser,asdescribedinVIWebAccessandVMwareRemoteConsoleClient
SystemRequirementsonpage 27.
Sharing a VMware Server Host with Other VMware Products

YoucannothaveVMwareServerinstalledonthesamehostmachinewithanother
VMwareproduct,suchasVMwareWorkstation,VMware GSX Server,orVMwareESX.
YoucannothavemultipleversionsofVMwareServerinstalledonthesamehost.
TheonlyVMwareproductsthatcanshareahostmachinewithVMwareServerarethe
VMwareVirtualCenterclient(VMwareInfrastructureClient)andserversoftwareand
VMwareConverter.IfyouplantoinstallVMwareServeronahostmachinethatalready
containsanotherVMwareproduct,youmustuninstallthatproductfirst.
NOTEYoucannotcurrentlymanageVMwareServer2.0usingVirtualCenter.
OnaWindowshost,uninstallusingAdd/RemoveProgramsintheControlPanel.The
uninstalleraskswhetheryouwanttokeeplicensesinyourregistry.Donotremovethe
licenses.IfyoureinstalltheVMwareproductthatyouuninstalled,youdonotneedto
entertheserialnumberagain.
36 VMware, Inc.
Chapter 2 Installing VMware Server
OnaLinuxhost,followtheprocedureinthischaptertouninstalltheproduct.The
licensesremaininplace.Youdonotneedtotakeanyspecialaction.
Afteryouhavecompletedtheprerequisitesanddeterminedwhichcomputeryouwant
tousetohostVMwareServer,followtheprocedureinthischaptertoinstallVMware
Serveronyourhostsystem.
Installing VMware Server on a Windows Host

Beforeyouperformtheinstallationprocedure,makesurethatyouhavethe
VMware Serverserialnumberready.Althoughyoucanenterthenumberafter
installation,itisrecommendedthatyouenteritatinstallationtime.Entertheserial
numberthatisappropriateforyourhostoperatingsystem.
ThefollowingproceduredescribeshowtoruntheVMwareServerinstallationwizard.
NOTEYoureceivetheserialnumbersinanemailmessagefromVMware.Themessage
includesoneserialnumbertouseonaWindowshostandanotherserialnumbertouse
onaLinuxhost.Entertheserialnumberthatisappropriateforyourhostoperating
system.Todownloadthesoftwareagainorrequestadditionalserialnumbers,goto
http://www.vmware.com/download/server/.
Ifyouwanttousethecommandlineinterfacetoperformasilentinstallationonmany
computers,seeInstallingVMwareServerSilentlyonpage 39.
To install VMware Server on a Windows host
1 LoginastheAdministratoruserorasauserwhoisamemberoftheWindows
Administratorsgroup.
Loginasalocaladministrator(thatis,donotlogintothedomain,unlessyour
domainaccountisalsoalocaladministrator).
AlthoughanadministratormustinstallVMwareServer,auserwithout
administrativeprivilegescanuseVMwareServer.
2 Browsetothedirectorywhereyousavedthedownloadedfile,andrunthe
installer.ThefilenameissimilartoVMware-server-<xxxx-xxxx>.exe,where
<xxxx-xxxx>isaseriesofnumbersrepresentingtheversionandbuildnumbers.
IfyouhaveanearlierversionofVMwareServerinstalledonyoursystem,the
installerremovesthatversionbeforeinstallingthenewversion.Afterthe
uninstallationiscomplete,youmightbepromptedtorestartyourcomputerbefore
theinstallercaninstallthenewversion.
VMware, Inc. 37
3 Whenthewizardfinishescomputingspacerequirements,clickNexttoclosethe
Welcomepage.
4 OntheLicenseAgreementpage,readandacceptthelicenseagreementtocontinue
theinstallation.
5 OntheDestinationFolderpage,ifyoudonotwantVMwareServerinstalledinthe
directorythatisshown,clickChangeandspecifyanalternateinstallation
directory.
WindowsandtheMicrosoftInstallerlimitthelengthofapathtoadirectoryona
localdriveto255characters.Forapathtoadirectoryonamappedorshareddrive,
thelimitis240characters.Ifthepathexceedsthislimit,anerrormessageappears,
andyoumustselectorenterashorterpath.
Ifyouspecifyadirectorythatdoesnotexist,theinstallercreatesitforyou.
YoucannotinstallVMwareServeronanetworkdrive.
6 ClickNext.
7 OntheServerConfigurationInformationpage,ifyoudonotwantvirtualmachine
filesstoredinthedirectorythatisshown,clickChangeandspecifyanalternate
virtualmachinedirectory.
Ifyouspecifyadirectorythatdoesnotexist,theinstallercreatesitforyou.
8 AlsoontheServerConfigurationInformationpage,acceptorchangethedefault
valuesforFQDN,ServerHTTPPort,andServerHTTPSPort.
Thefullyqualifieddomainname(FQDN)includesthehostnameandthedomain
name.Forexample,intheFQDNmyserverhost.companydomain.com,
myserverhostisthehostname,andcompanydomain.comisthedomain.The
FQDNisusedtocreatethedesktopshortcutthatopensVI WebAccess.
IfyoudonotsetServerHTTPPortto80,youmustincludetheportnumberwhen
youconnecttoVMwareServerusingVI WebAccess.SeeLoggingIntoVMware
ServerUsingVIWebAccessonpage 48.
9 AlsoontheServerConfigurationInformationpage,selectAllowvirtualmachines
tostartandstopautomaticallywiththesystemifyouwanttoconfigurevirtual
machinestostartupandshutdownautomaticallywhenthehostoperatingsystem
startsandshutsdown.Formoreinformation,seeConfiguringVirtualMachine
StartupandShutdownSettingsonpage 115.
10 ClickNext.
11 OntheConfigureShortcutspage,deselectanyshortcutsyoudonotwantthe
installertocreate.
38 VMware, Inc.
12 OntheReadytoInstalltheProgrampage,clickInstallorclickBacktomake
changes.
13 (Optional)AfteryouclickInstall,ontheRegistrationInformationpage,enteryour
name,companyname,andserialnumberandclickNext.Ifyouskipthisstep,you
mustenteryourserialnumberlaterinVIWebAccess,beforeyoucanpowerona
virtualmachine.
YourserialnumberisinanemailsenttoyouwhenyouobtainVMwareServer
online.
14 WhenthewizarddisplaystheInstallationWizardCompletedpage,clickFinish.
Someinstallationsmightrequirethatyourebootyourcomputer.Whenyourestart,
youdontneedtologinasauserwithAdministratorprivileges.
Installing VMware Server Silently

IfyouareinstallingVMwareServeronseveralWindowshostcomputers,youmight
wanttousethesilentinstallationfeatureoftheMicrosoftWindowsInstaller.This
featurecanbeconvenientinalargeenterprise.
BeforeinstallingVMwareServersilently,makesurethatthehostcomputerhasversion
2.0orhigheroftheMSIruntimeengine,whichisavailableinWindowsbeginningwith
WindowsXPandseparatelyfromMicrosoft.Foradditionaldetailsonusingthe
MicrosoftWindowsInstaller,seetheMicrosoftWebsite.
To install VMware Server silently
1 ExtracttheadministrativeinstallationimagefromtheVMwareServerinstaller:
ThefilenameissimilartoVMware-server-<xxxxx>.exe,where<xxxxx>isa
seriesofnumbersrepresentingtheversionandbuildnumbers.Anexample
commandis:
VMware-server-<xxxx>.exe /a /s /v TARGETDIR="C:\temp\server" /qn
2 Runtheinstallationusingmsiexecandtheinstallationimagethatyouextracted
inthepreviousstep.Enterthecommandononeline.
msiexec /i "<InstallTempPath>\VMware Server.msi"
[INSTALLDIR="<PathToProgramDirectory>"] ADDLOCAL=ALL
[REMOVE=<featurename,featurename>] /qn
ToinstallVMwareServerinalocationotherthanthedefault,changethe
INSTALLDIRpath.
VMware, Inc. 39
UsetheoptionalREMOVEsettingtoskipinstallationofcertainfeatures.TheREMOVE
settingcantakeoneormoreofthevalueslistedinTable 21.
Table 2-1. Values for the REMOVE Setting

Value Description
Network Networkingcomponentsincludingthevirtualbridgeandthehostadapters
forhostonlyandNATnetworking.Donotremovethiscomponentifyou
wanttouseNATorDHCP.
DHCP VirtualDHCPserver.
NAT VirtualNATdevice.
Ifyouspecifymorethanonevalue,useacommatoseparatethevalues,for
example,REMOVE=DHCP,NAT.IfyouspecifyREMOVE=Network,youdonotneedto
specifyDHCPorNATseparately.
Youcancustomizetheinstallationfurtherbyaddinganyofthefollowing
installationpropertiestothecommandusingtheformat<property>="<value>".
Avalueof1meanstrue.Avalueof0meansfalse.Ifyouusetheserialnumber
property,entertheserialnumberwithhyphens(xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx).
Table 2-2. PROPERTY Values

Property Effect of the Property Default
DESKTOP_SHORTCUT Installsashortcutonthedesktop. 1
DISABLE_AUTORUN DisablesCDautorunonthehost. 1
REMOVE_LICENSE (Uninstallonly)Removesallstoredlicensesat 0
uninstall.
SERIALNUMBER Enterstheserialnumber.
3 Checktheinstallationlogfiletoverifythattheinstallationcompletedsuccessfully.
Thelogfileindicateswhetheryouneedtorebootthehostsystemorifanyerrors
occurred.Thefileislocatedintheadministratoruserstemporarydirectory,inthe
format:
vminst.log_<date_and_time_stamp>_<Success_or_Failed>.log
40 VMware, Inc.
Uninstalling VMware Server on a Windows Host

TouninstallVMwareServer,usetheAdd/RemoveProgramscontrolpanel.Select
VMwareServerandclickRemove.Followtheonscreeninstructions.
Installing VMware Server on a Linux Host

Beforeyoubegin,readthefollowingnotesandmakeadjustmentstoyourhostsystem:
TherealtimeclockfunctionmustbecompiledinyourLinuxkernel.
TheparallelportPCstylehardwareoption(CONFIG_PARPORT_PC)mustbe
builtandloadedasakernelmodule(thatis,itmustbesettomwhenthekernelis
compiled).
To install VMware Server on a Linux host using a tar installation file
1 LoginwiththeusernameyouplantousewhenrunningVMwareServer.
2 Inaterminalwindow,usethecommandtobecomeroot,forexample:
su -
OnUbuntuhosts,usethecommand:
sudo -s -H
3 Ifyouhaveaprevioustarinstallation,deletethevmware-server-distrib
directorybeforeinstallingfromatarfileagain.
Thelocationofthisdirectoryisusually/tmp/vmware-server-distrib.
4 Changetothetemporarydirectorywhereyoucopiedorsavedtheinstallationfile:
cd /tmp
5 Unpackthearchive:
tar zxpf VMware-server-<xxxx>.tar.gz
6 Changetotheinstallationdirectory:
cd vmware-server-distrib
7 Runtheinstallationscript:
./vmware-install.pl
8 Respondtothepromptsforthedirectorylocationsforbinaryfiles,initialization
scripts,daemonfiles,libraryfiles,manualfiles,anddocumentationfiles.
Inmostcases,thedefaultresponseisappropriate.
VMware, Inc. 41
9 EnterYeswhenpromptedtorunvmware-config.pl.
10 Respondtotheprompts,asdescribedinConfiguringVMwareServeronaLinux
HostUsingvmwareconfig.plonpage 42.
To install on a Linux host using the RPM installation file
1 LoginwiththeusernameyouplantousewhenrunningVMwareServer.
2 Inaterminalwindow,usethecommandtobecomeroot,forexample:
su -
3 RunRPMandspecifytheinstallationfile:
rpm -Uhv VMware-server-<xxxx>.rpm
Inplaceof<xxxx>thefilenamecontainsnumbersthatcorrespondtotheversion
andbuild.
4 Runtheconfigurationscript:
./vmware-config.pl
5 Respondtotheprompts,asdescribedinConfiguringVMwareServeronaLinux
HostUsingvmwareconfig.plonpage 42.
Configuring VMware Server on a Linux Host Using

vmware-config.pl
Thissectiondescribeshowtousevmware-config.pltoconfigureyourinstallationof
VMwareServer.
Configurationwithvmware-config.plisrequiredinthefollowingcircumstances:
WhenyouinstallVMwareServerforthefirsttime.
WhenyouupgradeyourversionofVMwareServer.
Whenyouupgradeyourhostoperatingsystemkernel.(Itisnotnecessaryto
reinstallVMwareServerafteryouupgradeyourkernel.)
ToreconfigurethenetworkingoptionsforVMwareServer.Forexample,toaddor
removeavirtualnetwork.
NOTEIfyouusetheRPMinstaller,youneedtoruntheconfigurationprogram
separatelyfromthecommandline.Ifyouinstallfromthetararchive,theinstalleroffers
tolaunchtheconfigurationprogramforyou.AnswerYeswhenyouseetheprompt.
42 VMware, Inc.
Ifyouhavenotalreadydoneso,openaterminalwindowandloginastherootuser
beforeperformingthefollowingprocedure.
To configure VMware Server using vmware-config.pl

1 Ifvmware-config.plisnotstartedbytheinstallationscript,enterthefollowing
commandtorunthescript:
vmware-config.pl
Thescriptislocatedin/usr/bin.Ifthisdirectoryisnotinyourdefaultpath,enter
thefollowingcommandtorunthescript:
/usr/bin/vmware-config.pl
2 Respondtotheprompts.Inmostcases,thedefaultresponseisappropriate.
Thefollowingportsareusedbydefault:port902forthe
VMware Authorization Service,port8222forhttpconnections,andport8333for
securehttp(https)connections.Ifyoudonotwanttousethedefaultvalue,
changetheportnumberwhenprompted.
Ifyoudonotspecifyport80forhttpconnections,youmustincludetheport
numberwhenyouconnecttoVMwareServerusingVI WebAccess.SeeLogging
IntoVMwareServerUsingVIWebAccessonpage 48.
Iftheconfigurationprogramdoesnotdisplayamessagesayingthatthe
configurationcompletedsuccessfully,runtheconfigurationprogramagain.
3 Whendone,exitfromtherootaccount:
exit
Uninstalling VMware Server on a Linux Host

ThissectionprovidesinstructionsforuninstallingatarinstallationandanRPM
installation.
Uninstalling a tar Installation of VMware Server

IfyouusedthetarinstallertoinstallVMwareServer,removethesoftwarefromyour
systemusingthefollowingcommand:
vmware-uninstall.pl
VMware, Inc. 43
Uninstalling an RPM Installation of VMware Server

IfyouusedtheRPMinstallertoinstallVMwareServer,removethesoftwarefromyour
systemusingthefollowingcommand:
rpm -e VMware-server-<xxxx>
Inplaceof<xxxx>thefilenamecontainsnumbersthatcorrespondtotheversionand
build.IfyouhaveVMwareServerproperlyinstalled,youcanfindtheVMwareServer
buildnumberbyrunning:
rpm -qa | grep VM
Upgrading from VMware Server 1

RuntheVMwareServer2installerforyourhosttoupgradetoVMwareServer2from
VMwareServer1.Theinstallerautomaticallyuninstallsthepreviousversionofthe
software,exceptfortarinstallations,whichrequireyoutouninstalltheprevious
versionofVMwareServermanuallyasdescribedinUninstallingatarInstallationof
VMwareServeronpage 43.
Therearesomefeaturedifferencesbetweentheseproductversions:
VI WebAccessandVMwareRemoteConsolereplacethe
VMware Management InterfaceandVMwareServerConsole.SeeChapter 3,
LearningVMwareServerBasics:UsingVIWebAccess,onpage 47.
VMwareServer2doesnotsupportphysical(raw)disks.
VMwareServer2usesdatastorestomanagevirtualmachinelocations.Adatastore
isastoragelocationforVMwareServervirtualmachinefiles.Thestoragelocation
canbethelocalfilesystem,aCIFSstore(Windowsonly),oranNFSmountedfile
system(Linuxonly).
VirtualmachinesthatwereregisteredinVMwareServer1areautomatically
registeredinVMwareServer2.However,thelocationsforexistingvirtual
machinesarenotautomaticallyaddedasdatastores.Itisrecommendedthatyou
addthemmanually.SeeManagingDatastoresonpage 110.
VMwareServer2createshardwareversion7virtualmachinesbydefault.Ifyou
wanttouseallfeaturesofVMwareServer2,itisrecommendedthatyouupgrade
virtualmachinestohardwareversion7.
Youcanimporthardwareversion3andabovevirtualmachines.However,theonly
tasksVIWebAccesscanperformonhardwareversion3virtualmachinesare
poweroperationsandupgrade.Toupgradethehardwareversionofoldervirtual
machines,seeUpgradingtheVirtualMachineVersiononpage 72.
44 VMware, Inc.
VMwareServer2usesadifferentpermissionsmodelfromVMwareServer1.After
youinstallVMwareServer2,loginasanadministratorusertocreateandmanage
permissionsfornonadministratorusers.SeeChapter 10,ManagingRolesand
Permissions,onpage 201.
VMwareServer2automaticallynamesbothdefaultandcustomvirtualnetworks.
TheNetworkssectionoftheVIWebAccesshostSummarytabshowsthename,
virtualnetwork(VMnet),andnetworktypeofeachvirtualnetwork.Ifyou
customizevirtualnetworkingafterinstallation,youmustrefreshthenetwork,as
describedinChangingtheNetworkingConfigurationonpage 222.
ForupgradesfromVMwareServer1,ifyoubridged(mapped)virtualnetworksto
specificphysicalorvirtualadapters,writedownthesettingsyouused.
AlthoughVMwareServer2generallypreservesnetworksettingsduringthe
upgrade,itcannotpreservebridgedsettingscreatedwithVMwareServer1.
Where to Go Next
AfteryouhaveinstalledtheVMwareServersoftwareontheserver,typicalnextsteps
include:
1 Createavirtualmachine.SeeChapter 4,CreatingandUpgradingVirtual
Machines,onpage 59.
2 Installaguestoperatingsystem.Youneedtheinstallationmediaforyourguest
operatingsystem.SeeInstallingtheGuestOperatingSystemonpage 68andthe
VMwareGuestOperatingSystemInstallationGuide.
3 InstalltheVMwareToolspackageinyourguestoperatingsystemforenhanced
performanceandfeatures.SeeInstallingVMwareToolsonpage 76.
4 Createadditionaldatastoresandaddexistingvirtualmachinestoyourinventory.
SeeChapter 6,ManagingVMwareServer,onpage 107.
5 Startusingthevirtualmachines.SeeRunningVirtualMachinesonpage 121.
VMware, Inc. 45
46 VMware, Inc.
3
Learning VMware Server

Basics: Using VI Web
Access 3
ThischapterdescribeshowtoconnecttoVMwareServerandintroducesthe
VI Web Accessmanagementinterface.VI WebAccessprovidesasimpleandflexible
toolforvirtualmachinemanagement.
Thischapterincludesthefollowingtopics:
LoggingIntoVMwareServerUsingVIWebAccessonpage 48
OverviewofVIWebAccessonpage 48
UsingtheVMwareServerHostWorkspaceonpage 49
UsingtheVirtualMachineWorkspaceonpage 50
UsingVIWebAccessMenuOptionsonpage 54
LoggingOutonpage 57
Typically,yournextstepafterfamiliarizingyourselfwithVI WebAccessistocreatea
virtualmachine.Theinformationandstepsyouneedtocreateavirtualmachineare
describedinChapter 4,CreatingandUpgradingVirtualMachines,onpage 59.
VMware, Inc. 47
Logging In to VMware Server Using VI Web Access

AnyuserthathasauthorizationonthehostmachinecanlogintoVMwareServer.
To log in to VMware Server using VI Web Access
1 LaunchyourWebbrowser.
2 EntertheURLofyourVMwareServerinstallation:
http://<host_name>/
Ifyouarenotusingport80toconnecttoVMwareServer,youmustincludetheport
numberyouspecifiedduringinstallationintheconnectionURL,forexample:
http://<host_name>:8222
Whenyouconnectremotely,youareautomaticallyredirectedtothesecurehttp
(https)port.
TheVI WebAccessloginpageappears.
NOTEIftheconnectionfails,enterthecorrecthostname,IPaddress,or
localhost,asappropriate,intheconnectionURL.Youcanalsomanuallyenter
theshortnameandtheFQDN,orlocalhost,inthe/etc/hostsfile.
3 Entertheusernameandpasswordyouusetologintothehost,andclickLog In.
Afteryourusernameandpasswordareauthorized,themainapplicationpage
appears.
Youruserroledetermineswhatyoucanseeandwhichactionsyoucanperformin
VI WebAccess.SeeChapter 10,ManagingRolesandPermissions,onpage 201.
Overview of VI Web Access

TheVI WebAccesspageisdividedintofourmainsections:
InventorypanelAppearingontheleft,thisareadisplaysthevirtualmachine
inventory.
ClickthehosttoviewsummaryinformationaboutVMwareServerinthe
workspace.
Clickavirtualmachinetoviewsummaryinformationaboutthevirtual
machineintheworkspace.
48 VMware, Inc.
Chapter 3 Learning VMware Server Basics: Using VI Web Access
WorkspaceAppearingontheright,thisisthemainpartofthewindow.
WhenthehostisselectedintheInventorypanel,theworkspaceincludesthe
Summary,VirtualMachines,Tasks,Events,andPermissionstabs.Thesetabs
containdetailedinformationabouttheVMwareServerhostandallowyouto
configurehostwidesettings.SeeUsingtheVMwareServerHost
Workspaceonpage 49.
WhenavirtualmachineisselectedintheInventorypanel,theworkspace
includestheSummary,Console,Tasks,Events,andPermissionstabs.These
tabscontaindetailedinformationaboutvariousaspectsofthevirtualmachine
andallowyoutoconfigurethem.SeeUsingtheVirtualMachineWorkspace
onpage 50.
MenubarThemenusabovetheInventorypanelprovideaccesstocommon
applicationandvirtualmachineoperations,includingpoweroperationsand
snapshotandconsolecommands.SeeUsingVIWebAccessMenuOptionson
page 54.
ToolbarAppearingalongthetopofthepage,thesebuttonsallowyoutoacton
theselectedvirtualmachine,offeringoneclickaccesstopoweroperations.See
ChangingthePowerStateofaVirtualMachineonpage 122.
TaskareaAppearingalongthebottomofthepage,thisareadisplaystasks
recentlyexecutedbyVMwareServer,includinghostlevelconfigurationchanges.
Youcansorttasksbyclickingthecolumnheaders.Bydefault,tasksappearin
reversechronologicalorder(mostrecenttasksfirst).Youcandoubleclickataskto
getmoredetailedinformation.
Using the VMware Server Host Workspace

WhenthehostisselectedintheInventorypanel,theworkspacedisplaysinformation
abouttheVMwareServerinstallation,dividedintotabs:
SummaryTheGeneralsectiondisplaysthehostsystemsmanufacturer,name,
model,processortypeandutilization,andmemorycapacityandutilization.The
Datastoressectionshowsthename,capacity,freespace,andlocationofeach
datastore.TheNetworkssectionshowsthename,virtualnetwork(VMnet),and
networktypeofeachvirtualnetwork.
FromtheCommandssection,youcanmanageyourvirtualmachineinventory,
add,rename,orremovedatastores,createvirtualmachines,andconfigureglobal
memory,snapshot,andvirtualmachinestartupandshutdownsettings.For
informationabouthowtoperformtheseandotherhostwidemanagementtasks,
seeChapter 6,ManagingVMwareServer,onpage 107.
VMware, Inc. 49
TasksDisplaystasksthatareperformedbyusersintheVMwareServerhost.
SeeViewingVMwareServerandVirtualMachineTasksonpage 56.
EventsDisplayseventsthatoccurredintheVMwareServerhost.SeeViewing
VMwareServerandVirtualMachineEventsonpage 57.
VirtualMachinesDisplayshighlevelinformationabouttheallthevirtual
machinesintheinventory,includingprocessorandmemoryutilizationwhenthe
virtualmachineispoweredon.Fromthistab,youcancreateavirtualmachine,
addavirtualmachinetotheinventory,anddeleteorperformpoweroperationson
aselectedvirtualmachine.SeeAddingaVirtualMachinetotheInventoryon
page 108andPerformingPowerOperationsonVirtualMachinesonpage 109.
PermissionsDisplaysandallowsyoutoconfigurepermissionsforthehost.See
Chapter 10,ManagingRolesandPermissions,onpage 201.
Using the Virtual Machine Workspace

WhenavirtualmachineisselectedintheInventorypanel,theworkspacedisplays
informationaboutthevirtualmachine,dividedintotabs:
SummaryDisplaysperformanceandstatusinformation.Youcanviewa
summaryofthevirtualmachinesstate,includinginformationaboutvirtual
devicesandconfigurationoptions.Fromthistab,youcanmodifytheselected
virtualmachineshardwareandperformothervirtualmachinemanagementtasks.
TasksDisplaystasksthatusersperforminthevirtualmachine.SeeViewing
VMwareServerandVirtualMachineTasksonpage 56.
EventsDisplayseventsthatoccurredinthevirtualmachine.SeeViewing
VMwareServerandVirtualMachineEventsonpage 57.
ConsoleAllowsyoutointeractdirectlywiththeguestoperatingsystem.See
InstallingtheVMwareRemoteConsoleAddOnonpage 52andStarting
VMwareRemoteConsolefromtheConsoleTabonpage 53.
PermissionsDisplaysandallowsyoutoconfigurepermissionsforthevirtual
machine.SeeChapter 10,ManagingRolesandPermissions,onpage 201.
50 VMware, Inc.
Viewing Virtual Machine Summary Information

WhenyouclicktheSummarytabforavirtualmachine,VIWebAccessdisplaysa
summaryoftheconfigurationinformationaboutthatvirtualmachineinthe
workspace.
TheSummarytabincludesthefollowingsections:
ThePerformancesectiondisplaysthevirtualmachineprocessorandmemory
capacityandcurrentutilization.
TheNotessectiondisplays,andallowsyoutoedit,texttodescribethevirtual
machine.
TheHardwaresectiondisplays,andallowsyoutoeditorremove,thevirtual
machineshardware.Tochangemostsettings,youmustpoweroffthevirtual
machine.SeeEditingtheHardwareConfigurationofaVirtualMachineon
page 135.
TheStatussectiondisplaysthefollowing:
Thecurrentpowerstateofthevirtualmachine:whetheritispoweredon,
poweredoff,orsuspended.
Theguestoperatingsysteminstalledinthevirtualmachine.
VMwareToolsstatus,indicatingwhetherVMwareToolsisinstalledand
running,andwhetheryouneedtoupgradetothelatestversion.See
Chapter 5,InstallingandUsingVMwareTools,onpage 73.
TheDNSnameandIPaddressofthevirtualmachine.
TheCommandssectiondisplays:
Poweroperationscommands.SeeChangingVirtualMachinePower
Settingsonpage 125.
AcommandtostarttheAddHardwarewizard.SeeAddingHardwaretoa
VirtualMachineonpage 137.
Snapshotcommands.SeeUsingSnapshotsonpage 195.
Acommandtoopenthevirtualmachineconfigurationdialogbox.See
Chapter 7,RunningVirtualMachines,onpage 121.
Acommandtocreateavirtualmachineshortcutthatenablesuserstointeract
directlywiththeguestoperatingsystem.SeeGeneratingandSharingVirtual
MachineShortcutsonpage 133.
TheRelationshipssectiondisplaysthecurrentrelationshipsofthevirtualmachine:
thehostname,datastores,andnetworks.
VMware, Inc. 51
Installing the VMware Remote Console Add-On

VMwareRemoteConsoleallowsyoutointeractdirectlywiththeguestoperating
system.
YoumustinstallVMwareRemoteConsoleasaWebbrowseraddonthefirsttimeyou
wanttousetheconsolewithaWebbrowserthatdoesnotalreadyhavetheaddon
installed.Whenanewversionoftheaddonisavailable,youarepromptedtoinstall
thenewversion.
AfterVMwareRemoteConsoleisinstalled,youcancontinuetouseitifyoucloseyour
Webbrowser.
To install the browser add-on for VMware Remote Console
1 ClicktheConsoletab.
Iftheaddonisnotinstalledoranewversionoftheaddonisavailable,thetext
showninFigure 31appears.
Figure 3-1. Console Tab When the Add-On Is Not Installed
2 ClickInstallplugin.
IfyouareusingInternetExplorer,theFileDownloadSecurityWarningdialog
boxisdisplayed.
i CloseallinstancesofInternetExplorerbeforecontinuing.
TheaddoncannotbeinstalledifanyInternetExplorerwindowsare
open.
ii ClickRun.
52 VMware, Inc.
iii TheInternetExplorerSecurityWarninginstallationdialogboxis
displayed.
iv ClickRun.
NOTEDependingonyourInternetExplorersecuritysettings,youmight
seeamessageatthetopofthebrowser:Thiswebsitewantstorunthe
followingaddon.Ifyouseethismessage,clickitandallowtheaddon
torun.
Theaddonisinstalled.Skiptheremainingstepsofthisprocedure.
IfyouareusingFirefox,amessageappearsatthetopofthebrowserindicating
thatFirefoxpreventedthesitefromaskingyoutoinstallthesoftwareonyour
computer.
i ClickEditOptionsnexttotheFirefoxmessage.
TheAllowedSitesAddonsInstallationpageappears.
ii ClickAllowtoallowtheaddontobeinstalledfromtheVMwareServer
hostsystem,andclickClose.
YouarereturnedtotheConsoletabasshowninFigure 31.
iii ClickInstallplugin.
TheSoftwareInstallationpageappears.
iv ClickInstallNow.
Theaddonisinstalled.
Firefoxrequiresyoutorestartyourbrowser.
Starting VMware Remote Console from the Console Tab

SelecttheConsoletabwhenyouwanttointeractdirectlywiththeguestoperating
systemrunninginavirtualmachine.
IftheVMwareRemoteConsoleaddonisnotinstalledintheWebbrowseroranew
versionoftheaddonisavailable,youarepromptedtoinstallit,asdescribedin
InstallingtheVMwareRemoteConsoleAddOnonpage 52.
Whenavirtualmachineispoweredoff,suspended,orunavailable,theConsoletab
displaysamessageandpossibleactions.Forexample,whenthevirtualmachineis
poweredoff,thepoweronoptionisavailable.
VMware, Inc. 53
Whenthevirtualmachineispoweredon,youcanclickanywhereintheConsolescreen
toopenVMwareRemoteConsole.TheVMwareRemoteConsolestartupscreenis
displayedforafewmomentsbeforetheguestoperatingsystembeginstorun.
ForinformationaboutusingVMwareRemoteConsole,seeUsingVMwareRemote
Consoleonpage 130.
YoucancontinuetouseVMwareRemoteConsoleifyoucloseyourWebbrowser.
Using VI Web Access Menu Options

VIWebAccessmenusincludethefollowing:
ApplicationOptionsrelevanttotheVIWebAccessapplicationinterface.
VirtualMachineVirtualmachinecommands.Mostvirtualmachineoperations
areenabledonlywhenavirtualmachineisselectedintheInventorypanel.
Theavailablemenuoptionsaredescribedinthefollowingsections.
Application Menu
TheApplicationmenuincludesgeneralVIWebAccessoptionsforgettingversion
information,browsingtheVirtualApplianceMarketplace,viewingonlinehelp,and
loggingout.
AboutDisplaystheVIWebAccessversionnumber,VMwareServerversion
number,andVMwarecopyrightinformation.
EnterSerialNumberAllowsyoutoenteranewVMwareServerserialnumber
ifyourcurrentserialnumberisexpiring.
VirtualApplianceMarketplaceOpenstheVirtualApplianceMarketplaceWeb
page.Virtualappliancesareprebuilt,preconfigured,readytorunenterprise
applicationspackagedwithanoperatingsysteminsideavirtualmachine.
CheckforUpdatesOpenstheVMwareServerdownloadpage.
HelpDisplaysonlinehelp.
LogOutLogsyououtofVI WebAccess.
54 VMware, Inc.
Virtual Machine Menu

TheVirtualMachinemenuincludesoptionsformanagingthepowerstateofavirtual
machineandforviewingtheconsole.
Themenuincludesthefollowingcommands,whichcanalsobeperformedusingthe
buttonsandothervisualelementsofthemanagementinterface:
CreateVirtualMachineStartstheNewVirtualMachinewizard.SeeChapter 4,
CreatingandUpgradingVirtualMachines,onpage 59.
AddVirtualMachinetoInventoryAddsavirtualmachinetothehost
inventory.SeeManagingtheVirtualMachineInventoryonpage 108.
RemoveVirtualMachineRemovesavirtualmachinefromtheinventory,and
optionallydeletesthevirtualmachinefiles.Thisoptionisenabledifthevirtual
machineispoweredoff.SeeManagingtheVirtualMachineInventoryon
page 108.
PowerOn/ResumePowersonapoweredoffvirtualmachineorresumesa
suspendedvirtualmachine.
PowerOffPowersoffthevirtualmachineimmediately.Thisisthesameas
pullingtheplugonaphysicalcomputer.
SuspendSuspendsapoweredonvirtualmachine.
SuspendGuestSuspendstheguestoperatingsystem.VMwareToolsexecutes
thescriptassociatedwiththispowerstatechange,ifany.
ResetResetsthevirtualmachineimmediately.Thisisthesameaspressingthe
resetbuttononaphysicalcomputer.
ShutDownGuestShutsdowntheguestoperatingsystem.VMwareTools
executesthescriptassociatedwiththispowerstatechange,ifany.
RestartGuestRestartstheguestoperatingsystemandthevirtualmachine.
VMwareToolsexecutesthescriptassociatedwiththispowerstatechange,ifany.
TakeSnapshotTakesasnapshotofthevirtualmachine.
ReverttoSnapshotRevertstoanexistingsnapshot.
RemoveSnapshotRemovesanexistingsnapshot.
EnterFullScreenModeStartsVMwareRemoteConsoleinfullscreenmode.
OpeninaNewWindowOpensanewVMwareRemoteConsoleinstance.
FordetailedinformationaboutusingVI WebAccesstoperformvirtualmachinetasks,
seeChapter 7,RunningVirtualMachines,onpage 121.
VMware, Inc. 55
Administration Menu
TheAdministrationmenuincludestheManageRolesoptionformanagingVMware
Serverroles.SeeChapter 10,ManagingRolesandPermissions,onpage 201.
Viewing VMware Server and Virtual Machine Tasks

WhenyouclicktheTaskstabforthehostoravirtualmachine,VIWebAccessdisplays
taskinformationforthathostorvirtualmachineintheworkspace.
TheTaskstabdisplaysasortedlogofthemostrecentuserinitiatedtasks,suchasa
requesttopoweronavirtualmachineortochangeavirtualmachineorhostsetting.
Youcansorttasksbyclickingthecolumnheaders.Bydefault,tasksappearinreverse
chronologicalorder.
TheTaskstabfieldsaredescribedinthefollowingtable.
Field Description
Triggered Dateandtimetheeventoccurred.
Status Indicatestaskssuccessorfailure.
Object Theobjectonwhichthetaskwasperformed.
Name Thenameofthetask,suchasPower on this Virtual Machine.
TriggeredBy Entitythattriggeredtheevent,suchasAdministrator.
SelectataskandclickViewDetailstoseeadditionalinformation.Theadditionalfields
aredescribedinthefollowingtable.
Field Description
TaskID Theidentifierforthetypeoftask.
Target Thehostorvirtualmachinename.
Triggeredat Thetimethatthetaskwasrequested.
Completedat Thetimethatthetaskwascompleted.
56 VMware, Inc.
Viewing VMware Server and Virtual Machine Events

WhenyouclicktheEventstabforthehostoravirtualmachine,VIWebAccessdisplays
eventinformationforthathostorvirtualmachineintheworkspace.
TheEventstabdisplaysasortedlogofthemostrecenthostorvirtualmachine
transactions,suchasaddinganewrole,andothereventslikepoweroperations.
Youcansorteventsbyclickingthecolumnheaders.Bydefault,eventsappearinreverse
chronologicalorder.
TheEventstabfieldsaredescribedinthefollowingtable.
Field Description
Triggered Dateandtimetheeventoccurred.
Severity Indicatesthewarninglevel,suchasInformationorAlert.
Description Textexplanationoftheevent.
SelectaneventandclickViewDetailstoseeadditionalinformation.Theadditional
fieldsaredescribedinthefollowingtable.
Field Description
Object Theobjectonwhichthetaskwasperformed.
TriggeredBy Entitythattriggeredtheevent.
Type Typeofeventthatoccurred.
Message Textexplanationofaction.
Logging Out
LogoutofVIWebAccessbyclickingLogOutintheupperrightcornerofanypage.
VMware, Inc. 57
58 VMware, Inc.
4
Creating and Upgrading

Virtual Machines 4
Thischapterdescribeshowtocreateanewvirtualmachineandincludesthefollowing
topics:
BeforeYouCreateaVirtualMachineonpage 59
UsingtheNewVirtualMachineWizardonpage 65
InstallingtheGuestOperatingSystemonpage 68
UpdatingtheGuestOperatingSystemonpage 71
UpgradingtheVirtualMachineVersiononpage 72
Before You Create a Virtual Machine

TheNewVirtualMachinewizardguidesyouthroughthestepstocreateanewvirtual
machine.Thissectionprovidesinformationtohelpyoudeterminewhichconfiguration
choicesyouwanttomakebeforeyouruntheNewVirtualMachinewizard.
Virtual Machine Location

Thefilesthatmakeupavirtualmachinearecreatedinadatastore.
AdefaultdatastorecalledstandardiscreatedwhenyouinstallVMwareServer,but
youcanspecifyanyexistingdatastore.Toaddanewdatastore,seeAdding
Datastoresonpage 110.
VMware, Inc. 59
Thedefaultlocationofvirtualmachinefilesinthestandarddatastoredependsonthe
host:
Windowshosts:ThedefaultlocationofavirtualmachinecalledMy Windows XP
is:
<installdrive>:\Virtual Machines\My Windows XP
Linuxhosts:ThedefaultlocationofavirtualmachinecalledMy Windows XPis:

/var/lib/vmware/Virtual Machines/My Windows XP
Virtualmachineperformancemightbeslowerifyourdatastoreisonanetworkdrive.
Forbestperformance,useadatastoreonalocaldrive.However,ifremoteusersneed
accesstothevirtualmachine,considerplacingthevirtualmachinefilesinalocation
thatisaccessibletothem.
Guest Operating System

Youmustspecifywhichtypeofguestoperatingsystemyouwanttoinstallinthevirtual
machine.VMwareServerusesthisinformationto:
Selectappropriatedefaultvalues,suchastheamountofmemoryneeded
Namefilesassociatedwiththevirtualmachine
Adjustsettingsforoptimalperformance
Workaroundspecialbehaviorsandknownissueswithinaguestoperatingsystem
SupportedguestoperatingsystemsarelistedinSupportedGuestOperatingSystems
onpage 31.
Donotinstalla64bitoperatingsystemifyouselecta32bitguestoperatingsystem
type.
Iftheoperatingsystemyouwanttouseisnotlisted,selectOtherandselecta32bitor
64bitsystem.
NOTEVMwareServersupports64bitguestoperatingsystemsonlyonhostcomputers
withsupportedprocessors.ForthelistofprocessorsVMwareServersupportsfor64bit
guestoperatingsystems,seeProcessorSupportfor64BitGuestOperatingSystems
onpage 33.
60 VMware, Inc.
Chapter 4 Creating and Upgrading Virtual Machines
Product Compatibility (Virtual Machine Hardware Version)

IntheProductCompatibilitysectionoftheGuestOperatingSystempage,virtual
machinehardwareversion7isthedefault.Ahardwareversion7virtualmachinecan
usenewVMwareServer2features,including:
Upto8GBmemorypervirtualmachine,insteadofthepreviousmaximumof
3.6GB
Uptotenvirtualnetworkadapters,insteadofthepreviousmaximumofthree
TheabilitytoaddandremoveSCSIvirtualharddiskswhilethevirtualmachineis
poweredon
IfyoumigrateavirtualmachinewithnewfeaturestoWorkstation6.x,allthelatest
VMwareServer2featuresaresupported.However,youcannotmigratethevirtual
machinetomostotherVMwareproducts.
Ifyouselecthardwareversion4,thevirtualmachineiscompatiblewithmanyother
VMwareproducts,includingWorkstation5and6,ESX3,andVMwareServer1and2.
Formoreinformation,seetheVirtualMachineMobilityPlanningGuide.
Amount of Memory
OntheMemoryandProcessorspage,thememorysizeissettotheRecommendedSize
bydefault.Therecommendedvalueisbasedontheselectedguestoperatingsystem
andtheamountofmemoryinthehostcomputer.
Forbestperformance,selectRecommendedMaximum.Optimalmemorysizeis
determinedbyanumberoffactors,describedinAllocatingMemorytoaVirtual
Machineonpage 277.
Tominimizethehostmemoryresourcesallocatedtothisvirtualmachine,select
RecommendedMinimum.
NOTEDonotenteravaluelowerthantherecommendedminimumbecauseitcould
preventtheguestoperatingsystemfromrunning.
Themaximumamountofmemorypervirtualmachineis8GBforahardwareversion6
or7virtualmachine.Theamountofmemorythatcanbeusedbyallvirtualmachines
combinedislimitedonlybytheamountofmemoryonthehostcomputer.
VMware, Inc. 61
Number of Processors
Multipleprocessorsaresupportedonlyforhostmachineswithatleasttwological
processors.
Thefollowingareallconsideredtohavemultiplelogicalprocessors:
MultiprocessorhostwithtwoormoreCPUs,regardlessofwhethertheyare
multicoreorhavehyperthreadingenabled
SingleprocessorhostwithamulticoreCPU
Singleprocessorhostwithhyperthreadingenabled
ForinformationaboutVMwareServersupportforVirtualSMP,seeUsingTwoWay
VirtualSymmetricMultiprocessingonpage 278.
Hard Disk Type and Properties

OntheHardDiskpage,CreateaNewVirtualDiskisselectedbydefault.Whenyou
createanewvirtualdisk,thewizarddisplaysthePropertiespage,fromwhichyoucan
acceptorchangethedefaultvaluesfordiskcapacity,datastorelocation,fileallocation
options,diskmode,virtualdevicenode,andcachingpolicysettings.
Ifyouwanttoreuseorshareanexistingvirtualdisk,selectUseanExistingVirtual
Disk.ThewizarddisplaysthePropertiespage,fromwhichyoucanbrowsetoavirtual
disk(.vmdk)fileyoucreatedpreviously.Afteryouselecttheexistingdiskfileusingthe
datastorebrowser,itscurrentpropertiesaredisplayed.Youcanmodifythediskmode,
virtualdevicenode,andcachingpolicysettingsofanexistingdisk.
Ifyoudonotneedtocreateavirtualdisk(forexample,ifyouplantouseabootableCD
orPXEimagefile),selectDontAddaHardDisk.
Hard Disk Capacity Setting (New Disk Only)

Whencreatinganewvirtualdisk,specifyamaximumdisksizeinMBorGB.Setthe
maximumsizetoavaluebetween1MBand950GB.
Hard Disk File Options Settings (New Disk Only)

Whencreatinganewvirtualdisk,youcanspecifywhetherspaceforthediskfilesis
allocatedasneeded(calledagrowabledisk)orallocatedallatoncewhenthediskis
created(calledapreallocateddisk).
Bydefault,agrowablediskiscreated.Thediskfilesuselessdiskspaceinitiallyand
growtotheirmaximumsizeonlyasadditionalspaceisneeded.However,ittakes
longertowritedatatogrowabledisks.
62 VMware, Inc.
IfyouselectAllocatealldiskspacenow,alldiskspaceispreallocatedatthetimethe
diskiscreated.Thisprovidesbetterperformanceforyourvirtualmachine.However,
youcannotshrinkthedisklater.
NOTEPreallocatingdiskspaceisatimeconsumingoperationthatcannotbecanceled
andrequiresasmuchphysicaldiskspaceasyouspecifyforthevirtualdisk.
YoucanalsoselectSplitdiskinto2GBfiles.Selectthisoptionifyourvirtualdiskis
storedonafilesystemthatdoesnotsupportfileslargerthan2GB,suchasFAT16.
Virtual Device Disk Mode Settings

SelectwhethertorunthediskinIndependentMode.DisksinIndependentModeare
notaffectedbysnapshots.SeeExcludingVirtualDisksfromSnapshotsonpage 198.
IfyouselectIndependentMode,alsoselectoneofthefollowing:
PersistentDisksinpersistentmodebehavelikeconventionaldiskdriveson
yourphysicalcomputer.Alldatawrittentoadiskinpersistentmodearewritten
outpermanentlytothedisk.
NonpersistentChangestodisksinnonpersistentmodearediscardedwhenyou
powerofforresetthevirtualmachine.Nonpersistentmodeenablesyoutorestart
thevirtualmachinewithavirtualdiskinthesamestateeverytime.Exampleuses
includeprovidingknownenvironmentsforsoftwaretesting,technicalsupport,
anddemonstratingsoftware.
Virtual Device Node Settings

Whencreatinganewvirtualdisk,thedefaultadaptertypeisbasedonyourselected
guestoperatingsystem.Anavailabledevicenodeisalsoselected.
VirtualdiskscanbeconfiguredasIDEdisksforanyguestoperatingsystem.Theycan
beconfiguredasSCSIdisksforanyguestoperatingsystemthathasadriverforthe
LSI LogicorBusLogicSCSIadapteravailableinavirtualmachine.ThecorrectSCSI
adapterischosenbasedonyourselectedguestoperatingsystem.
NOTETouseSCSIdisksina32bitWindowsXPguest,youneedaspecialSCSIdriver
availablefromtheDownloadsectionoftheVMwareWebsiteat
http://www.vmware.com/download.FollowtheinstructionsontheWebsitetousethe
driverwithanewinstallationofWindowsXP.
VMware, Inc. 63
Eithertypeofvirtualdiskcanbestoredoneithertypeofphysicalharddisk.For
example,thefilesthatmakeupanIDEvirtualdiskcanbestoredoneitheranIDEhard
diskoraSCSIharddisk.Virtualdiskscanalsobestoredonothertypesoffastaccess
storagemedia.
Hard Disk Write Caching Policy Setting

Thecachingpolicydetermineswhenchangesarewrittentodisk:
OptimizeforsafetySavesallchangestothevirtualdiskimmediately.
OptimizeforperformanceAcknowledgeschangestothevirtualdisk
immediately,butsavesthematalatertime.
Network Connection Type

Ifyouaddanetworkadapter,youcanselectanexistingvirtualnetwork.
Foradefaultinstallationwithnocustomnetworks,youhavethefollowingoptions:
BridgedConfiguresyourvirtualmachineasauniqueidentityonthenetwork,
separatefromandunrelatedtoitshost.Othercomputersonthenetworkcanthen
communicatedirectlywiththevirtualmachine.Ifyourhostcomputerisona
networkandyouhaveaseparateIPaddressforyourvirtualmachine(orcanget
oneautomaticallyfromaDHCPserver),selectBridged.
NATConfiguresyourvirtualmachinetosharetheIPandMACaddressesofthe
host.Thevirtualmachinesharesthehostspublicnetworkidentity,andhasa
privateidentitythatisnotvisiblebeyondthehost.NATcanbeusefulwhenyou
areallowedasingleIPaddressorMACaddressbyyournetworkadministrator.
YoumightalsouseNATtoconfigureseparatevirtualmachinesforhandlingHTTP
andFTPrequests,withbothvirtualmachinesrunningoffthesameIPaddressor
domain.
HostOnlyConfiguresyouvirtualmachinetocommunicateonlywiththehost
andothervirtualmachinesinthehostonlynetwork.Thiscanbeusefulwhenyou
wantasecurevirtualmachinethatisconnectedtothehostnetwork,butavailable
onlythroughthehostmachine.Inthisconfiguration,thevirtualmachinecannot
connecttotheInternet.
Tocustomizeyourvirtualnetwork,seeChapter 11,ConfiguringaVirtual
Network,onpage 211.
64 VMware, Inc.
Using the New Virtual Machine Wizard

Whenyoucreateanewvirtualmachine,theresultisasetoffilesthatrepresentanew
computer.IfyouarenotusingabootableCDorPXEimagefile,thevirtualmachine
includesablank,unformattedharddiskthevirtualdiskintowhichyouinstallthe
guestoperatingsystem.
NOTEBeforeyoucreatethevirtualmachine,checktheinstallationnotesfortheguest
operatingsystemyouintendtoinstall.Youcanfindthisinformationinthe
VMware GuestOperatingSystemInstallationGuideat
http://pubs.vmware.com/guestnotes/.
To create a new virtual machine
1 InyourWebbrowser,entertheURLofyourVMwareServerinstallation:
http://<host name>/
Ifyouarenotusingport80toconnecttoVMwareServer,youmustincludetheport
numberyouspecifiedduringinstallationintheconnectionURL,forexample:
http://<host name>:8222
Whenyouconnectremotely,youareautomaticallyredirectedtothesecurehttp
(https)port.
TheVI WebAccessloginpageappears.
2 Enteryourusernameandpassword,andclickLogIn.
3 IntheCommandssectionofthehostworkspace,clickCreateVirtualMachine.
4 OntheNameandLocationpage,enterthenameofthevirtualmachine.
Thenameyouenterhereisusedinthevirtualmachineinventorylist.Asubfolder
withthisnameisalsocreatedinthedatastoretostoreallthefilesassociatedwith
thisvirtualmachine.
5 AlsoontheNameandLocationpage,selectadatastorefromthelistofexisting
datastoresandclickOK.
Formoreinformation,seeVirtualMachineLocationonpage 59.
6 ClickNext.
7 OntheGuestOperatingSystempage,selectthetypeofoperatingsystemthatyou
intendtoinstallinthenewvirtualmachine,andselecttheoperatingsystem
versionfromthedropdownmenu.
Formoreinformation,seeGuestOperatingSystemonpage 60.
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8 (Optional)AlsoontheGuestOperatingSystempage,expandtheProduct
Compatibilityheadingtoselectthevirtualmachineproductcompatibilitylevel.
Formoreinformation,seeProductCompatibility(VirtualMachineHardware
Version)onpage 61.
9 ClickNext.
10 OntheMemoryandProcessorspage,youcanadjustthememorysettingsoraccept
therecommendedsize.
Inmostcases,itisbesttokeepthedefaultmemorysetting.Ifyouplantousethe
virtualmachinetorunmanyapplicationsorapplicationsthatneedlargeamounts
ofmemory,youmightwanttouseahighermemorysetting.Formoreinformation,
seeAmountofMemoryonpage 61.
11 AlsoontheMemoryandProcessorspage,selectthenumberofprocessorsforthe
virtualmachine.
Formoreinformation,seeNumberofProcessorsonpage 62.
12 ClickNext.
13 OntheHardDiskpage,selectoneofthefollowing:
CreateaNewVirtualDiskSelecttoaddanewblankharddisktoyour
virtualmachine.
ThewizarddisplaysthePropertiespageforyoutoenterthediskcapacity,
datastore,fileallocationoptions,diskmode,virtualdeviceadaptertypeand
node,andcachingpolicysettings.Makeanyrequiredchangestothedefault
valuesonthePropertiespage,andclickNext.Fordetailedinformationabout
settingsyoucanconfigureonthePropertiespage,seeHardDiskTypeand
Propertiesonpage 62.
UseanExistingVirtualDiskSelecttoreuseorshareavirtualharddisk
thathasalreadybeencreated.
ThewizarddisplaysthePropertiespageforyoutoenterthepathorbrowseto
theexistingvirtualdisk(.vmdk)file.Selectthevirtualdisktoviewthe
capacityandfileallocationoptions,whichcannotbechanged.Youcanmodify
thediskmode,virtualdevicenode,andcachingpolicysettings.Makeany
requiredchangestothedefaultvaluesonthePropertiespage,andclickNext.
FordetailedinformationaboutsettingsyoucanconfigureontheProperties
page,seeHardDiskTypeandPropertiesonpage 62.
DontAddaVirtualDiskSelectonlyifyoucanuseabootableCDorPXE
imagefileanddonotneedaharddisktoinstalltheoperatingsystem.
66 VMware, Inc.
14 OntheNetworkAdapterpage,selectwhethertoaddanetworkadapter.
AddaNetworkAdapterSelecttoaddanetworktoyourvirtualmachine.
ThewizarddisplaysthePropertiespage.Selectthevirtualnetworkforthe
virtualmachinefromthedropdownmenuofexistingnetworks.
Optionally,deselectConnectatPowerOnifyoudonotwantthisnetworkto
beconnectedwhenthevirtualmachineispoweredon.
ClickNext.
DontAddaNetworkAdapterYoucancreateavirtualmachinewithout
networking,oraddavirtualnetworklater.
Formoreinformation,seeNetworkConnectionTypeonpage 64.
15 OntheReadytoCompletepage:
ClickBackornavigateusingthePagespaneltomakechanges.
ExpandtheMoreHardwareheadingtoaddmorehardwaretothevirtual
machinebeforeyoufinishcreatingit:
Toaddaharddisk,seeAddingaHardDisktoaVirtualMachineon
page 144.
Toaddanetworkadapter,seeAddingaNetworkAdaptertoaVirtual
Machineonpage 223.
ToaddaCD/DVDdrive,seeAddingaCD/DVDDrivetoaVirtual
Machineonpage 151.
Toaddafloppydrive,seeAddingaFloppyDrivetoaVirtualMachine
onpage 154.
Toaddapassthrough(generic)SCSIdevice,seeAddingaPassthrough
(Generic)SCSIDevicetoaVirtualMachineonpage 157.
ToaddaUSBcontroller(onepervirtualmachine),seeAddingaUSB
ControllertoaVirtualMachineonpage 159.
Toaddasoundadapter(onepervirtualmachine),seeAddingaSound
AdaptertoaVirtualMachineonpage 165.
Toaddaserialport,seeAddingaSerialPorttoaVirtualMachineon
page 166.
Toaddaparallelport,seeAddingaParallelPorttoaVirtualMachine
onpage 177.
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Eachtimeyoufinishaddinganewdevice,youreturntotheReadyto
Completepage.
Ifyouwanttopoweronthevirtualmachineimmediatelyaftercreatingit,
selectPoweronyourvirtualmachinenow.
ClickFinishtocreatethevirtualmachinewiththelistedhardware.
Thewizardcreatesthefilesandhardwareforyourvirtualmachine.
Afterthevirtualmachineiscreated,continuewithInstallingtheGuestOperating
Systemonpage 68.
Youcanmakechangestotheconfigurationofanexistingvirtualmachinefromthe
HardwareandCommandssectionsoftheVIWebAccessvirtualmachineworkspace.
Installing the Guest Operating System

Anewvirtualmachineislikeaphysicalcomputerwithablankharddisk.Beforeyou
canuseit,youneedtopartitionandformatthevirtualdiskandinstallanoperating
system.Theoperatingsystemsinstallationprogrammighthandlethepartitioningand
formattingstepsforyou.
NOTEIfyouplantouseaPXEservertoinstalltheguestoperatingsystemovera
networkconnection,youdonotneedtheoperatingsysteminstallationmedia.When
youpoweronthevirtualmachine,thevirtualmachinedetectsthePXEserver.
Installingaguestoperatingsysteminsideyourvirtualmachineisessentiallythesame
asinstallingitonaphysicalcomputer.
Insomehostconfigurations,thevirtualmachinecannotbootfromtheinstallationCD.
YoucanworkaroundthatproblembycreatinganISOimagefromtheinstallationCD
andinstallingfromtheISOimage.Thissectiondescribesbothinstallationprocedures.
Forinformationaboutyourspecificguestoperatingsystem,seetheVMwareGuest
OperatingSystemInstallationGuide,availablefromtheVMwareWebsite.
NOTEVMwareServersupports64bitguestoperatingsystemsonlyonhostmachines
withsupportedprocessors.ForthelistofprocessorsVMwareServersupportsfor64bit
guestoperatingsystems,seeProcessorSupportfor64BitGuestOperatingSystems
onpage 33.
68 VMware, Inc.
To install a guest operating system from an installation CD
1 LogintoVIWebAccess.
2 Selectthevirtualmachineintowhichyouareinstallingtheguestoperatingsystem
fromtheInventorypanel.
3 InserttheinstallationCDforyourguestoperatingsystem.
4 IntheHardwaresectionoftheSummarytab,clicktheCD/DVDdrivesiconand
selectEdit.
5 SelectHostMediatoconfigureaphysicaldriveonthehostsystem.
IfyouwanttouseaCD/DVDdriveonaclientsystem,selectClientMediaanduse
VMwareRemoteConsoletoselectandconnectordisconnecttheclientdevice.See
ConnectingandDisconnectingClientDevicesonpage 132.InVI WebAccess,
youcanonlychangethedevicenodeforclientdevices,asdescribedinEditinga
VirtualHardDiskonpage 145.
6 SelectConnectatpoweron.
7 SelectPhysicalDrive.
8 EnterthelocationofthedriveinthePhysicalDrivetextbox.
Forexample,d:(Windows)or/dev/cdrom(Linux).
9 SelecttheSCSIorIDEdevicenodeintheVirtualDeviceNodesection.
10 ClickOKtosaveyourchanges.
11 ClickPowerOntopoweronyourvirtualmachine.
12 ClicktheConsoletabtocompletetheguestoperatingsysteminstallationusing
VMwareRemoteConsole.
Followtheinstructionsprovidedbytheoperatingsystemvendor.
NOTEYoumightneedtochangethebootorderinthevirtualmachineBIOSso
thatthevirtualmachinewillattempttobootfromtheCD/DVDdevicebefore
tryingotherbootdevices.Tochangethebootorder,configurethevirtualmachine
toentertheBIOSsetuputilitywhenitboots,asdescribedinChangingVirtual
MachinePowerSettingsonpage 125,orpressF2whenpromptedduringvirtual
machinestartup.
13 InstallVMwareTools,asdescribedinInstallingVMwareToolsonpage 76.
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To install a guest operating system from an ISO image
1 LogintoVIWebAccess.
2 Selectthevirtualmachineintowhichyouareinstallingtheguestoperatingsystem
fromtheInventorypanel.
3 IntheHardwaresectionoftheSummarytab,clicktheCD/DVDdrivesiconand
selectEdit.
4 SelectHostMediatoconfigureanISOimagefileonthehostsystem.
IfyouwanttouseanISOimagefileonaclientsystem,selectClientMediaanduse
ConnectingandDisconnectingClientDevicesonpage 132.InVI WebAccess,
youcanonlychangethedevicenodeforclientdevices,asdescribedinEditinga
VirtualHardDiskonpage 145.
5 SelectConnectatpoweron.
6 SelectISOImage.
ClickBrowsetonavigatetoafilewiththe.isoextensioninanexistingdatastore.
Ifyouenterthepathmanually,youmustusetheformat:
[ datastore_name ] path_and_filename.iso
7 SelecttheSCSIorIDEdevicenodeintheVirtualDeviceNodesection.
9 ClickPowerOntopoweronyourvirtualmachine.
10 ClicktheConsoletabtocompletetheguestoperatingsysteminstallationusing
VMwareRemoteConsole.
Followtheinstructionsprovidedbytheoperatingsystemvendor.
NOTEYoumightneedtochangethebootorderinthevirtualmachineBIOSso
thatthevirtualmachinewillattempttobootfromtheCD/DVDdevicebefore
tryingotherbootdevices.Tochangethebootorder,configurethevirtualmachine
MachinePowerSettingsonpage 125,orpressF2whenpromptedduringvirtual
machinestartup.
70 VMware, Inc.
11 IftheISOimagespansmultiplefiles,whenyouarepromptedtoinsertthenextCD:
a ClicktheSummarytab.
b IntheHardwaresection,edittheCDsettingsbyclickingtheCD/DVDdrives
iconandchoosingEdit.
c BrowsetothelocationofthenextISOimagefile,andkeepallotherselections
astheyare.
d ClickOK.
e ClicktheConsoletabtoreturntoVMwareRemoteConsole.
f Intheguestoperatingsystem,clickOKorotherwiserespondtotheprompt
sothatinstallationcancontinue.
g Repeatthisprocessforadditionalfiles.
12 InstallVMwareTools,asdescribedinInstallingVMwareToolsonpage 76.
Updating the Guest Operating System

WhenyouusetheNewVirtualMachinewizardtocreateavirtualmachine,youspecify
theguestoperatingsystemtypeandversion.VMwareServerchoosesvirtualmachine
configurationdefaultsbasedontheguesttypeandversionyouselect.
Whenyouwanttoupgradeaguestoperatingsystemtoanewerversion,youmustdo
bothofthefollowing:
Updatethevirtualmachineinformationabouttheguestoperatingsystemtype
andversion,asdescribedinthissection.
Followtheinstructionsprovidedbytheoperatingsystemvendortoupdatethe
To update configuration information about the guest operating system
1 InVIWebAccess,selectthevirtualmachinefromtheInventorypanel.
2 Makesurethatthevirtualmachineispoweredoff.
3 IntheCommandssectionoftheworkspace,clickConfigureVM.
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4 IntheGuestOperatingSystemsectionoftheGeneraltab,selectthenewguest
operatingsystemtypeandversion.
Thesettingyouspecifyhereiswrittentothevirtualmachinesconfigurationfile.
NOTEThissettingdoesnotchangetheguestoperatingsystemitself.
5 Poweronthevirtualmachine.
To update the guest operating system
1 Followtheinstructionsprovidedbytheoperatingsystemvendortoupdatethe
2 Aftertheguestoperatingsystemisinstalled,usethestandardtoolswithinthe
operatingsystemtoconfigureitssettings.
Upgrading the Virtual Machine Version

IfyoucreatedvirtualmachineswithanearlierversionofVMwareServeroranother
VMwareproduct,youcanupgradethevirtualmachineversionsothatyoucantake
advantageofnewVMwareServer2features,suchasincreasedmaximummemoryper
virtualmachine.
IfavirtualmachinewithnewfeaturesismigratedtoWorkstation6,allthelatest
VMwareServer2featuresaresupported.However,youcannotmigratethevirtual
machinetomostotherVMwareproducts.
Formoreinformation,seeProductCompatibility(VirtualMachineHardware
Version)onpage 61.
To upgrade the virtual machine version
1 InVIWebAccess,selectthevirtualmachinefromtheInventorypanel.
3 ClickUpgradeVirtualMachineintheStatussectionoftheworkspace.
4 ClickOKtoconfirmthatyouwanttoupgradethevirtualmachine.
Afterthevirtualmachineversionisupdated,youcanconfigureittousethefeatures
supportedwiththenewversion.
72 VMware, Inc.
5
Installing and Using

VMware Tools 5
Thischapterdiscusseshowtoinstall,upgrade,andrunVMwareTools.Thischapter
ComponentsofVMwareToolsonpage 73
InstallingVMwareToolsonpage 76
UpdatingVMwareToolsonpage 90
UninstallingVMwareToolsonpage 91
RepairingorChangingVMwareToolsonpage 91
UsingtheVMwareToolsControlPanelonpage 91
CustomizingVMwareToolsonpage 97
UsingtheVMwareToolsCommandLineInterfaceonpage 104
Components of VMware Tools

VMwareToolsisasuiteofutilitiesthatenhancestheperformanceofthevirtual
machinesguestoperatingsystemandimprovesmanagementofthevirtualmachine.
AlthoughtheguestoperatingsystemcanrunwithoutVMwareTools,youlose
importantfunctionalityandconvenience.
VMwareToolsincludesthefollowingcomponents:
VMwareToolsservice
VMwaredevicedrivers
VMwareUserprocess
VMwareToolscontrolpanel
VMware, Inc. 73
VMware Tools Service

TheprogramfileiscalledVMwareService.exeonWindowsguestoperatingsystems
andvmware-guestdonLinux,FreeBSD,andSolarisguests.
Thisserviceperformsvariousdutieswithintheguestoperatingsystem:
Passesmessagesfromthehostoperatingsystemtotheguestoperatingsystem.
Executescommandsintheoperatingsystemtocleanlyshutdownorrestarta
Linux,FreeBSD,orSolarissystemwhenyouselectpoweroperationsin
VMware Server.
SendsaheartbeattoVMwareServer.
OnWindowsguests,allowsthemousecursortomovefreelybetweentheguest
andhostoperatingsystems.
OnWindowsguests,matchestheguestsscreenresolutiontothehostsscreen
resolutionandthereverse.
Synchronizesthetimeintheguestoperatingsystemwiththetimeinthehost
operatingsystem.
Runsscriptsthathelpautomateguestoperatingsystemoperations.Thescriptsrun
whenthevirtualmachinespowerstatechanges.
Theservicestartswhentheguestoperatingsystemboots.
TheVMwareToolsserviceisnotinstalledonNetWareoperatingsystems.Instead,the
vmwtoolprogramisinstalled.ItsynchronizestimeandallowsyoutoturntheCPU
idleronoroff.
VMware Device Drivers

Thesedevicedriversinclude:
SVGAdisplaydriverthatprovideshighdisplayresolutionandsignificantlyfaster
overallgraphicsperformance.
Thevmxnetnetworkingdriverforsomeguestoperatingsystems.
BusLogicSCSIdriverforsomeguestoperatingsystems.
VMwaremousedriver.
74 VMware, Inc.
Chapter 5 Installing and Using VMware Tools
Akernelmoduleforhandlingsharedfolders,calledhgfs.sysonWindowsand
vmhgfsonLinuxandSolaris.VMwareServerdoesnotsupportsharedfolders.The
moduleisincludedforproductcompatibility.
TheVirtualMachineCommunicationInterface(VMCI)driverforcreating
clientserverapplicationsthatareoptimizedforfastandefficientcommunication
betweenvirtualmachines.
VMware User Process

TheprogramfileiscalledVMwareUser.exeonWindowsguestsandvmware-useron
Linux,Solaris,andFreeBSDguests.
Thisserviceperformsthefollowingtaskswithintheguestoperatingsystem:
Enablesyoutocopyandpasteupto64Kofplaintextbetweentheguestandhost
operatingsystems.
OnLinuxandSolarisguests,grabsandreleasesthemousecursorwhentheSVGA
driverisnotinstalled.
OnLinuxandSolarisguests,matchestheguestsscreenresolutiontothehosts
screen.
ThisprocessstartswhenyoubeginanX11session.Touseadifferentmechanismto
starttheprocess,seeStartingtheVMwareUserProcessManuallyIfYouDoNotUse
aSessionManageronUNIXonpage 89.
TheVMwareToolsuserprocessisnotinstalledonNetWareoperatingsystems.Instead,
thevmwtoolprogramisinstalled.Itcontrolsthegrabbingandreleasingofthemouse
cursor.Italsoallowsyoucopyandpastetext.
VMware Tools Control Panel

TheVMwareToolscontrolpanelletsyoumodifysettings,shrinkvirtualdisks,and
connectanddisconnectvirtualdevices.SeeUsingtheVMwareToolsControlPanel
onpage 91.
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Installing VMware Tools

TheinstallersforVMwareToolsforWindows,Linux,FreeBSD,Solaris,andNetWare
guestoperatingsystemsareinstalledwithVMwareServerasISOimagefiles.When
youclickInstallVMwareToolsorUpgradeVMwareToolsintheStatussectionofthe
virtualmachineSummarytabinVIWebAccess,VMwareServertemporarilyconnects
thevirtualmachinesfirstvirtualCD/DVDdrivetothecorrectISOimagefileforthe
ClickthecommandtoinstallorupgradeVMwareTools.Theinstallationprocedure
variesdependingontheoperatingsystem.
Manually Installing VMware Tools in a Windows Guest System

VMwareToolsissupportedonallWindowsguestoperatingsystems.
BeforeyouclicktheInstallVMwareToolscommandtoinstallVMwareTools,perform
thefollowingtasks,asnecessary:
IfyouarerunningVMwareServeronaWindowshostandyourvirtualmachine
hasonlyoneCD/DVDdrive,makesurethattheCD/DVDdriveisconfiguredasan
IDEorSCSICD/DVDdrive.ItcannotbeconfiguredasagenericSCSIdevice.If
necessary,addanIDEorSCSICD/DVDdrivetothevirtualmachine.SeeAdding
aCD/DVDDrivetoaVirtualMachineonpage 151.
MakesurethatthevirtualCD/DVDdriveisconfiguredtoautodetectaphysical
drive.ThistaskisnecessaryifyouconnectedthevirtualmachinesCD/DVDdrive
toanISOimagefilewhenyouinstalledtheoperatingsystem.Changethe
connectionfromtheISOimagetoautodetectaphysicaldrive.
WhenyouinstallVMwareTools,makesurethatthevirtualmachineispowered
on.
IftheguestoperatingsystemisaWindowsNT,Windows2000,WindowsXP,
WindowsServer2003,orWindowsVistaoperatingsystem,loginasan
administrator.AnyusercaninstallVMwareToolsinaWindows 95,Windows98,
orWindowsMeguestoperatingsystem.
76 VMware, Inc.
To install or upgrade VMware Tools in a Windows guest operating system
1 InVIWebAccess,clickInstallVMwareToolsintheStatussectionofthevirtual
machineSummarytab.
IfanearlierversionofVMwareToolsisinstalled,clickUpgradeVMwareTools.
Theremainingstepstakeplaceinsidethevirtualmachine.
Dependingonwhetherautorunisenabledintheguestoperatingsystem,oneof
thefollowingoccurs:
Ifautorunisenabledintheguestoperatingsystem,adialogboxappearsafter
afewsecondsaskingwhetheryouwanttoinstallVMwareTools.
Ifautorunisnotenabled,thedialogboxdoesnotappearautomatically.Click
Start>RunandenterD:\setup\setup.exe,whereD:isyourfirstvirtual
CD/DVDdrive.
3 ClickYestolaunchtheInstallShieldwizard.
4 Followtheonscreeninstructions.
OnsomeWindowsoperatingsystems,aftertheSVGAdriverisinstalled,youare
promptedtoreboottousethisnewdriver.
5 Rebootthevirtualmachineifnecessary.
Tochangethedefaultconfigurationoptions,seeUsingtheVMwareToolsControl
Panelonpage 91.
Configuring the Video Driver on Older Versions of Windows

IfyouareinstallingVMwareToolsinavirtualmachinethathasaWindowsNT,
WindowsMe,Windows98,orWindows95operatingsystem,youmightneedto
configurethevideodrivermanually.WhenyouclickFinishintheVMwareTools
installationwizard,amessageappearsindicatingthatVMwareToolsfailedtoinstall
theSVGAdriver.
ANotebookwindow,theDisplayProperties/Settingsdialogbox,andamessagebox
appear,promptingyoutorebootthemachine.
VMware, Inc. 77
To configure the video driver on older versions of Windows
1 Whenyouarepromptedtoreboot,clickNo.
2 FollowtheinstructionsintheNotebookfile.
Theinstructionsarespecifictoeachoperatingsystem.Theyprovidestepsfor
selectingtheVMwareSVGAdriver,usuallyintheDisplayProperties/Settings
dialogbox,andinstallingitfromtheVMwareToolsISOimage.
TheEnglishversionoftheinstructionsfromtheNotebookfilearereprintedin
KnowledgeBasearticle1001819attheVMwareWebsite.
Automating the Installation of VMware Tools in a Windows Guest

IfyouareinstallingVMwareToolsinanumberofWindowsvirtualmachines,youcan
automatetheinstallationusingtheMicrosoftWindowsInstallerruntimeengine.
MakesurethattheMicrosoftWindowsInstallerruntimeengineversion2.0orhigheris
installedintheguestoperatingsystem.
Version2.0orhigherisincludedwithnewerversionsofWindows.Ifyouareinstalling
VMwareToolsinolderWindowsguestoperatingsystems,checktheversionofthe
%WINDIR%\system32\msiexec.exefile.
Ifthefileversionisnot2.0orhigher,upgradetheenginebyrunninginstmsiw.exe
(instmsia.exeforWindows95orWindows98guests),whichisincludedwiththe
VMwareToolsinstaller.
FormoreinformationaboutusingtheMicrosoftWindowsInstaller,including
commandlineoptions,gototheWindowsInstallerpageontheMSDNWebsite:
http://msdn2.microsoft.com/enus/library/aa367449.aspx.
To automate the installation of VMware Tools in a Windows guest
1 MakesurethatthevirtualmachinesCD/DVDdriveisconnectedtothe
VMware ToolsISOimageandthatitisconfiguredtoconnectwheneveryoupower
onthevirtualmachine:
a Selectthevirtualmachine.
b IntheHardwaresectionofthevirtualmachineSummarytab,clickthe
CD/DVDdrivetomodifyandselectEdit.
c IntheDevicestatussection,selecttheConnectatpoweroncheckbox.
d IntheConnectionsection,selectISOImageandbrowsetothewindows.iso
file,locatedinthedirectorywhereyouinstalledVMwareServer.
e ClickOK.
78 VMware, Inc.
2 (Optional)Intheguestoperatingsystem,suppresspromptsaboutinstalling
unsigneddrivers.
IfyouareinstallingVMwareToolsfromabetaorRC(releasecandidate)versionof
VMwareServer,youareaskedtoconfirmtheinstallationofunsigneddrivers.
Followthesestepstosuppresstheseconfirmationprompts.
ForallWindowssystemsexceptWindowsVista:
a OnthevirtualmachinesdesktoporStartmenu,rightclickMyComputerand
selectProperties.
b ClicktheHardwaretabandclickDriverSigning.
c IntheDriverSigningOptionsdialogbox,clickIgnoreandclickOK.
d ClickOKintheSystemPropertiesdialogbox.
ForWindowsVista:
a OntheStartmenu,rightclickComputerandselectProperties.
b ClickAdvancedsystemsettings>Hardware>WindowsUpdateDriver
Settings.
c ClickNevercheckfordriverswhenIconnectanewdeviceandclickOK.
d ClickOKintheSystemPropertiesdialogbox.
3 Openacommandpromptandusethefollowingcommandtoinstallsomeorallof
theVMwareToolscomponents:
msiexec -i "D:\VMware Tools.msi" ADDLOCAL=ALL [REMOVE=<component>] /qn
Inthiscommand,youcanoptionallyuse REMOVE=<component>ifyoudonot
wanttoinstallaparticularcomponent:
ToolboxVMwareToolscontrolpanelanditsutilities.Excludingthis
featurepreventsyoufromusingVMwareToolsintheguestoperatingsystem.
VMwaredoesnotrecommendexcludingthisfeature.
DriversIncludestheSVGA,mouse,BusLogic,andvmxnetdrivers.
SVGAVMwareSVGAdriver.Excludingthisfeaturelimitsthedisplay
capabilitiesofyourvirtualmachine.
MouseVMwaremousedriver.Excludingthisfeaturedecreasesmouse
performanceinyourvirtualmachine.
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BuslogicVMwareBusLogicdriver.Ifyourvirtualmachineis
configuredtousetheLSILogicdriver,youmightwanttoremovethis
feature.
VMXNetVMwarevmxnetnetworkingdriver.
MemCtlVMwarememorycontroldriver.Recommendedifyouplantouse
thisvirtualmachinewithESX.Excludingthisfeaturehindersthememory
managementcapabilitiesofthevirtualmachinerunningonanESXsystem.
HgfsVMwaresharedfoldersdriver.Thesharedfoldersfeatureisnot
supportedinVMwareServer.Recommendedifyouplantousethisvirtual
machinewithWorkstationoranotherproductthatsupportssharedfolders.
Forexample,toinstalleverythingbutthesharedfoldersdriver,typethefollowing
command:
msiexec -i "D:\VMware Tools.msi" ADDLOCAL=ALL REMOVE=Hgfs /qn
TheSVGA,Mouse,BusLogic,VMXnet,andMemCtlfeaturesarechildrenofthe
Driversfeature.Thismeansthatthefollowingcommandskipsinstallationofthe
SVGA,mouse,BusLogic,vmxnet,andMemCtldrivers:
msiexec -i "D:\VMware Tools.msi" ADDLOCAL=ALL REMOVE=Drivers /qn
Toincludeafeature,useitwiththeADDLOCALoption.Toexcludeafeature,use
itwiththeREMOVEoption.
Installing VMware Tools in a Linux Guest System

OnaLinuxguest,youcaninstallVMwareToolswithinXorfromthecommandline.
Installing VMware Tools in a Linux Guest Within X Using the RPM Installer
YoucanuseagraphicaluserinterfacetoinstallVMwareToolsinaLinuxguest.For
informationabouthowtoinstallVMwareToolfromthecommandline,seeInstalling
VMwareToolsfromtheCommandLinewiththeTarorRPMInstalleronpage 82.
Beforeyoubegin,makesurethatthevirtualmachineispoweredonandtheguest
operatingsystemisrunning.
80 VMware, Inc.
To install VMware Tools in a Linux Guest Within X Using the RPM Installer
machineSummarytab.
TheguestoperatingsystemmountstheVMwareToolsinstallationvirtualCD.A
windowmanagerdisplayingtwofilesmightappear.OnefileisfortheRPM
installerandoneisforthetarinstaller.Alternatively,aVMwareToolsCDicon
mightappearonthedesktop.
3 Dooneofthefollowing:
IfyouseeaVMwareToolsCDicononthedesktop,doubleclickit,andafter
itopens,doubleclicktheRPMinstallerintherootoftheCDROM.
Ifyouseeafilemanagerwindow,doubleclicktheRPMinstallerfile.
InsomeLinuxdistributions,theVMwareToolsCDiconmightfailtoappear.In
thiscase,installVMwareToolsfromthecommandline,asdescribedinInstalling
VMwareToolsfromtheCommandLinewiththeTarorRPMInstalleronpage 82.
4 Whenprompted,entertherootpasswordandclickOK.
Theinstallerpreparesthepackages.
5 ClickContinuewhentheinstallerpresentsadialogboxthatshowsCompleted
SystemPreparation.
Whentheinstallerisdone,noconfirmationwindoworfinishbuttonappears,but
VMwareToolsisinstalled.
6 InanXterminal,asroot(su),runthescripttoconfigureVMwareTools:
vmware-config-tools.pl
Respondtothequestionsdisplayedonthescreen.PressEntertoacceptthedefault
value.
7 Exitfromtherootaccount:
exit
VMware, Inc. 81
8 InanXterminal,starttheVMwareUserprocess:
vmware-user
9 (Optional)TostarttheVMwareToolscontrolpanel,enterthefollowingcommand:
vmware-toolbox &
TochangethedefaultVMwareToolsconfigurationoptions,seeUsingtheVMware
ToolsControlPanelonpage 91.
YoucanrunVMwareToolsasrootorasanormaluser.Toshrinkvirtualdisksorto
changeanyVMwareToolsscripts,youmustrunVMwareToolsasroot.
Installing VMware Tools from the Command Line with the Tar or RPM
Installer
YoucaninstallVMwareToolsfromthecommandlineinaLinuxguest.Forinformation
abouthowtoinstallVMwareToolfromagraphicaluserinterface,seeInstalling
VMwareToolsinaLinuxGuestWithinXUsingtheRPMInstalleronpage 80.
Beforeyoubegin,makesurethatthevirtualmachineispoweredonandthattheguest
To install VMware Tools from the command line with the tar or RPM installer
machineSummarytab.
3 Intheguest,loginasroot(su).
4 Ifnecessary,mounttheVMwareToolsvirtualCDROMimagebyenteringa
commandsimilartothefollowing:
mount /dev/cdrom /mnt/cdrom
SomeLinuxdistributionsautomaticallymountCDROMs.Ifyourdistribution
usesautomounting,youcanskipthisstep.
SomeLinuxdistributionsusedifferentdevicenamesororganizethe/dev
directorydifferently.IfyourCDROMdriveisnot/dev/cdromorifthemount
pointforaCDROMisnot/mnt/cdrom,modifythecommandtoreflectthe
conventionsusedbyyourdistribution.
82 VMware, Inc.
5 Changetoaworkingdirectorybyenteringacommandsuchasthefollowing:
cd /tmp
6 Ifapreviousinstallationexists,deletethepreviousvmware-tools-distrib
directorybeforeinstalling.
Thelocationofthisdirectorydependsonwhereyouplaceditduringtheprevious
installation.Oftenitisplacedin:
/tmp/vmware-tools-distrib
7 RuntheinstallerandunmounttheCDROMimage.
DependingonwhetheryouareusingthetarinstallerortheRPMinstaller,doone
ofthefollowing:
Forthetarinstaller,atthecommandprompt,enter:
tar zxpf /mnt/cdrom/VMwareTools-<xxxx>.tar.gz
umount /dev/cdrom
Where<xxxx>isthebuildnumberoftheproductrelease.
FortheRPMinstaller,atthecommandprompt,enter:
rpm -Uhv /mnt/cdrom/VMwareTools-<xxxx>.i386.rpm
umount /dev/cdrom
Where<xxxx>isthebuildnumberoftheproductrelease.
IfyourLinuxdistributionautomaticallymountedtheCDROMs,youdonotneed
tousetheunmountportionofthecommand.
IfyouattempttoinstallanRPMinstallationoveratarinstallationorthereverse,
theinstallerdetectsthepreviousinstallationandmustconverttheinstaller
databaseformatbeforecontinuing.
8 ConfigureVMwareTools.
DependingonwhetheryouareusingthetarinstallerortheRPMinstaller,doone
ofthefollowing:
Forthetarinstaller,enterthefollowingcommandstoruntheinstaller:
cd vmware-tools-distrib
./vmware-install.pl
Respondtothequestionsthecommandlinewizarddisplays.PressEnterto
acceptthedefaultvalues.Theconfigurationfile,vmware-config-tools.pl,
runsaftertheinstallerfilefinishesrunning.
VMware, Inc. 83
FortheRPMinstaller,enterthefollowingcommandtoruntheconfiguration
file:
vmware-config-tools.pl
Respondtothequestionsthecommandlinewizarddisplays.PressEnterto
acceptthedefaultvalues.
9 Logoutoftherootaccount.
exit
10 (Optional)Startyourgraphicalenvironment.
11 InanXterminal,tostarttheVMwareUserprocess,enterthefollowingcommand:
vmware-user
vmware-toolbox &
TochangethedefaultVMwareToolsconfigurationoptions,seeUsingthe
VMwareToolsControlPanelonpage 91.
YoucanrunVMwareToolsasrootorasanormaluser.Toshrinkvirtualdisksor
tochangeanyVMwareToolsscripts,youmustrunVMwareToolsasroot.
Installing VMware Tools in a Solaris Guest System

To install VMware Tools in a Solaris guest operating system
machineSummarytab.
84 VMware, Inc.
4 Ifnecessary,mounttheVMwareToolsvirtualCDROMimage.
Usually,theSolarisvolumemanagervoldmountstheCDROMunder
/cdrom/vmwaretools.IftheCDROMisnotmounted,restartthevolume
managerusingthefollowingcommands:
/etc/init.d/volmgt stop
/etc/init.d/volmgt start
5 AftertheCDROMismounted,changetoaworkingdirectory(forexample,/tmp)
andextractVMwareToolsbyenteringthefollowingcommands:
cd /tmp
gunzip -c /cdrom/vmwaretools/vmware-solaris-tools.tar.gz | tar xf -
6 RuntheVMwareToolstarinstaller:
./vmware-install.pl
Respondtotheconfigurationquestionsonthescreen.PressEntertoacceptthe
defaultvalues.
7 Logoutoftherootaccount:
exit
vmware-user
vmware-toolbox &
YoucanrunVMwareToolsasrootorasanormaluser.Toshrinkvirtualdisksorchange
VMwareToolsscripts,youmustrunVMwareToolsasroot.
VMware, Inc. 85
Installing VMware Tools in a FreeBSD Guest System

To install VMware Tools in a FreeBSD guest operating system
machineSummarytab.
3 Makesurethattheguestoperatingsystemisrunningintextmode.
YoucannotinstallVMwareToolswhileXisrunning.
5 Ifnecessary,mounttheVMwareToolsvirtualCDROMimagebyenteringa
mount /cdrom
SomeFreeBSDdistributionsautomaticallymountCDROMs.Ifyourdistribution
usesautomounting,skipthisstep.
6 Changetoaworkingdirectorybyenteringacommandsuchasthefollowing:
cd /tmp
7 UntartheVMwareToolstarfile:
tar zxpf /cdrom/vmware-freebsd-tools.tar.gz
8 Ifnecessary,unmounttheVMwareToolsvirtualCDROMimagebyenteringa
umount /cdrom
Ifyourdistributionusesautomounting,skipthisstep.
9 RuntheVMwareToolsinstaller:
./vmware-install.pl
10 Logoutoftherootaccount:
exit
86 VMware, Inc.
vmware-user
vmware-toolbox &
InminimalinstallationsoftheFreeBSD4.5guestoperatingsystem,sometimes
VMwareToolsdoesnotstart.SeeInstalltheMissingFreeBSDLibraryon
page 87.
YoucanrunVMwareToolsasrootorasanormaluser.Toshrinkvirtualdisksorchange
VMwareToolsscripts,youmustrunVMwareToolsasroot.
Install the Missing FreeBSD Library

IfVMwareToolsdoesnotstartafteryouinstallit,youmightneedtoinstallalibrary
thatismissingbecauseyoudonothaveafullinstallationofFreeBSD4.5.
Beforeyoubegin,makesurethatyouhavetheFreeBSD4.5installationCDoraccessto
theISOimagefile.
To install the missing FreeBSD library
1 Reboottheguestoperatingsystem.
2 Intheguest,inanXterminal,enterthefollowingcommandtostartthe
VMware Toolscontrolpanel:
vmware-toolbox &
Ifthefollowingerrormessageappears,therequiredlibrarywasnotinstalled:
Shared object 'libc.so.3' not found.
3 InsertandmounttheFreeBSD4.5installationCDoraccesstheISOimagefile.
4 Changedirectoriesandruntheinstallationscript:
cd /cdrom/compat3x
./install.sh
VMware, Inc. 87
Installing VMware Tools in a NetWare Guest System

To install VMware Tools in a NetWare guest operating system
machineSummarytab.
3 Intheguest,loadtheCDROMdriversothattheCDROMdevicemountstheISO
imageasavolumebydoingoneofthefollowing:
ForaNetWare6.5virtualmachine,inthesystemconsole,enter:
LOAD CDDVD
ForaNetWare6.0orNetWare5.1virtualmachine,inthesystemconsole,
enter:
LOAD CD9660.NSS
ForaNetWare4.2virtualmachine,inthesystemconsole,enter:
load cdrom
MounttheVMwareToolsCDROMimagebyentering:
cd mount vmwtools
4 Inthesystemconsole,enteroneofthefollowing:
ForNetWare5.1,6.0,or6.5:
vmwtools:\setup.ncf
ForNetWare4.2:
vmwtools:\setup
Whentheinstallationfinishes,themessageVMware Tools for NetWare are now

runningappearsintheLoggerScreen(NetWare6.5andNetWare6.0guests)orthe
ConsoleScreen(NetWare4.2and5.1guests).
88 VMware, Inc.
5 IfyouhaveaNetWare4.2guest,restarttheguestoperatingsystem,asfollows:
a Toshutdownthesystem,inthesystemconsole,enter:
down
b Torestarttheguestoperatingsystem,inthesystemconsole,enter:
restart server
6 MakesurethattheVMwareToolsvirtualCDROMimage(netware.iso)isnot
attachedtothevirtualmachine.
Ifitisattached,disconnectit.
Starting the VMware User Process Manually If You Do Not Use a

Session Manager on UNIX
OneoftheexecutablesusedbyVMwareToolsinUNIXguestsisvmware-user.This
programimplementsfitguesttowindowandotherfeatures.
Normally,vmware-userisstartedautomaticallyafteryouconfigureVMwareTools
andthenlogoutofthedesktopenvironmentandlogbackin.
However,ifyourunanXsessionwithoutasessionmanager(forexample,byusing
startxandgettingadesktopandnotusingxdm,kdm,orgdm),youmuststartthe
VMwareUserprocessmanually.
Youmustalsostartvmware-usermanuallyafteryouupdatetoanewversionof
VMwareTools.
To start the VMware User process manually if you do not use a session manager
Dooneofthefollowing:
Tohavevmware-userstartwhenyoustartanXsession,addvmware-usertothe
appropriateXstartupscript,suchasthe.xsessionor.xinitrcfile.
Thevmware-userprogramislocatedinthedirectorywhereyouselectedtoinstall
binaryprograms,whichdefaultsto/usr/bin.Thestartupscriptthatneedstobe
modifieddependsonyourparticularsystem.
Tostartvmware-userafteraVMwareToolssoftwareupdateorifyounotice
certainfeaturesarenotworking,openaterminalwindowandenterthefollowing
command:
vmware-user
VMware, Inc. 89
Updating VMware Tools

BecauseVMwareToolsinstallers(ISOimages)areinstalledwithVMwareServer,when
youupdatetoanewversionofVMwareServer,acheckisperformedtodetermineifa
newversionofVMwareToolsisavailable.Whenyouupdatefromanearlierversionof
VMwareTools,thepreviousversionofVMwareToolsmightbeuninstalled.
TheguestoperatingsystemchecksforVMwareToolsupdatesonlywhenyoupoweron
avirtualmachine.ItcomparesitsversionofVMwareToolsagainsttheversionthatis
installedonthehost.ForVMwareToolsupdatesonLinuxandWindowsguests,you
cansettheguesttoupdateautomatically(seeOptionsTabonpage 93)oryoucan
performamanualupdate.Onotherguests,youmustmanuallyupdate.
WhenyouupdateVMwareTools,anychangesyoumadetothedefaultscriptsare
overwritten.Anycustomscriptsyoucreatedremainuntouched,butdonotbenefit
fromanyunderlyingchangesthatenhancethedefaultscripts.
To update VMware Tools for a virtual machine, do one of the following
IntheOptionstaboftheVMwareToolsControlPanelclicktheUpdatebutton.
InVIWebAccess,clickUpgradeVMwareToolsintheStatussectionofthevirtual
machineSummarytab.
Adialogboxenablesyoutoselectautomaticorinteractiveupgrade:
IfyouselectAutomaticVMwareToolsUpgradeandclickUpgrade,VMware
Toolsisupgradedwithoutfurtheruserinteraction.
IfyouselectInteractiveVMwareToolsUpgradeandclickUpgrade,the
remainingstepstakeplaceinsidethevirtualmachine.
UsethesameprocedurethatyouusedforinstallingVMwareToolsthefirst
time.Forplatformspecificinstallationinstructions,seeInstallingVMware
Toolsonpage 76.
YouarepromptedtoselecttheVMwareToolscomponentstoupgrade.
90 VMware, Inc.
Uninstalling VMware Tools

Occasionally,anupdateofVMwareToolsisincomplete.Youcanusuallysolvethe
problembyuninstallingVMwareToolsandthenreinstalling.
To uninstall VMware Tools
Dependingontheguestoperatingsystem,dooneofthefollowing:
OnaWindowsguest,usetheguestoperatingsystemsAdd/RemovePrograms
itemtoremoveVMwareTools.
OnanyUNIXguest,loginasroot(su)andenterthefollowingcommand:
vmware-uninstall-tools.pl
OnaLinuxguestthathasVMwareToolsinstalledusinganRPMinstaller,enterthe
followingcommand:
rpm -e VMwareTools
Repairing or Changing VMware Tools

IffeaturesdonotworkafteraVMwareToolsupdate,youmightneedtouninstall
VMwareToolsandreinstall.Besuretofollowthesesteps.Donotusetherepairor
changeoptionintheguestsAdd/RemoveProgramsitemintheWindowsControl
Panel.
To repair or change installed modules
1 UninstalltheoldversionofVMwareToolsasdescribedinUninstallingVMware
Toolsonpage 91.
2 InstallthenewversionofVMwareToolsasdescribedinInstallingVMware
Toolsonpage 76.
Using the VMware Tools Control Panel

UsetheVMwareToolscontrolpaneltomodifyVMwareToolsconfigurationsettings,
shrinkvirtualdisks,andconnectanddisconnectvirtualdevices.
Beforeyoubegin,makesurethatVMwareToolsisinstalledintheguestoperating
system.
OnWindowsVistaguests,logintotheoperatingsystemasanAdministratoruser.
VMware, Inc. 91
To open the VMware Tools control panel
Dooneofthefollowing:
InWindowsguests,doubleclickVMwareToolsiconinthenotificationareaofthe
guestsWindowstaskbar.
IfyoucannotfindtheVMwareToolsiconinthenotificationarea,usetheguests
WindowsControlPaneltodisplayit.SeeUsingtheWindowsControlPanelto
DisplaytheTaskbarIcononpage 92.
InLinux,FreeBSD,andSolarisguests,openaterminalwindowandenterthe
command:
/usr/bin/vmware-toolbox &
InNetWareguests,dooneofthefollowing:
InaNetWare5.1orhigherguest,selectNovell>Settings>VMwareToolsfor
NetWare.
InaNetWare4.2guest,useVMwareToolscommandsinthesystemconsole.
TheVMwareToolsprogramiscalledvmwtool.
Using the Windows Control Panel to Display the Taskbar Icon

IfVMwareToolsisinstalledinaWindowsguestoperatingsystembutthe
VMware ToolsicondoesnotappearinthenotificationareaoftheWindowstaskbar,
youcanusetheWindowsControlPaneltodisplayit.
To use the Windows Control Panel to display the taskbar icon
1 GotoStart>ControlPanel.
2 DoubleclicktheVMwareToolsicon.
3 OntheOptionstab,selectShowVMwareToolsinthetaskbarandclickApply.
92 VMware, Inc.
Options Tab
TheOptionstaboftheVMwareToolscontrolpanelprovidesthefollowingoptions:
Timesynchronizationbetweenthevirtualmachineandthehostoperating
systemPeriodically(everyminute)checkswhethertheguestoperatingsystems
timeislaggingbehindthehosts.Ifso,theguestsclockismovedforwardtomatch
thehostsclock.Ifyouusethisoption,disableallothertimesynchronization
mechanisms.Forexample,someguestsmighthaveNTPorCMOSclock
synchronizationturnedonbydefault.
Regardlessofwhetheryouenablethissetting,timesynchronizationoccurswhen
theVMwareToolsdaemonisstarted(suchasduringareboot),whenresuming
fromasuspendoperation,andaftershrinkingadisk.Whentheoperatingsystem
startsorreboots,synchronizationcanbeeitherforwardorbackwardintime.For
otherevents,synchronizationisforwardintime.
Todisabletimesynchronizationcompletely,seeDisablingTimeSynchronization
byEditingtheVirtualMachineConfigurationFileonpage 93.
ShowVMwareToolsinthetaskbar(Windowsguestsonly)Displaysthe
VMwareToolsiconinthenotificationareaofthetaskbar.Theiconindicates
whetherVMwareToolsisrunningandwhetheranupdateisavailable.
Notifyifupdateisavailable(Windowsguestsonly)Displaysthe
VMware Toolsiconwithayellowcautioniconwhenanupdateisavailable.
Updatebutton(Windowsguestsonly)Becomesenabledwhenanupdateis
available.ClickingthisbuttonhasthesameeffectasclickingtheUpgrade
VMware ToolscommandintheStatussectionoftheVIWebAccessSummarytab.
Disabling Time Synchronization by Editing the Virtual Machine

Configuration File
Avirtualmachineoccasionallysynchronizestimewiththehostevenifyouusethe
VMwareToolscontrolpanel(Optionstab)todisableperiodictimesynchronization.
Youcandisabletimesynchronizationcompletelybyeditingthevirtualmachine
configurationfile.
Youcanfollowthesestepstokeepafictitioustimeinyourguest,sothattheguestis
neversynchronizedwiththehost.
VMware, Inc. 93
To disable time synchronization by editing the virtual machine configuration file
1 Poweroffthevirtualmachine.
2 Editthevirtualmachinesconfigurationfile(seeChangingVirtualMachine
AdvancedSettingsonpage 127)andsettheoptionslistedinTable 51toFALSE.
Table 5-1. Time Synchronization Options

Option Name Relates to Time Synchronization When
time.synchronize.tools.startup Poweringonavirtualmachine.Controls
whetheraoneshottimesynchronizationoccurs
thenexttimetheguestoperatingsystemis
booted.
tools.syncTime Thevirtualmachineisrunning.Controls
whethertheguestoperatingsystemsclockis
checkedonceaminuteandsynchronizedifitis
foundtobelaggingbehindthehostsclock.
time.synchronize.restore Revertingtoasnapshot.
time.synchronize.resume.disk Resumingasuspendedvirtualmachine.
time.synchronize.continue Takingasnapshot.
time.synchronize.shrink Shrinkingavirtualdisk.
Devices Tab
TheDevicestaboftheVMwareToolscontrolpanelprovidesoptionsforenablingand
connectingtocertaindevices.
Thecontrolsforconnectinganddisconnectingcertaindevicesmightnotbeavailable.
ToconnectanddisconnectremovabledevicesusingVMwareRemoteConsole,see
ConnectingandDisconnectingClientDevicesonpage 132.
Scripts Tab
FromtheScriptstaboftheVMwareToolscontrolpanel,youcanedit,disable,orrun
scriptsthathelpautomateguestoperatingsystemoperationswhenyouchangethe
virtualmachinespowerstate.
Fromthistab,youcanalsospecifythelocationofcustomscriptsfortheSuspend,
Resume,PowerOn,PowerOff,andResetbuttons.
Onmostguestoperatingsystems,ifVMwareToolsisinstalledandifyouconfigurea
virtualmachinespowercontrolstousetheguestoptions,oneormoredefaultscripts
runontheguestwheneveryouchangethepowerstateofthevirtualmachine.
94 VMware, Inc.
Forexample,ifyouusethevirtualmachineconfigurationsettings(clickConfigureVM
intheCommandssectionofthevirtualmachineworkspace,andclickthePowertab)
andsetthePowerOffcontroltouseShutDownGuest,thenthe
poweroff-vm-defaultscriptrunswhenyouclickthePowerOffbuttoninthetoolbar.
Thisscriptcausestheguestoperatingsystemtoshutdowngracefully.Adescriptionof
eachscriptisprovidedlaterinthissection,inHowVMwareToolsScriptsAffectPower
Statesonpage 97.
Forinformationaboutcreatingacustomscript,seeCreatingScriptstoOverride
DefaultVMwareToolsScriptsonpage 99.
Shared Folders Tab

VMwareServerdoesnotsupportthisfeature.
Shrink Tab
TheShrinktaboftheVMwareToolscontrolpanelprovidesoptionsforreclaiming
unusedspaceinavirtualdisk.Ifyourvirtualmachinecannotbeshrunk,thistab
displaysinformationexplainingwhyyoucannotshrinkyourvirtualdisks.
Shrinkingadiskisatwostepprocess:apreparationstepandtheshrinkstep.Inthefirst
step,VMwareToolsreclaimsallunusedportionsofdiskpartitions(suchasdeleted
files)andpreparesthemforshrinking.Thissteptakesplaceintheguestoperating
system.
Theshrinkprocessisthesecondstep,andittakesplaceoutsidethevirtualmachine.
TheVMwareapplicationreducesthesizeofthediskbasedonthediskspacereclaimed
duringthepreparationstep.Ifthediskhasemptyspace,thisprocessreducesthe
amountofspacethevirtualdiskoccupiesonthehostdrive.SeeShrinkingVirtual
Disksonpage 147.
OnUNIXguests,runVMwareToolsastherootuser(su)toshrinkvirtualdisks.Ifyou
shrinkthevirtualdiskasanonrootuser,youcannotpreparetoshrinkthepartsofthe
virtualdiskthatrequirerootlevelpermissions.
About Tab
TheAbouttabdisplaysversion(buildnumber)andcopyrightinformation.In
Windowsguests,thistabalsoshowsthestatusoftheVMwareToolsservice.
VMware, Inc. 95
Configuring VMware Tools in a NetWare Guest

InaNetWarevirtualmachine,usingthesystemconsole,youcanconfigurecertain
virtualmachineoptionssuchastimesynchronization,CPUidling,anddevice
configurationwithVMwareTools.TheVMwareToolscommandlineprogramiscalled
vmwtool.
To configure VMware Tools in a NetWare guest operating system
1 Openaterminalwindow(systemconsole)intheNetWareguest.
2 Enteracommandthatusesthefollowingformat:
vmwtool <command>
<command>isoneofthecommandslistedinTable 52.
Table 5-2. VMware Tools Commands for Netware Guests

vmwtool Command Definition
help DisplaysasummaryofVMwareToolscommands
andoptionsinaNetWareguest.
partitonlist Displaysalistofalldiskpartitionsinthevirtualdisk
andwhetherornotapartitioncanbeshrunk.
shrink [<partition>] Shrinksthelistedpartitions.Ifnopartitionsare

specified,allpartitionsinthevirtualdiskareshrunk.
Thestatusoftheshrinkprocessappearsatthe
bottomofthesystemconsole.
devicelist Listseachremovabledeviceinthevirtualmachine,
itsdeviceID,andwhetherthedeviceisenabledor
disabled.Removabledevicesincludethevirtual
networkadapter,CD/DVDdrives,andfloppy
drives.
disabledevice [<device Disablesthespecifieddeviceordevicesinthevirtual
name>] machine.Ifnodeviceisspecified,allremovable
devicesinthevirtualmachinearedisabled.
enabledevice [<device Enablesthespecifieddeviceordevicesinthevirtual
name>] machine.Ifnodeviceisspecified,allremovable
devicesinthevirtualmachineareenabled.
96 VMware, Inc.
Table 5-2. VMware Tools Commands for Netware Guests (Continued)

vmwtool Command Definition
synctime [on|off] Turnsthesynchronizationoftimeintheguestwith

timeonthehostonoroff.Bydefault,time
synchronizationisoff.
Usethiscommandwithoutanyoptionstoviewthe
currenttimesynchronizationstatus.
idle [on|off] TurnstheCPUidleronoroff.Bydefault,theidleris
on.TheCPUidlerprogramisincludedinVMware
ToolsforNetWareguests.
TheidlerprogramisneededbecauseNetWare
serversdonotidletheCPUwhentheoperating
systemisidle.Asaresult,avirtualmachinetakes
CPUtimefromthehost,regardlessofwhetherthe
NetWareserversoftwareisidleorbusy.
Customizing VMware Tools

Customizationsincludemodifyingorwritingscriptsthatrunwhenavirtualmachines
powerstatechanges,executingcommandswhenyoushutdownorrestartaUNIX
guest,andpassingcommandsinstringsthatruninstartupscripts.
How VMware Tools Scripts Affect Power States

WhenVMwareToolsisinstalled,ifyouconfigureavirtualmachinespowercontrolsto
usetheguest,orsoft,poweroptions,oneormoredefaultscriptsrunintheguest
wheneveryouchangethepowerstateofthevirtualmachine.Youchangethepower
statebyusingmenucommandsorbyclickingtheSuspend,Resume,PowerOn,and
PowerOffbuttons.
Whatthedefaultscriptsdodependsinpartontheguestoperatingsystem:
OnmostMicrosoftWindowsguests,butnotwindowsNTandWindowsMe,the
defaultscriptexecutedwhenyoususpendavirtualmachinereleasestheIP
addressofthevirtualmachine.Thedefaultscriptexecutedwhenyouresumea
virtualmachinerenewstheIPaddressofthevirtualmachine(thisaffectsonly
virtualmachinesconfiguredtouseDHCP).ScriptscannotberunonWindows95
guests.
InWindowsguests,thedefaultscriptsarelocatedinthe
Program Files\VMware\VMware Toolsfolder.
VMware, Inc. 97
OnmostUNIXguests,thedefaultscriptexecutedwhenyoususpendavirtual
machinestopsnetworkingforthevirtualmachine.Thedefaultscriptexecuted
whenyouresumeavirtualmachinestartsnetworkingforthevirtualmachine.
ScriptscannotberunonNetWareandFreeBSDguests.
OnUNIX,thedefaultscriptsarelocatedinthe/etc/vmware-toolsdirectory.
Youcancreateyourownscriptsandusetheminsteadofthedefaultscriptsshownin
Table 53.
Table 5-3. Default VMware Tools Scripts

Script Name Description
poweroff-vm-default Ifyouconfiguredthepoweroffoperationtoshutdowntheguest,
thisscriptrunswhenthevirtualmachineisbeingpoweredoff.
Ifyouconfiguredtheresetoperationtorestarttheguest,thisscript
runswhenthevirtualmachineisbeingreset.
Thisscripthasnoeffectonnetworkingforthevirtualmachine.
poweron-vm-default Ifyouconfiguredthepoweronoperationtostarttheguest,this
scriptrunswhenthevirtualmachineisbeingpoweredonrather
thanresumed.
Ifyouconfiguredtheresetoperationtorestarttheguest,thisscript
runsaftervirtualmachinerestarts.
Thisscripthasnoeffectonnetworkingforthevirtualmachine.
resume-vm-default Ifyouconfiguredthepoweronoperationtostarttheguest,orthe
resetoperationtorestarttheguest,thisscriptrunswhenthevirtual
machineisresumedafteritwassuspended.
OnWindowsguests,ifthevirtualmachineisconfiguredtouse
DHCP,thisscriptrenewstheIPaddressofthevirtualmachine.
OnLinux,FreeBSD,andSolarisguests,thisscriptstartsnetworking
forthevirtualmachine.
suspend-vm-default Ifyouconfiguredthesuspendoperationtosuspendtheguest,this
scriptrunswhenthevirtualmachineisbeingsuspended.
OnWindowsguests,ifthevirtualmachineisconfiguredtouse
DHCP,thisscriptreleasestheIPaddressofthevirtualmachine.
OnLinux,FreeBSD,andSolarisguests,thisscriptstopsnetworking
forthevirtualmachine.
98 VMware, Inc.
Creating Scripts to Override Default VMware Tools Scripts

YoucancreateyourownscriptstooverridethedefaultVMwareToolsscriptsthat
controlpowerstatechanges.
ScriptsarerunbytheVMwareToolsdaemon(VMwareService.exe onWindowsand
vmware-guestdonUNIX).Becausevmware-guestdisrunasrootonUNIXandas
SystemonWindows,thescriptsareruninaseparatesessionfromtheloggedinusers
session.TheVMwareToolsdaemonhasnoknowledgeofdesktopsessions,which
meansthatitcannotdisplaygraphicalapplications.Donotattempttousecustom
scriptstodisplaygraphicalapplications.
Beforecreatingcustomscripts,makesurethatthefollowingconditionsaremetinthe
guestoperatingsystem:
ThevirtualmachineisusingthelatestversionofVMwareTools.
TheVMwareToolsserviceisrunninginthevirtualmachine.
Dependingontheoperationthatthescriptperforms,thevirtualmachinehasa
virtualnetworkadapterconnected.Ifnot,thepoweroperationfails.
(UNIXguestsonly)ToeditascriptusingtheEditbuttonontheScriptstab,xterm
andvimustbeinstalledintheguestoperatingsystemandmustbeinyourPATH.
Youmustbearootusertoeditthescript.
To create scripts to override default VMware Tools scripts
1 Determinewhetheryouwanttocreateyourcustomscriptbymakingchangesto
thedefaultscriptandsavingittoanewlocation.
InWindowsguests,thedefaultscriptsarelocatedinthe
Program Files\VMware\VMware Toolsfolder.
OnUNIX,thedefaultscriptsarelocatedinthe/etc/vmware-toolsdirectory.
2 Modifythedefaultscriptandsaveitwithadifferentnameorwriteadifferent
script.
OnWindowsguests,ifyouwriteanewscript,createthescriptasabatchfile.For
UNIX,createthescriptinanyexecutableformat(suchasshellorPerlscripts).
YoucanalsousetheEditbuttonontheScriptstaboftheVMwareToolscontrol
paneltoeditacustomscript.Youcanalsoeditscriptsmanuallyusinganytext
editor.
VMware, Inc. 99
3 Associateeachcustomscriptwithitsparticularpoweroperation:
a OntheScriptstaboftheVMwareToolscontrolpanel,selecttheappropriate
scriptevent.
b SelecttheUseScriptcheckbox,selectCustomscript,andusetheBrowse
buttontopointtothescriptthatyouwanttouse.
c ClickOK.
WhenyoureinstallVMwareToolsafteryouupdatetheVMwareServersoftware,any
changesthatyoumadetothedefaultscriptsareoverwritten.Anycustomscriptsthat
youcreatedremainuntouched,butdonotbenefitfromanyunderlyingchangesthat
enhancethedefaultscripts.
Running or Disabling a Script

Ifyouarecreatingacustomscript,runthescriptbeforeassociatingitwithapower
operation.
To run or disable a script
1 OntheScriptstaboftheVMwareToolscontrolpanel,selecttheappropriatescript
event.
Todisablethescript,cleartheUseScriptcheckboxandclickOK.
Defaultscriptsforsuspendingandresumingworktogether.Ifyoudisablethe
scriptofoneoftheseactions,disablethescriptfortheotheractionaswell.
Torunascriptimmediately,clickRunNow.
YoucansuccessfullyrunascriptbyclickingtheRunNowbuttoninthe
VMwareToolscontrolpanel,butthissamescriptcanfailwhenrunaspartof
aVMwareServerpoweroperation.ThisisbecausescriptsrunbyclickingRun
Nowarerunastheloggedinuserandhaveadifferentworkingdirectorythan
whenscriptsarerunbytheVMwareToolsdaemon duringapoweroperation.
100 VMware, Inc.

Executing Commands After You Power Off or Reset a Virtual

Machine
InaLinux,Solaris,orFreeBSDguest,youcanusetheVMwareToolsservicetoexecute
specificcommandswhenyoushutdownorrestarttheguestoperatingsystem.Thisis
inadditiontoanyscriptthatyouspecifiedtorunwhenyoushutdowntheguest
operatingsystem.
1 Useatexteditortoopenthefollowingfile:
/etc/vmware-tools/tools.conf
2 Addoneorbothofthefollowingcommandstothefile:
halt-command = <command>
<command>isthecommandtoexecutewhenyoushutdowntheguest
operatingsystem.
reboot-command = <command>
<command>isthecommandtoexecutewhenyourestarttheguestoperating
system.
Passing a String from the Host to the Guest at Startup

Topassastringfromthehosttotheguestatstartup,youpassthestringfromyour
virtualmachinesconfigurationfileinthehosttotheguestoperatingsystemwhenyou
poweronthevirtualmachine.
YoucanpassitemsliketheWindowssystemID(SID),amachinename,oranIP
address.Insidetheguestoperatingsystemstartupscript,youcanhavetheservice
retrievethisstring.Thestringcanthenbeusedinanotherscripttosetyourvirtual
machinessystemID,machinename,orIPaddress.
Forexample,usethisstrategytomakecopiesofthesameconfigurationfile,adda
differentstringtoeach(eitherintheconfigurationfileitselforatthecommandline),
andusethesevariationsofthesameconfigurationfiletolaunchthesamevirtualdisk
innonpersistentmodemultipletimesinatrainingortestingenvironment.
Passingastringisalsousefulwhenyouwanttodeployvirtualmachinesonanetwork
usingacommonconfigurationfilewhileprovidingeachmachinewithitsownunique
identity.
VMware, Inc. 101

Youcanpassstringstoavirtualmachinesguestoperatingsysteminoneoftwoways:
placingthestringinthevirtualmachinesconfigurationfileorpassingthestringtothe
guestfromthecommandline.
Usethisfeatureonlyifyouhaveagoodunderstandingofascriptinglanguage(for
example,PerlorNetShell)andknowhowtomodifysystemstartupscripts.
Passing a String in a Configuration File

Placeastringinthevirtualmachinesconfiguration(.vmx)filebysettingthestringto
themachine.idparameter.Forexample,youcansetthisstring:
machine.id = "Hello World."
Followingisanexampleofportionsoftwoconfigurationfilesthatpointtothesame
virtualdisk.Eachconfigurationfilecontainsitsownuniquestringforthemachine.id
parameter.
config_file_1.vmxcontains:
ide0:0.present = TRUE
ide0:0.fileName = "my_common_virtual_hard_drive.vmdk"
machine.id = "the_string_for_my_first_vm"
config_file_2.vmxcontains:
ide0:0.present = TRUE
ide0:0.fileName = "my_common_virtual_hard_drive.vmdk"
machine.id = "the_string_for_my_second_vm"
Topreventastringfrombeingpassedfromthehosttotheguestthroughtheservice,
setthefollowinglineinyourvirtualmachinesconfigurationfile:
isolation.tools.getMachineID.disable = "TRUE"
Passing a String in a Startup Command

Ratherthansettingthemachine.idparameterintheconfigurationfile,youcanpass
thestringtotheguestoperatingsystemfromthecommandlinewhenyoupoweron
thevirtualmachine.Followingisanexampleofastartupcommand(enteredonone
line):
C:\Program Files\VMware\VMware Server\vmware -s 'machine.id=Hello World'
C:\Virtual Machines\win2000\win2000.vmx
Usethismethodtodeployvirtualmachinesonanetworkusingacommon
configurationfilewhileprovidingeachmachinewithitsownuniqueidentity.
102 VMware, Inc.

Launcheachvirtualmachinewiththevmware -scommand.Eachvirtualmachinedisk
filemustbecopiedintoitsowndirectoryifitsharesitsfilenamewithanothervirtual
machinediskfile.
OnaLinuxhost,themachineIDpassedonthecommandlinetakesprecedenceandis
passedtotheguestoperatingsystemifthefollowingconditionsaremet:
AvirtualmachineIDspecifiedinthevirtualmachinesconfiguration(.vmx)fileis
usedtoopenthevirtualmachine.
YouspecifyamachineIDonthecommandline.
Using a String in a Startup Script to Set a Name and IP Address

ThefollowingexampleusesaWindowshosttoillustratehowyoucanusetheservice
toretrieveastringcontainingwhatbecomesthevirtualmachinesmachinenameand
IPaddress.Inthisexample,W2KVMisthemachinenameand148.30.16.24istheIP
address.
To use a string in a startup script to set a name and IP address
1 Definethestringbyusingoneofthefollowingmethods:
Onthehostmachine,addthefollowinglinetoyourvirtualmachines
configuration(.vmx)file:
machine.id = "W2K-VM 148.30.16.24"
Openthevirtualmachineusingthisconfigurationfile.
Openthevirtualmachinefromthecommandlinebyenteringthefollowing
ononeline:
C:\Program Files\VMware\VMware Server\vmware -s 'machine.id=W2K-VM
148.30.16.24' C:\Virtual Machines\win2000\win2000.vmx
2 Dooneofthefollowingtoretrievethestringinthevirtualmachine:
InaWindowsguest,enterthefollowingcommandtoretrievethestring:
VMwareService --cmd machine.id.get
InaLinuxguest,intheoperatingsystemsstartupscript,addthefollowing
commandbeforethenetworkstartupsection:
/usr/sbin/vmware-guestd --cmd 'machine.id.get'
Thelocationofvmware-guestddependsonthedirectoryyouspecifyatthe
timeofinstallation.
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3 Furthercustomizethisstartupscriptsothatitusesthestringtheserviceretrieved
duringstartuptosetthevirtualmachinesnetworknametoW2KVManditsIP
addressto148.30.16.24.
4 Placethisstringinthescriptbeforethecommandtostartthenetworkservices.
IfyouareusingaWindows2000guestoperatingsystem,forexample,youcancall
theNetShellutility(netsh)andpassitthecontentsofthestring,whichusesthe
stringaccordingly.Thatis,itcansetanewIPaddressforthevirtualmachine,if
thatiswhatwaspassedinthestringoriginally.
Passing Information Between the Guest and Another Program

TheVMwareToolsserviceallowsyoutouseVMwareprogrammaticinterfacesto
managevirtualmachinesfromyourownindependentprogramsandfromexisting
frameworksdevelopedbypartnersandthirdparties.
FormoreinformationabouttheVMwareInfrastructureSDK,gototheVMwareAPIs
andSDKsDocumentationpageoftheVMwareWebsite.
Using the VMware Tools Command-Line Interface

TheVMwareToolscommandlineinterfaceenablesyoutodothefollowing:
ConfiguretimesynchronizationinyourLinuxguestoperatingsystemwithout
runningX.
InstallanduninstallVMwareTools,determinetheversion,andsoon.
To use the VMware Tools command-line interface
1 Intheguestoperatingsystem,changetothedirectorythatcontainsthe
VMware Toolsdaemon.
Dependingontheoperatingsystem,thenameanddefaultlocationofthedaemon
areasfollows:
OnMicrosoftWindowssystems,thedaemoniscalledVMwareService.exe
andthelocationis:
C:\Program Files\VMware\VMware Tools\VMwareService.exe
OnUNIXsystems,thedaemoniscalledvmware-guestd.Thelocationof
vmware-guestddependsonthedirectorythatyouspecifiedatthetimeof
installation.Thedefaultlocationis:
/usr/sbin/vmware-guestd
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2 Toconfigureperiodictimesynchronization,usethevmx.set_optioncommand:
<daemon> --cmd "vmx.set_option synctime <old_val> <new_val>"
<daemon>isvmware-guestdonUNIXsystemsorVMwareService.exeon
Windowssystems.
<old_val>and<new_val>aretheoldandnewvalues,respectively.Use0tomean
FALSEand1tomeanTRUE.
FollowingisanexampleofsettingtimesynchronizationtoTRUEonaLinuxguest:
./vmware-guestd --cmd "vmx.set_option synctime 0 1"
Thenewsettingiswrittentothetools.syncTimepropertyinthevirtual
machinesconfiguration(.vmx)file.Usingthisoptionisequivalenttousingthe
timesynchronizationoptionontheOptionstaboftheVMwareToolscontrol
panel.
Tousecommandsotherthan--cmd,usethe--helpcommandlinecommand.
VMware, Inc. 105

106 VMware, Inc.

6
Managing VMware Server 6

Thischapterdescribeshowtoperformhostwideconfigurationtasks,including
managingyourvirtualmachineinventoryanddatastores,andconfiguringglobal
memory,snapshot,andvirtualmachinestartupandshutdownsettings.Italso
describesWindowshostfeaturesforbackingupvirtualmachinesusingtheVolume
ShadowCopyService(VSS)andloggingVMwareServereventsintheEventViewer.To
performhostmanagementoperations,youmusthavetherequiredpermissions.
Forinformationaboutmanagingindividualvirtualmachines,seeChapter 7,Running
VirtualMachines,onpage 121.
ForinformationaboutconfiguringVMwareServernetworking,seeChapter 11,
ConfiguringaVirtualNetwork,onpage 211.
ManagingtheVirtualMachineInventoryonpage 108
ManagingDatastoresonpage 110
EditingHostWideMemoryandSnapshotSettingsonpage 113
ConfiguringVirtualMachineStartupandShutdownSettingsonpage 115
EnablingQuiescedBackupsofVirtualMachinesonWindowsonpage 118
VMware, Inc. 107

Managing the Virtual Machine Inventory

WhenyoucreatenewvirtualmachinesinVMwareServer,theyareautomatically
addedtoyourinventory.Youcanalsoaddexistingvirtualmachinestoyourinventory
sothatyoucanmanagethemusingVI WebAccess.
Thissectiondescribeshowtoaddandremovevirtualmachinesintheinventory.
Adding a Virtual Machine to the Inventory

WhenyoucreateavirtualmachineusingVI WebAccess,itisautomaticallyaddedto
theinventory.Thissectiondescribeshowtoaddavirtualmachinetotheinventoryifit
isonanetworkedfilesystemorcopiedfromanotherhost.
Beforeyoucanaddavirtualmachinetotheinventory,thefilesthatmakeupthevirtual
machinemustbelocatedinadatastore.SeeManagingDatastoresonpage 110.
To add a virtual machine to the inventory
1 SelectthehostintheInventorypanel.
2 IntheCommandssectionofthehostSummarytab,clickAddVirtualMachineto
Inventory.
3 ClickBrowsetolocatetheconfigurationfile(.vmxfileextension)forthevirtual
machinethatyouwanttoaddtotheinventory.
UsetheInventorycolumntonavigatethefilesystem.
TheContentscolumnliststhecontentsofthecurrentdirectory.
TheInformationcolumnshowsdetailedinformationabouttheselecteddirectory
orfile.
4 SelecttheconfigurationfileintheContentscolumnandclickOK.
Thevirtualmachineisaddedtotheinventory.
Removing a Virtual Machine from the Inventory

VMwareServerincludesoptionstoremoveavirtualmachinefromtheinventoryorto
completelydeletethevirtualmachine.Youdonotneedtomanipulatefilesonthehost
filesystemtodeleteavirtualmachine.
Beforeyoucandeleteavirtualmachineorremoveitfromtheinventory,itmustbe
poweredofforsuspended.
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Chapter 6 Managing VMware Server
To delete a virtual machine or remove it from the inventory
2 ClicktheVirtualMachinestab.
3 Selectthevirtualmachinetodelete.
Whenthevirtualmachineispoweredoff,theRemoveVirtualMachinecommand
appearsintheCommandssectionoftheworkspace.
4 ClickRemoveVirtualMachine.
Aconfirmationdialogboxappears.
5 (Optional)Todeleteallthevirtualmachinefilesfromdisk,selectDeletethis
virtualmachinesfilesfromthedisk.
IfyoudonotselectDeletethisvirtualmachinesfilesfromthedisk,thevirtual
machineisremovedfromtheinventory,butallthevirtualmachinefilesremain
intactonthedatastore.
6 ClickOK.
Thevirtualmachineisdeletedorremovedfromtheinventory.
YoucanalsodeleteavirtualmachineorremoveitfromtheinventoryfromtheVirtual
Machinemenu.SeeDeletingaVirtualMachineonpage 130.
Performing Power Operations on Virtual Machines

Youcanperformpoweroperationsonanyvirtualmachineinyourinventoryfromthe
VirtualMachinestabofthehostworkspace.Thisismoreefficientthanperforming
poweroperationsoneachvirtualmachinefromitsownworkspace.
To change the power state of a virtual machine from the host workspace
2 ClicktheVirtualMachinestab.
3 Inthelistofvirtualmachines,selectthevirtualmachineforwhichyouwantto
changethepowerstate.
4 Clicktheappropriatepowerbuttoninthetoolbar.
Youcanalsochangethepowerstateofavirtualmachinefromitsownworkspace.
Foradetaileddescriptionofhowpoweroperationsaffectvirtualmachines,see
ChangingthePowerStateofaVirtualMachineonpage 122.
VMware, Inc. 109

Managing Datastores
Thissectiondescribeshowtoadd,rename,andremovedatastores.
Adding Datastores
AdatastoreisastoragelocationforVMwareServervirtualmachinefiles.Thestorage
locationcanbethelocalfilesystem,aCIFSstore(Windowsonly),oranNFSmounted
filesystem(Linuxonly).
Prerequisites for Samba CIFS Datastores

SambaCIFSstoresrequireadditionalconfiguration.Youmustaddthesetting
create mask = 766totheconfiguration(smb.conf)fileforeachSambaCIFSstore.
TheuserthatconnectstotheSambaservermustalsohavewriteprivilegesforthe
operatingsystemandtheSambaserver.
Prerequisites for NFS Datastores

BeforeyoucanaddanNFSdatastore,youmustmounttheNFSvolumeonthehost.
Insomecases,toprotectNFSvolumesfromunauthorizedaccess,NFSadministrators
mightexportvolumeswiththeroot squashoptionturnedon.Whenroot squashis
on,theNFSservertreatsaccessbyrootasaccessbyanyunprivilegedusersandmight
refusetheVMwareServerhostaccesstotheNFSvolume.Tomakesurethatyoucan
createandmanagedatastoresfromyourhost,theNFSadministratormustturnoffthe
root squashfeatureoraddtheVMwareServerhostsphysicalnetworkadaptertothe
listoftrustedhosts.
To add a datastore
2 IntheCommandssectionoftheSummarytab,clickAddDatastore.
3 EnteranameforthedatastoreintheNametextbox.
4 Entertheinformationforthelocal(hostsystem)orremotedirectory.
Toaddalocaldatastore:
i SelectLocalDatastore.
ii EnterthepathintheDirectoryPathtextbox.
iii ClickOKtoaddthedatastore.
110 VMware, Inc.

ToaddaCIFSdatastore(Windowshostonly):
i SelectCIFS.
ii EnteravalidservernameorIPaddress.
iii Enterthelocationofthesharedfolder.
iv Enteravalidusername.
Includethedomainorservername,forexample:
<domain_name>\<username>
or
<server_name>\<username>
v Enterthecorrespondingpassword.
vi ClickOKtoaddthedatastore.
.
NOTEVMwareServerusestheWindowscredentialmanagerforuser
authentication.Becausethiscredentialmanagerfeatureisnotsupported
onWindows2000Server,youcannotaddaCIFSdatastoreifVMware
ServerisinstalledonaWindows2000Serverhost.
ToaddanNFSdatastore(Linuxhostonly):
i SelectNetworkFileSystem.
ii EnteravalidNFSservernameorIPaddress.
iii Enterthelocationofthesharedfolder.
iv ClickOKtoaddthedatastore.
Thedatastoreappearsinthelistofdatastores.
Renaming Datastores
Youcanrenameanexistingdatastore.
To rename a datastore
2 IntheDatastoressectionoftheSummarytab,clickthedatastoretorename.
3 IntheCommandssectionoftheSummarytab,clickRenameDatastore.
VMware, Inc. 111

4 EnteranewnameforthedatastoreintheNametextbox.
5 ClickOK.
Therenameddatastoreappearsinthelistofdatastores.
Removing Datastores
Ifyounolongerwanttoaccessadatastore,youcanremoveitfromVMwareServer.
Beforeyoucanremoveadatastore,youmustremoveallvirtualmachinesinthe
datastore.
To remove a datastore
2 IntheDatastoressectionoftheSummarytab,clickthedatastoretoremove.
3 IntheCommandssectionoftheSummarytab,clickRemoveDatastore.
Aconfirmationdialogboxappears.
4 ClickOKtoremovethedatastore.
Thedatastorenolongerappearsinthelistofdatastores.
Refreshing Datastores
Whenyourefreshadatastore,VMwareServerupdatesthecapacityandfreespace
available.Therefreshcommandallowsyoutoseechangesindiskcapacityandfree
spacecausedbyoperationsperformeddirectlyonthehostsystem.Thesevaluesare
automaticallyupdatedwhenyouperformVMwareServeroperationssuchascreating
ordeletingavirtualmachine.
To refresh a datastore
2 IntheDatastoressectionoftheSummarytab,clickthedatastoretorefresh.
3 IntheCommandssectionoftheSummarytab,clickRefreshDatastore.
Thevaluesforcapacityandfreespaceareupdatedforthatdatastore.
112 VMware, Inc.

Editing Host-Wide Memory and Snapshot Settings

Thissectiondescribeshowtoconfigurehostmemorysettingsandwhetherornot
snapshotsaretakeninthebackground.
Configuring Host Memory

Inadditiontoconfiguringthememorylimitforeachvirtualmachine,VMwareServer
allowsyoutospecifythefollowing:
Howmuchofthehostsystemsmemorycanbeusedforallrunningvirtual
machines
Theextenttowhichthehostoperatingsystemsmemorymanagercanswapvirtual
machinesoutofphysicalRAM
Thesesettingsaffectbothvirtualmachineandoverallsystemperformance.See
ConfiguringHostWideVirtualMachineMemoryUsageonpage 275.
Reserving Host Memory for All Virtual Machines

YoucansettheamountofhostRAMthatVMwareServerisallowedtoreserveforall
runningvirtualmachines.
To configure the amount of reserved memory for all virtual machines
2 IntheCommandssectionofthehostSummarytab,clickEditHostSettings.
3 IntheReservedMemorysection,enteravaluefortheSize.
Theminimumandmaximumsettingsaredisplayed.
Ifyouentertoohighavalue,thehostmightperformpoorlywhenother
applicationsarerunningonthehost.Ifyouentertoolowavalue,virtualmachines
mightperformpoorlyandyoucannotrunasmanyvirtualmachinesatonce.For
moreinformation,seeReservingHostMemoryforVirtualMachineUseon
page 276.
4 ClickOKorfollowthestepsinthenextsectiontoconfigureadditionalhost
memorysettings.
VMware, Inc. 113

Configuring Additional Memory for Swapping

VMwareServerlimitsthenumberofvirtualmachinesthatcanrunatthesametime
basedontheamountofmemoryreservedforallrunningvirtualmachines.Toadjust
thenumberofvirtualmachinesthatcanberunortheirtotalmemoryusage,specifythe
amountofvirtualmachinememorythatthehostoperatingsystemcanswaptodisk.
To configure the amount of additional virtual machine memory that can be

swapped
3 IntheAdditionalMemorysection,selectoneofthefollowingoptions:
FitallvirtualmachinememoryintoreservedhostRAMStrictlyapplies
thereservedmemorylimit.Thissettingimposesthetightestrestrictionsonthe
numberandmemorysizeofvirtualmachinesthatcanrunatagiventime.
BecausethevirtualmachinesarerunningentirelyinRAM,theyhavethebest
possibleperformance.
AllowsomevirtualmachinememorytobeswappedAllowsthehost
operatingsystemtoswapamoderateamountofvirtualmachinememoryto
diskifnecessary.Thissettingallowsyoutoincreasethenumberormemory
sizeofvirtualmachinesthatcanrunonthehostsystematagiventime.It
mightalsoresultinreducedperformanceifvirtualmachinememorymustbe
swappedbetweenRAManddisk.
AllowmostvirtualmachinememorytobeswappedAllowsthehost
operatingsystemtoswapthemaximumamountofvirtualmachinememory
todisk.Thissettingallowsyoutorunmorevirtualmachinesandusemore
memorythanthemoderatesettingdoes.Performancemightbefurther
decreasedifvirtualmachinememorymustbeswappedbetweenRAMand
disk.
4 ClickOK.
Ifyoutrytopoweronavirtualmachinewheninsufficientmemoryisavailable,
VMwareServerdisplaysawarningdialogbox.Themessageshowshowmuchmemory
thevirtualmachineisconfiguredtouseandhowmuchmemoryisavailable.Toattempt
topoweronthevirtualmachineusingtheavailablememory,clickOK.Otherwise,click
Cancel.
114 VMware, Inc.

Enabling and Disabling Background Snapshots

Takingsnapshotsinthebackgroundallowsyoutocontinueworkingwhile
VMware Serverpreservesthestateofthevirtualmachine.However,enabling
backgroundsnapshotsforahostwithslowharddiskscanadverselyaffect
performance.Ifyouexperiencesignificantperformanceproblemswhentakingor
restoringsnapshots,disablebackgroundsnapshots.
Foradditionalinformationonmanagingsnapshots,seeUsingSnapshotson
page 195.
To enable or disable background snapshots
3 IntheSnapshotssection,dooneofthefollowing:
Toenablebackgroundsnapshots,selectthecheckbox.
Todisablebackgroundsnapshots,deselectthecheckbox.
4 ClickOK.
Thesettingtakeseffectafterthevirtualmachinesarerestarted.
Configuring Virtual Machine Startup and Shutdown

Settings
Youcanconfigurevirtualmachinestostartupandshutdownautomaticallywhenthe
hostoperatingsystemstartsandshutsdown,orallowthemtobestartedandshut
downmanually.Youcanalsospecifytheorderinwhichvirtualmachinesare
automaticallystartedandshutdown.
Youcanalsoconfiguresystemwidesettingsthatspecifyadelaybetweeneachvirtual
machinesstartupandshutdown,andwhatkindofactionisperformedatshutdown
(suspend,poweroff,orshutdownguest).Youcanoptionallyoverridethesystemwide
settingsforindividualvirtualmachines.
VMware, Inc. 115

Enabling System-Wide Startup and Shutdown Settings

Youcanenablevirtualmachinestobestartedandshutdownautomaticallyand
configurehowandwhenvirtualmachinesarestartedandshutdown.
To enable system-wide startup and shutdown settings
2 IntheCommandssectionofthehostSummarytab,click
Edit Virtual Machine Startup/ShutdownSettings.
3 SelectAllowvirtualmachinestostartandstopautomaticallywiththesystem.
Ifthisoptionisdisabled,youcannotconfigurestartupandshutdownsettingsfor
anyofthevirtualmachinesonthehost.
NOTEToallowvirtualmachinestobestartedandshutdownonaWindowshost
system,youmustalsoselectAllowvirtualmachinestostartandstop
automaticallywiththesystemduringtheinstallationofVMwareServer.
4 (Optional)Configureoneormoreofthefollowingsettings:
DefaultStartupDelayEntertheamountoftimeinsecondstowaitaftera
virtualmachineisstartedbeforestartingthenextvirtualmachineinthelist.
Thisdelaypreventsplacinganexcessiveburdenonthehostresources.
StartnextVMimmediatelyiftheVMwareToolsstartSelecttostartthe
nextvirtualmachineinthestartuplistimmediatelyafterVMwareToolsstarts
inthecurrentvirtualmachine.
DefaultShutdownDelayEntertheamountoftimeinsecondstowaitafter
shuttingdownavirtualmachinebeforeshuttingdownthenextvirtual
machineinthelist.
Thisdelaypreventsplacinganexcessiveburdenonthehostresources.
ShutdownActionSelectPowerOff,Suspend,orShutdownguest.
116 VMware, Inc.

Specifying the Startup and Shutdown Order for Virtual Machines

Aftervirtualmachinesareconfiguredtostartandshutdownautomatically,youcanset
theorderinwhichthevirtualmachinesarestartedandshutdown.
To configure the startup and shutdown order for virtual machines
1 MakesurethatsystemwidesettingsareenabledasdescribedinEnabling
SystemWideStartupandShutdownSettingsonpage 116.
2 Movevirtualmachinesbetweenandwithinthefollowinglistsbyselectingoneor
morevirtualmachinesandclickingMoveUporMoveDown:
SpecifiedOrderThesevirtualmachinesarelistedintheorderinwhich
theyareconfiguredtostartup.Thevirtualmachinesareshutdowninthe
reverseorderfromwhichtheyarestarted.
AnyOrderThesevirtualmachinesarestartedandshutdown
automatically,butnotinaspecificorder.Thevirtualmachinesinthiscategory
donotstartorshutdownuntilallthevirtualmachineslistedintheSpecified
Orderlistarestartedorshutdown.
ManualStartupThesevirtualmachinesarenotstartedautomaticallywhen
thehostisbroughtup.Whenthehostisshutdown,thesevirtualmachinesare
shutdownaccordingtotheshutdownactionindicated.
3 ClickOKtosaveyoursettings.
Customizing the Startup and Shutdown Settings for Individual

Virtual Machines
Youcanoverridethesystemwidesettingsforthedelaybetweeneachvirtualmachines
startupandshutdownforindividualvirtualmachines.
Youcanchangethestartupsettingsforvirtualmachinesthatarestartedautomatically,
butnotforvirtualmachinesthatarestartedmanually.Youcanchangetheshutdown
settingsforanyvirtualmachine.
To override system-wide settings for individual virtual machines
1 MakesurethatsystemwidesettingsareenabledasdescribedinEnabling
SystemWideStartupandShutdownSettingsonpage 116.
2 Selectthevirtualmachineforwhichyouwanttooverridethesystemsettingsand
clickEdit.
VMware, Inc. 117

3 (Optional)Tooverridethedefaultsystemsettingforstartup,selectUsespecified
settingsandchangeoneorbothofthefollowing:
StartupDelayEntertheamountoftimeinsecondstowaitafteravirtual
machineisstartedbeforestartingthenextvirtualmachineinthestartuplist.
ContinueimmediatelyiftheVMwareToolsstartSelecttostartthenext
virtualmachineinthestartuplistimmediatelyafterVMwareToolsstartsin
thecurrentvirtualmachine.
4 (Optional)Tooverridethedefaultsystemsettingforshutdown,selectUse
specifiedsettingsandchangeoneorbothofthefollowing:
ShutdownDelayEntertheamountoftimeinsecondstowaitaftershutting
downavirtualmachinebeforeshuttingdownthenextvirtualmachineinthe
shutdownlist.
PerformShutdownActionSelectSystemDefault,PowerOff,Suspend,or
ShutDownGuest.
5 ClickOK.
Enabling Quiesced Backups of Virtual Machines on

Windows
TheVolumeShadowCopyService(VSS)providesabackupinfrastructurefor
applicationsrunningonWindows.TheVMwareVSSWriterinteractswith
VMware Toolsrunninginvirtualmachines,andenablesbackupapplicationsthatuse
VSStoperformquiescedbackupsofvirtualmachines.WhentheVSSenabled
applicationrequestsabackup,theVMwareVSSWriterautomaticallyquiescesthe
virtualmachinediskfilesandcreatesasnapshotofthevirtualmachineforthebackup
application.
NOTEVMwarehastestedquiescedbackupsusingWindowsBackup(NTBackup).For
informationaboutsupportforthirdpartybackupapplications,contactyourbackup
applicationvendor.
YoucanperformquiescedbackupsonhostoperatingsystemsrunningWindowsServer
2003andWindowsServer2008.Only32bitWindowsServer2008hostsaresupported.
TheguestoperatingsystemmustberunningWindowsServer2003orWindowsServer
2008.AnuptodateversionofVMwareToolsmustbeinstalledintheguestoperating
system.
118 VMware, Inc.

ForWindowsServer2003guestsystems,theVSSWriterusesapplicationVSSwriters
sothattheVSSsnapshotisapplicationconsistent.Thesnapshotrepresentstheentire
stateoftheVSSawareapplicationsregardlessoftheirbackuphistoryanddoesnot
modifythebackuphistory.
ForWindowsServer2008guestsystems,theVSSWriterdoesnotuseapplication
writersand,asaresult,thesnapshotisfilesystemconsistent.
NOTEVMwareServerallowsonesnapshotforeachvirtualmachine.Ifasnapshot
exists,theVSSwriterdoesnotquiescethevirtualmachines,unlessyouoverridethis
defaultbehavior.
To enable and disable quiesced backups for virtual machines
1 (Optional)ToallowtheVSSWritertooverwriteanexistingsnapshot:
a Createthefilevmvsswriter.cfgintheVMwareServerinstallationdirectory,
typicallyC:\Program Files\VMware\VMware Server.
b Addthefollowingparametertothevmvsswriter.cfgfiletospecifythatan
existingsnapshotcanbeoverwrittensovirtualmachinescanbequiesced
beforebackup:
vmwriter.overwriteSnapshots = "TRUE"
IfsettoTRUE,anyexistingsnapshotsareoverwrittenwithoutwarning,and
thevirtualmachinesarebackedupusingquiescedsnapshots.
Ifnotset,orsettoFALSE,thevirtualmachinesarenotquiescedifasnapshot
existswhenthebackupistaken.
2 StarttheVMwareVSSWriterServiceusingtheWindowsServicescontrolpanel.
TheuserrunningtheVSSWriterServicemusthavepermissiontoperform
administrativetasksonvirtualmachines,suchascreatingsnapshots.Theuser
mustalsobeabletowritetothevirtualmachinediskfiledirectory.Youcanverify
orchangetheusernameandpasswordintheLogOntabofthePropertiesdialog
boxfortheVSSWriterService.
YoumustrestarttheVSSWriterServiceanytimeyoumakechangestothe
vmvsswriter.cfgfile.
VMware, Inc. 119

To restore a virtual machine from a quiesced backup
1 Makesurethatthevirtualmachinesyouwanttorestorearepoweredoff.
Usethebackupsoftwaretorestorethevirtualmachines.
Restoreanindividualvirtualmachinebyrevertingtothesnapshot.For
informationaboutrevertingtoasnapshot,seeRevertingtoaSnapshoton
page 199.
120 VMware, Inc.

7
Running Virtual Machines 7

AfteryouhaveinstalledVMwareServer,createdavirtualmachine,andinstalleda
guestoperatingsystemandVMwareTools,youarereadytorunyourvirtualmachine.
Toperformvirtualmachineoperations,youmusthavetherequiredpermissions.Many
configurationmodificationsaredisabledwhenthevirtualmachineispoweredon.
NOTETheonlytasksVIWebAccesscanperformonhardwareversion3virtual
machinesarepoweroperationsandupgrade.
Thischapterdescribesthemostcommontaskstomanageandusevirtualmachinesand
RunningVMwareToolsonpage 122
ChangingthePowerStateofaVirtualMachineonpage 122
ChangingVirtualMachinePowerSettingsonpage 125
ChangingVirtualMachineNameandGuestSystemSettingsonpage 124
ChangingVirtualMachineSnapshotSettingsonpage 126
ChangingVirtualMachineAdvancedSettingsonpage 127
DeletingaVirtualMachineonpage 130
UsingVMwareRemoteConsoleonpage 130
GeneratingandSharingVirtualMachineShortcutsonpage 133
EditingNotesintheVirtualMachineSummaryTabonpage 135
EditingtheHardwareConfigurationofaVirtualMachineonpage 135
VMware, Inc. 121

AddingHardwaretoaVirtualMachineonpage 137
InstallingNewSoftwareinaVirtualMachineonpage 138
AdvancedOptionsforApplicationDevelopersonpage 139
Running VMware Tools

Forimprovedguestoperatingsystemperformanceandvirtualmachinemanagement,
makesurethatVMwareToolsisinstalledandrunninginyourvirtualmachine.See
Chapter 5,InstallingandUsingVMwareTools,onpage 73.
AfterVMwareToolsisinstalledinaWindowsvirtualmachine,theVMwareTools
servicesstartwhenyoustarttheguestoperatingsystem.TheVMwareToolsicon
appearsintheguestsnotificationarea,unlessyoudisabletheicon.
VMware Tools icon
OnWindowsguests,iftheVMwareToolsiconincludesayellowcautionicon,an
updateisavailable.Toperformtheupdate,doubleclicktheicon,andclicktheUpdate
buttonontheOptionstabthatappears.
IftheVMwareToolsiconappearswitharedcircleandslashoverit,theVMwareTools
serviceisnotrunning.Tostarttheservice,selectRunfromtheWindowsStartmenu,
andenterservices.msc.Inthewindowthatappears,starttheservicecalled
VMware ToolsService.
IftheVMwareToolsicondoesnotappearinthenotificationareaoftheWindows
gueststaskbar,usetheVMwareToolscontrolpanelintheguesttodisplayit.See
UsingtheWindowsControlPaneltoDisplaytheTaskbarIcononpage 92.
TochangeotherVMwareToolsproperties,seeUsingtheVMwareToolsControl
Panelonpage 91.Formoreinformationabouttheproperties,clickHelp.
Changing the Power State of a Virtual Machine

YoucanuseVIWebAccesstochangethepowerstateofthevirtualmachine.
Tochangeavirtualmachinespowerstate,dooneofthefollowing:
SelectthevirtualmachinefromtheInventorypanel,andclickthebuttoninthe
toolbarforthedesiredpowerstate.
FromthehostworkspaceVirtualMachinestab,selectthevirtualmachine,and
clickthebuttoninthetoolbarforthedesiredpowerstate.
122 VMware, Inc.

Chapter 7 Running Virtual Machines
Table 71describeswhathappenswhenyouchangethepowerstateofavirtual
machine.
Table 7-1. Toolbar Power Operations

Button Description
Powersoffthevirtualmachine.Dependingonhowyouhaveconfiguredthe
poweroptionsforthisvirtualmachine,VMwareServermightshutdownthe
guestoperatingsystemandexecuteanyscriptsassociatedwiththispowerstate
change.
Whenthisiconisdepressed,thevirtualmachineispoweredoff.
Suspendsarunningvirtualmachine.Dependingonhowyouhaveconfiguredthe
poweroptionsforthisvirtualmachine,VMwareServermightputtheguest
operatingsystemonstandbyandexecuteanyscriptsassociatedwiththispower
statechange.
Whenthisiconisdepressed,thevirtualmachineissuspended.
Powersonastoppedvirtualmachineorresumesasuspendedvirtualmachine.
Dependingonhowyouhaveconfiguredthepoweroptionsforthisvirtual
machine,VMwareServermightrestartorresumetheguestoperatingsystemand
executeanyscriptsassociatedwiththispowerstatechange.
Whenthisiconisdepressed,thevirtualmachineisrunning.
Resetsthevirtualmachine.Dependingonhowyouhaveconfiguredthepower
optionsforthisvirtualmachine,VMwareServermightshutdownandrestartthe
guestoperatingsystemandexecuteanyscriptsassociatedwiththispowerstate
change.
NOTEShuttingdownorrestartingaguestoperatingsystemworksonlywhen
VMwareToolsisinstalled.Otherwise,thepoweristurnedofforthevirtualmachineis
resetexactlyasifyouhadpushedthepowerorresetbuttononaphysicalmachine.For
informationaboutinstallingVMwareTools,seeChapter 5,InstallingandUsing
VMwareTools,onpage 73.ForinformationabouthowtouseVMwareToolsscripts
toaffectpowerstatebehavior,seeChangingVirtualMachinePowerSettingsonpage 125
andHowVMwareToolsScriptsAffectPowerStatesonpage 97.
VMware, Inc. 123

Changing Virtual Machine Name and Guest System

Settings
Youcanchangethenameandtheguestoperatingsystemsettingsoftheselectedvirtual
machine.
To change the virtual machine name or guest operating system settings
1 IntheCommandssectionofthevirtualmachinesSummarytab,clickConfigure
VM.
2 IntheGeneraltab,changethenameorguestoperatingsystemsetting:
(Optional)Tochangethedisplayname,typeanewnameintheVirtual
MachineNametextbox.
(Optional)Tochangetheguestoperatingsystemsetting(forexample,ifyou
areupgradingtheguestoperatingsystemversion),selectthetypeof
operatingsystemandthenselecttheoperatingsystemversionfromthe
dropdownmenu.
Whenyouchangetheoperatingsystemversionhere,thesettingfortheguest
operatingsystemischangedinthevirtualmachinesconfigurationfile.The
guestoperatingsystemitselfisnotchanged.Forinformationaboutupdatingthe
guestoperatingsystem,seeUpdatingtheGuestOperatingSystemon
page 71.
3 ClickOKtosaveyourchangesandreturntotheSummarytab.
TheGeneraltabalsodisplaysthelocationofthevirtualmachineworkingdirectoryand
thevirtualmachineconfigurationfile.Donoteditthevirtualmachineconfigurationfile
directly.Instead,usetheAdvancedtaboftheConfigureVMdialogbox.SeeChanging
VirtualMachineAdvancedSettingsonpage 127.
124 VMware, Inc.

Changing Virtual Machine Power Settings

Powercontroloptionsallowyoutodefineactionsthatoccurwhenyouchangethe
powerstateofavirtualmachine.
To change power state options
VM.
2 ClickthePowertab.
3 (Optional)Selectthedefaultpoweroffoptionforthevirtualmachine.
SettingsforpoweringoffvirtualmachinesincludePowerOffandShutDown
Guest.WhenVMwareToolsisnotinstalled,thedefaultactionistopoweroffthe
virtualmachinewithoutshuttingdowntheguest.WhenVMwareToolsis
installed,thedefaultactionistoshutdowntheguestbeforepoweringoffthe
virtualmachine.
4 (Optional)Selectthedefaultsuspendoptionforthevirtualmachine.
SettingsforsuspendingvirtualmachinesincludeSuspendandSuspendGuest.
WhenVMwareToolsisnotinstalled,thedefaultactionistosuspendthevirtual
machinewithoutsuspendingtheguest.WhenVMwareToolsisinstalled,the
defaultactionistosuspendtheguestbeforesuspendingthevirtualmachine.
5 (Optional)Selectthedefaultrebootoptionforthevirtualmachine.
SettingsforrebootingvirtualmachinesincludeResetandRestartGuest.When
VMwareToolsisnotinstalled,thedefaultactionistoresetthevirtualmachine
withoutshuttingdowntheguest.WhenVMwareToolsisinstalled,thedefault
actionistoshutdowntheguestbeforeresettingthevirtualmachine.
6 (Optional)IntheVMwareToolsScriptssection,selectoneormorecheckboxesto
runaVMwareToolsscriptAfterpoweringon,Afterresuming,Before
suspending,andBeforepoweringoff.SeeHowVMwareToolsScriptsAffect
PowerStatesonpage 97.
7 (Optional)IntheBIOSSetupsection,selectEntertheBIOSsetupscreenthenext
timethevirtualmachinebootsifyouwanttogodirectlytotheBIOSsetupscreen
thenexttimethevirtualmachineispoweredon.
Afterthenextpoweron,thissettingisdeselected.
VMware, Inc. 125

8 (Optional)IntheAdvancedsection,selectoneorbothoftheVMwareTools
options:
SelectCheckandUpgradeVMwareToolsbeforepoweringonifyouwantto
automaticallyupgradeVMwareToolswheneveranewversionisavailable.
SelectSynchronizeguesttimewithhosttosynchronizethetimeintheguest
operatingsystemwiththetimeinthehostoperatingsystem.SeeOptions
Tabonpage 93.
Changing Virtual Machine Snapshot Settings

Thissectiondescribeshowtochangesnapshotsettingsforthevirtualmachine.With
thesesettings,youcandothefollowing:
Lockthecurrentsnapshotsothatitcannotbeupdated
Reverttothecurrentsnapshotwhenpoweringoff
Forinformationaboutusingsnapshotstopreservethestateofthevirtualmachine,see
UsingSnapshotsonpage 195.
Locking the Snapshot

Lockingthecurrentsnapshotpreventsitfrombeingoverwritten.Thesnapshotmust
alreadyexist.
To lock the current snapshot
VM.
2 ClicktheSnapshottab.
3 IntheCurrentSnapshotsection,selectLockthissnapshot.
Ifthischeckboxcannotbeselected,itmeansthatnosnapshotexists.
126 VMware, Inc.

Setting Snapshot Power Off Options

Youcansetavirtualmachinetoautomaticallyreverttothesnapshot,ortoaskyou
whetheryouwanttoreverttothesnapshot,wheneveryoupoweroffthevirtual
machine.
To set a snapshot power off option
VM.
2 ClicktheSnapshottab.
3 SelectoneofthefollowingoptionsintheWhenpoweringoffsection:
JustpoweroffPowersoffwithoutmakinganychangestothesnapshot.
ReverttosnapshotRevertstothecurrentsnapshot,sothevirtualmachine
alwaysstartsinthestateitwasinwhenthecurrentsnapshotwastaken.
Revertingtothesnapshotdiscardschanges.Forexample,aninstructormight
needtodiscardstudentanswersforacomputerlessonwhenavirtualmachine
ispoweredoffattheendofclass.
AskmeEverytimeyoupoweroffavirtualmachine,youarepromptedto
specifywhetheryouwanttojustpowerofforreverttothecurrentsnapshot.
Changing Virtual Machine Advanced Settings

Thissectiondescribeshowtoconfigureadvancedvirtualmachinesettings,including
thefollowing:
WhatkindofinformationiscollectedwhileVMwareServerisrunning.
Enablinganddisablinglogging.
Disablingaccelerationifaprogramcannotberuninyourvirtualmachine.
EnablingVirtualMachineInterface(VMI)paravirtualizationtoincrease
performanceonhoststhatsupportparavirtualization.
SpecifyingwhetherandhowvirtualizedMMUsupportisused
Modifyingvirtualmachineconfigurationfileparameters.
NOTEDonotchangeanyconfigurationfileparametersunlessyouareinstructed
todosointhedocumentationorbyVMwaretechnicalsupport.
VMware, Inc. 127

To change virtual machine runtime settings
VM.
2 ClickAdvanced.
3 IntheSettingssection,selectanoption:
RecordruntimeinformationWhenselected,youcanselectoneofthe
following:
DebugginginformationCollectsdebugginginformation.Youcan
providethisinformationtoVMwaresupporttotroubleshootany
problemsyouareexperiencing.
StatisticsinformationCollectsperformancestatistics.Youcanprovide
thisinformationtoVMwaresupporttotroubleshootperformance
problems.
OnWindowshosts,thefilesarestoredinthedirectory
<%ALLUSERSPROFILE%>\VMware\VMware Server\hostd\stats.
OnLinuxhostsystems,thefilesarestoredinthedirectory
/var/log/vmware.
EnableloggingEnablesloggingforthevirtualmachine.Youcanprovide
thistoVMwaresupporttotroubleshootanyproblemsyouareexperiencing.
VMwarerecommendsthatyoukeeploggingenabled.Thereisminimal
overheadforthislogging.
DisableaccelerationDisablesaccelerationinthevirtualmachine.Itis
sometimesnecessarytotemporarilydisableaccelerationinavirtualmachine
toresolveproblemswithaguestoperatingsystemapplicationthatcrashesor
seemstohangorreportsthatitisrunningunderadebugger.Usuallyitis
possibletoreenableaccelerationafterinstallingorstartingtheapplication.
SupportVMIParavirtualizationIfyouhaveaVMwareVMI3.0enabled
kernelinaLinuxguestoperatingsystem,youcanenableVMI
paravirtualizationsupporttoimproveperformanceinthevirtualmachine.
AvailableVMIenabledkernelsincludeUbuntu7.04(Feisty)orlater.
Usethestandardimagefor32bitIntelx86systems.VMIcurrentlysupports
only32bitguests.
Formoreinformationaboutparavirtualization,see:
http://www.vmware.com/interfaces/paravirtualization.html
128 VMware, Inc.

ConfigureVirtualizedMMUSettingsRecentCPUsarecapableof
virtualizingtheMemoryManagementUnit(MMU).Thiscapabilityalmost
alwaysimprovesvirtualmachineperformance.However,theremightbe
caseswhereitispreferablenottovirtualizetheMMU.
Selectoneofthefollowingchoices:
Allowthehosttodetermineautomatically(thedefault)
Forceuseofthesefeatureswhenavailable
Donotusethesefeatures
To add a parameter to the virtual machine configuration file
VM.
2 ClickAdvanced.
3 IntheConfigurationParameterssection,clickAddNewEntry.
4 EnterthenameoftheparameterintheNametextbox.
5 EnterthevaluefortheparameterintheValuetextbox.
6 ClickOK.
To edit a parameter in the virtual machine configuration file
VM.
2 ClickAdvanced.
3 IntheConfigurationParameterssection,selecttheparameterandclickEdit.
4 EnterthenewvaluefortheparameterintheValuetextbox.
5 ClickOK.
VMware, Inc. 129

Deleting a Virtual Machine

VMwareServerincludesoptionstoremoveavirtualmachinefromtheinventoryorto
completelydeletethevirtualmachine.Youdonotneedtomanipulatefilesonthehost
filesystemtodeleteavirtualmachine.
Beforeyoucandeleteavirtualmachineorremoveitfromtheinventory,itmustbe
poweredofforsuspended.
To delete a virtual machine or remove it from the inventory
1 SelectthevirtualmachineyouwanttodeleteintheInventorypanel.
2 SelectVirtualMachine>RemoveVirtualMachine.
Youcanonlyselectthismenuoptionifthevirtualmachineispoweredoff.
3 (Optional)Todeleteallthevirtualmachinefilesfromdisk,selectDeletethis
virtualmachinesfilesfromthedisk.
IfyoudonotselectDeletethisvirtualmachinesfilesfromthedisk,thevirtual
machineisremovedfromtheinventory,butallvirtualmachinefilesremainintact
onthedatastore.
4 ClickOK.
Thevirtualmachineisdeletedorremovedfromtheinventory.
Youcanalsodeleteavirtualmachineorremoveitfromtheinventoryfromthehost
workspace.SeeRemovingaVirtualMachinefromtheInventoryonpage 108.
Using VMware Remote Console

system.
VMwareRemoteConsoleisinstalledasaWebbrowseraddonandexecutedfromthe
addondirectory.YoumustinstalltheVMwareRemoteConsoleaddonthefirsttime
youuseitwithaWebbrowserthatdoesnotalreadyhavetheaddoninstalled,and
whenanewversionoftheaddonisavailable.Formoreinformation,seeInstallingthe
VMwareRemoteConsoleAddOnonpage 52andStartingVMwareRemoteConsole
fromtheConsoleTabonpage 53.
YoucancontinuetouseVMwareRemoteConsoleifyoucloseyourWebbrowser.
130 VMware, Inc.

Interacting with the Guest Operating System

Ingeneral,youcanusetheguestoperatingsystemandapplicationsasyouwouldif
theywererunningdirectlyonaphysicalcomputer.
To interact with the guest operating system using your mouse or keyboard
ClickinsidetheVMwareRemoteConsolewindow.
To transfer control of your mouse and keyboard back to your computer
PressCtrl+Alt.IfVMwareToolsisinstalledinthevirtualmachine,youcanmovethe
cursorinandoutofthevirtualmachinetoquicklyswitchmouseandkeyboardcontrol
betweenthevirtualmachineandyourcomputer.
To press Ctrl+Alt+Delete (Windows clients)
PressCtrl+Alt+InsertinsteadofCtrl+Alt+DeleteinthevirtualmachineonWindows
clientsystems.
YoucanalsoselectVMwareRemoteConsole>Troubleshooting>
Send Ctrl+Alt+Delete.
Entering and Leaving Full Screen Mode

Youcanenterandleavefullscreenmodeandcontrolthevisibilityofthetoolbarinfull
screenmode.
To run your virtual machine in full screen mode
ClickthemaximizebuttonontheVMwareRemoteConsolewindow.
Thedesktopexpandstofillthescreen,leavingatoolbarvisibleatthetopofthescreen.
To pin the toolbar so it is always visible
Clickthepushpinonthetoolbarsothatitisinadiagonalposition.
To release the toolbar so only a very thin horizontal area is visible
Clickthepushpinonthetoolbarsothatitisinahorizontalposition.Afterafewseconds
withnouse,mostofthetoolbardisappears.
To make the toolbar fully visible
Movethemousepointertothetopmiddleofthescreenwherethethinhorizontalarea
isvisible.
VMware, Inc. 131

To reduce the VMware Remote Console display so it is running in a window
Clicktherestorebuttononthetoolbar.
To return to a window if the mouse pointer is not available
PressCtrl+Alt.
Connecting and Disconnecting Client Devices

UseVI WebAccesstoconfigurevirtualmachinestousephysicalCD/DVDandfloppy
drivesandISOandfloppyimagesonthehostsystem.SeeChapter 8,Configuring
VirtualMachineHardware,onpage 141.
YoucanconnectanddisconnecthostdevicesfromVMwareRemoteConsole.Devices
thatareconnectedtothehostsystemincludeonServerafterthenameintheDevices
menu.
YoucanalsouseVMwareRemoteConsoletoconnectvirtualmachinestoCD/DVDand
floppydrivesattachedtotheclientsystem.YoucanalsoconnecttoCD/DVD(.iso)and
floppy(.flp)imagefilesontheclientsystem.
SelectfromtheoptionsintheDevicesmenuandsubmenustoconnectanddisconnect
physicaldrives,ortobrowsetoanimagefile.Acheckmarknexttothenameofadevice
indicatesthatitisconnected.Ifthereisnocheckmark,thedeviceisnotconnected.
Onlyonemachinetheclientcomputer,hostcomputer,orvirtualmachinecanuse
CD/DVDorfloppydrivesatanyonetime.Ifyourvirtualmachineisconfiguredtouse
thedevice,andifyouwanttousethatdevicedirectlyonyourclientorhostcomputer,
makesureitisdisconnectedfromthevirtualmachine.
Resetting and Powering Off

Youcanselectthesepoweroperationsfromthe
VMware Remote Console > Troubleshootmenu.
ResetAffectsyourvirtualmachineinthesamewaythatpressingthereset
buttonaffectsaphysicalcomputer.Sendingtheresetcommandturnsthepoweroff
andimmediatelyturnsitonagain.
SuspendandExitSuspendsthevirtualmachine.VMwareRemoteConsole
closes.
PowerOffandExitAffectsyourvirtualmachineinthesamewaythatturning
offthepoweraffectsaphysicalcomputer.Sendingthepoweroffcommandturns
thepoweroffandleavesitoff.VMwareRemoteConsolecloses.
132 VMware, Inc.

Viewing the Message Log

TheMessageLogdialogboxallowsyoutoopenandviewVMwareServervirtual
machinemessagesandtoremoveanyorallmessagesfromthelog.
SelectVMwareRemoteConsole>Troubleshoot>MessageLog.
Quitting VMware Remote Console

QuitVMwareRemoteConsolebeforeyoushutdownthecomputerthatitisrunning
on.
To quit VMware Remote Console, do one of the following
SelectVMwareRemoteConsole>DisconnectandExit(Windows)or
VMware RemoteConsole>DisconnectandQuit(Linux).
ClicktheXintheupperrightcornerofthetoolbar.
WhenyouquitVMwareRemoteConsoleusingeitherofthesemethods,thevirtual
machineisnotpoweredofforsuspended.
QuittingVMwareRemoteConsoledisconnectsanyconnectedclientdevices.Ifyou
haveactiveclientdeviceconnections,youarepromptedtoconfirmthatyouwantto
quit.
VMwareRemoteConsoleclosesautomaticallywhenthevirtualmachineissuspended
orpoweredoff.
Generating and Sharing Virtual Machine Shortcuts

Youcangenerateashortcuttoenablevirtualmachineuserstointeractdirectlywiththe
guestoperatingsystemfromaWebbrowserorVMwareRemoteConsole.
Generating a Web Shortcut

AdministratorscangenerateaWebshortcuttocustomizetheVI WebAccessuser
interfaceforusers.YoucangenerateaWebshortcutthatdisplaysonlytheConsoletab,
enablesordisablesaccesstotheworkspace,orenablesordisablesaccesstothevirtual
machineinventory.
TheWebshortcutislikeanyWebbrowserURL,soyoucandoanyofthefollowing:
AddittoalistofWebpages
Shareitwithoneormoreusersinanemailmessage
VMware, Inc. 133

NOTETotestaWebshortcut,useadifferentbrowserorcomputer.Ifyouuseyour
activeVI WebAccessbrowsersessiontotesttheWebshortcut,allinstancesofthat
browsermustbeclosedbeforeyoucanlogbackintoVI WebAccesswithfulluser
interfacecapabilities.
To create a virtual machine Web shortcut
1 SelectthevirtualmachinefromwhichtogenerateaWebshortcutintheInventory
panel.
2 IntheStatussectionoftheSummarytab,clickGenerateVirtualMachine
Shortcut.
3 IntheWebShortcutsection,asampleURLisdisplayed.
4 (Optional)ExpandCustomizeWebShortcuttoselecttheuserinterfacefeatures:
SelectLimitworkspaceviewtotheconsoletoprovideaccesstotheConsole
tabwhilehidingotherdetailslikeeventlogs.
SelectLimitviewtoasinglevirtualmachinetodisableinventorynavigation.
SelectObfuscatethisURLtogenerateaURLthatobscurestheconnection
information.
5 CopytheWebshortcutforfutureuse.
6 ClickOKtoreturntotheSummarytab.
Generating a VMware Remote Console Desktop Shortcut

systemoutsideofaWebbrowser.Afteryouhaveinstalledthe
VMware Remote Consoleaddon,youcancreateadesktopshortcutthatstarts
VMwareRemoteConsoleandconnectstothevirtualmachine.
NOTEWhenusingInternetExplorer,youmustrestarttheWebbrowserafterinstalling
theVMwareRemoteConsoleaddonandbeforecreatingtheVMwareRemoteConsole
desktopshortcut.IfyoudonotrestartInternetExplorer,shortcutcreationwillfailwith
aJavaScripterror.
134 VMware, Inc.

To create a VMware Remote Console desktop shortcut
1 Selectthevirtualmachinefromwhichtogenerateadesktopshortcutinthe
Inventorypanel.
2 IntheStatussectionoftheSummarytab,clickGenerateVirtualMachine
Shortcut.
3 IntheDesktopShortcutsection,clickInstallDesktopShortcutto
<Virtual Machine>.
4 Confirmthatyouwanttocreatetheshortcutwhenprompted.
Theshortcutiscreatedonthedesktop.
5 ClickOKtoreturntotheSummarytab.
Editing Notes in the Virtual Machine Summary Tab

TheNotessectionofthevirtualmachineSummarytabisaneditabletextfieldinwhich
youcanentertext(upto1000characters)todescribethevirtualmachine.
Savednotescanbeviewedbyotherusersofthevirtualmachine,soyoucanusethis
sectiontocommunicateinformationaboutthecurrentstateofthevirtualmachine.
To enter text that appears in the Notes section
1 SelectthevirtualmachineyouwanttoenternotesforintheInventorypanel.
2 IntheNotessectionoftheSummarytab,clickEdit.
3 Tosaveyourtext,clickSave.
Ifyoudonotwanttosaveyourchanges,clickCancel.
AnysavedtextappearsintheNotessectionoftheSummarytab.
Editing the Hardware Configuration of a Virtual Machine

TheHardwaresectionofthevirtualmachineSummarytabliststhevirtualhardwarein
thevirtualmachine,suchasprocessors,memory,harddisks,CD/DVDdrives,and
networkadapters.Thevirtualmachinemustbepoweredofftomodifymosthardware
settings.
Youcaneditexistinghardwareincluding:
ProcessorsForinformationabouteditingtheprocessorcount,seeEditing
VirtualProcessorsonpage 279andUsingTwoWayVirtualSymmetric
Multiprocessingonpage 278.
VMware, Inc. 135

MemoryForinformationaboutoptimalvirtualmachinememoryallocation,see
AllocatingMemorytoaVirtualMachineonpage 277.Forinformationabout
howtoeditmemoryallocationforavirtualmachine,seeEditingVirtualMachine
Memoryonpage 277.
HardDisksForinformationaboutchangingthesettingsforanexistinghard
disk,seeEditingaVirtualHardDiskonpage 145.Forinformationabout
removingaharddisk,seeRemovingaHardDiskfromaVirtualMachineon
page 146.
NetworkAdaptersForinformationaboutchangingthesettingsforanexisting
virtualnetworkadapter,seeEditingaVirtualNetworkAdapteronpage 224.
CD/DVDDrivesForinformationaboutchangingthesettingsforanexisting
CD/DVDdrive,seeEditingaVirtualCD/DVDDriveonpage 152.For
informationaboutremovingaCD/DVDdrive,seeRemovingaCD/DVDDrive
fromaVirtualMachineonpage 153.
FloppyDrivesForinformationaboutchangingthesettingsforanexisting
CD/DVDdrive,seeEditingaVirtualFloppyDriveonpage 155.Forinformation
aboutremovingafloppydrive,seeRemovingaFloppyDrivefromaVirtual
Machineonpage 156.
Passthrough(Generic)SCSIDevicesForinformationaboutchangingthe
settingsforanexistingpassthroughSCSIdevice,seeEditingaVirtual
Passthrough(Generic)SCSIDeviceonpage 158.Forinformationaboutremoving
apassthroughSCSIdevice,seeRemovingaPassthrough(Generic)SCSIDevice
fromaVirtualMachineonpage 158.
USBControllerForinformationaboutconfiguringUSBdevices,see
ConfiguringUSBControllersandDevicesonpage 159.Forinformationabout
removingaUSBcontroller,seeRemovingaUSBControllerfromaVirtual
Machineonpage 160.
SoundAdapterForinformationaboutchangingthesettingsforasound
adapter,seeEditingaVirtualSoundAdapteronpage 165.Forinformation
aboutremovingasoundadapter,seeRemovingaSoundAdapterfromaVirtual
Machineonpage 166.
SerialPortsForinformationaboutchangingthesettingsforserialports,see
EditingaVirtualSerialPortonpage 169.Forinformationaboutremovinga
serialport,seeRemovingaSerialPortfromaVirtualMachineonpage 170.
ParallelPortsForinformationaboutchangingthesettingsforparallelports,see
EditingaVirtualParallelPortonpage 178.Forinformationaboutremovinga
parallelport,seeRemovingaParallelPortfromaVirtualMachineonpage 179.
136 VMware, Inc.

Adding Hardware to a Virtual Machine

UsetheAddHardwarewizardtoaddnewhardwaretoavirtualmachine.
Thevirtualmachinemustbepoweredofftoaddmosttypesofhardware.Youcanadd
aSCSIvirtualdisktoahardwareversion7virtualmachinewhenthevirtualmachine
ispoweredon.Insomecircumstances,youcanalsohotaddavirtualmachinewith
anearlierhardwareversion.SeeAddingaHardDisktoaVirtualMachineon
page 144.
To start the Add Hardware wizard
1 SelectthevirtualmachinetomodifyfromtheInventorypanel.
2 Makesurethevirtualmachineispoweredoff,unlessyouareaddingaSCSIvirtual
harddisk.
Ifthevirtualmachineisnotalreadypoweredoff,shutdowntheguestoperating
system,andclickPowerOffontheVIWebAccesstoolbar.
3 IntheCommandssectionoftheSummarytab,clickAddHardware.
TheAddHardwarewizardopens.
4 Addhardwaretoanexistingvirtualmachine:
HardDisksSeeAddingaHardDisktoaVirtualMachineonpage 144.
NetworkAdaptersSeeAddingaNetworkAdaptertoaVirtualMachine
onpage 223.
CD/DVDDrivesSeeAddingaCD/DVDDrivetoaVirtualMachineon
page 151.
FloppyDrivesSeeAddingaFloppyDrivetoaVirtualMachineon
page 154.
Passthrough(Generic)SCSIDevicesSeeAddingaPassthrough(Generic)
SCSIDevicetoaVirtualMachineonpage 157.
USBControllerSeeAddingaUSBControllertoaVirtualMachineon
page 159.
SoundAdapterSeeAddingaSoundAdaptertoaVirtualMachineon
page 165.
SerialPortsSeeAddingaSerialPorttoaVirtualMachineonpage 166.
ParallelPortsSeeAddingaParallelPorttoaVirtualMachineon
page 177.
VMware, Inc. 137

5 OntheReadytoCompletepage,dooneofthefollowing:
ClickBackornavigateusingthePagespaneltomakechanges.
Ifyouwanttopoweronthevirtualmachineimmediatelyafteraddingthenew
hardware,selectPoweronyourvirtualmachinenow.
ExpandMoreHardwaretoaddmorevirtualhardwaretothevirtualmachine
beforeyoufinish.
Eachtimeyoufinishaddinganewdevice,youreturntotheReadyto
Completepage.
ClickFinishtocreatethevirtualmachinewiththelistedhardware.
Thewizardaddsthehardwaretoyourvirtualmachine.
Installing New Software in a Virtual Machine

Installingnewsoftwareinavirtualmachineislikeinstallingitonaphysicalcomputer,
exceptthatyoumusttaketheseadditionalsteps:
MakesurethatVMwareServercanaccessthemediaforinstallingthesoftware.
VerifythatthevirtualmachinehasaccesstotheCDROMdrive,ISOimagefile,or
floppydrive,asneeded.SeeChapter 8,ConfiguringVirtualMachineHardware,
onpage 141.
SetthefinalmemorysizeforyourvirtualmachineandinstallVMwareTools
beforeyouactivatethesoftware.
Someapplicationsuseaproductactivationfeaturethatcreatesakeybasedonthe
virtualhardwareinthevirtualmachinewhereitisinstalled.Changesinthe
configurationofthevirtualmachinemightrequireyoutoreactivatethesoftware.
Tominimizethenumberofsignificantchanges,setthememorysizeandinstall
VMwareTools.
IntherareinstancethatVMwareServerappearstohangwhenyouinstallorrun
softwareinsideavirtualmachine,considertemporarilydisablingaccelerationin
thevirtualmachine,asdescribedinChangingVirtualMachineAdvanced
Settingsonpage 127.Generally,theproblemoccursearlyintheprograms
execution.
138 VMware, Inc.

Advanced Options for Application Developers

ApplicationdeveloperscanusethefollowingAPIs,SDKs,andIDEswhenwritingand
debuggingapplicationsthatruninvirtualmachines:
VIXAPIforwritingprogramstoautomatevirtualmachineoperations TheAPI
ishighlevel,easytouse,andpracticalforbothscriptwritersandapplication
programmers.APIfunctionsallowyoutoregister,poweronoroffvirtual
machines,andrunprogramsintheguestoperatingsystems.Additionallanguage
bindingsareavailableforPerl,COM,andshellscripts(vmrun).Formore
information,seetheVMwareVIXAPIReleaseNotes.
Tolaunchthevmrunapplication,fromthecommandprompt,enter:
vmrun COMMAND [OPTION]
OnLinux,vmrunisinthedirectoryforVIXAPIbinaryfiles,typically/usr/bin.
BeforeusingthevmruncommandonaWindowshost,youmustdooneofthe
following:
ChangeyourworkingdirectorytotheVMwareServerdirectory.Thedefault
locationis:
c:\Program Files\VMware\VMware Server
AddtheVMwareVIXdirectorytothesystempath.OnWindows2000Server,
youcanchangethissettingfromtheWindowscontrolpanel:
ControlPanel>System>Advanced>EnvironmentVariables>
System variables>Path
VMCISocketsinterface ThisfeatureisasocketsinterfacefortheVirtual
MachineCommunicationInterface,whichprovidesafastermeansof
communicationamongapplicationsrunningonthehostandinvirtualmachines.
Thisfeatureiswellsuitedfordeveloperswhowanttowriteclientserver
applications.Formoreinformation,seetheVMCISocketsProgrammingGuide.
Toallowavirtualmachinetocommunicatewithothervirtualmachinesand
applicationsonthehost,youmustaddthevmci0.unrestricted configuration
fileparameterandsetittoTRUE,asdescribedinChangingVirtualMachine
AdvancedSettingsonpage 127.Ifvmci0.unrestrictedisnotsetorsetto
FALSE,thevirtualmachinecannotcommunicatewithothervirtualmachinesor
applicationsonthehost.
VMware, Inc. 139

140 VMware, Inc.

8
Configuring Virtual Machine

Hardware 8
Thischapterdescribeshowtousevariousdeviceswithavirtualmachineandincludes
thefollowingtopics:
ConfiguringHardDisksonpage 141
ConfiguringCD/DVDDrivesonpage 150
ConfiguringFloppyDrivesonpage 154
ConfiguringPassthrough(Generic)SCSIDevicesonpage 156
ConfiguringSCSIControllersonpage 159
ConfiguringUSBControllersandDevicesonpage 159
ConfiguringSoundonpage 164
ConfiguringSerialPortsonpage 166
ConfiguringParallelPortsonpage 177
KeyboardMappingonLinuxHostsonpage 184
Configuring Hard Disks

Likeaphysicalcomputer,avirtualmachinestoresitsoperatingsystem,applications,
anddatafilesononeormorevirtualharddisks.Youcanaddandremoveharddisksin
yourvirtualmachine,andmodifycertainsettingsforexistingharddisks.Youcan
installanewoperatingsystemonavirtualdiskwithoutrepartitioningaphysicaldisk
orrebootingthehostsystem.
Thissectiondescribeshowtoadd,edit,andremovevirtualharddisks,andhowto
configuredisksettings.
VMware, Inc. 141

Hard Disk Types and Properties

Mostvirtualmachinesareconfiguredwithoneormorevirtualharddisks.Avirtual
diskisafileorsetoffilesthatappearsasaphysicaldisktotheguestoperatingsystem.
Thesefilesarecreatedinthedatastorelocationthatyouspecify.SeeManaging
Datastoresonpage 110.
Thissectiondescribesthesettingsyoucanconfigurewhenyouaddoreditavirtual
disk.
Disk Capacity Setting

Whenyoucreateanewvirtualdisk,specifyamaximumdisksizeinMBorGB.Setthe
maximumsizetoavaluebetween1MBand950GB.
Ifthevirtualmachinedoesnothaveasnapshot,youcanincreasethemaximumdisk
sizewhenyoueditaSCSIvirtualdisk.
Disk File Options Settings (New Disk Only)

Whencreatinganewvirtualdisk,youcanspecifywhetherspaceforthediskfilesis
allocatedasneeded(calledagrowabledisk)orallocatedallatoncewhenthediskis
created(calledapreallocateddisk).
Agrowablediskiscreatedbydefault.Growablediskfilesuselessdiskspaceinitially
andgrowtotheirmaximumsizeonlyasadditionalspaceisneeded.However,ittakes
longertowritedatatogrowabledisks.
IfyouselectAllocatealldiskspacenow,alldiskspaceispreallocatedatthetimethe
diskiscreated.Thisprovidesbettervirtualmachineperformance.However,you
cannotshrinkthedisklater.
NOTEPreallocatingdiskspaceisatimeconsumingoperationthatcannotbecanceled
andrequiresasmuchphysicaldiskspaceastheamountyouspecifyforvirtualdisk
capacity.
YouarealsogiventheoptionSplitdiskinto2GBfiles.Selectthisoptionifyourvirtual
diskisstoredonafilesystem(suchasFAT16)thatdoesnotsupportfileslargerthan
2GB.
Disk Mode Settings

SelectwhetherornottorunthediskinIndependentMode.Independentdisksadda
layerofcontrolandcomplexitytoyourvirtualdisks.DisksinIndependentModeare
notaffectedbysnapshots.
142 VMware, Inc.

Chapter 8 Configuring Virtual Machine Hardware
Ifyouhaveasnapshot,youmustremoveitbeforeyoucanchangethediskmodewhen
youeditavirtualdisk.SeeRemovingaSnapshotonpage 199.
IfyouselectIndependentMode,alsoselectoneofthefollowing:
PersistentDisksinpersistentmodebehavelikeconventionaldisksonyour
physicalcomputer.Alldatawrittentoadiskinpersistentmodearewritten
permanentlytothedisk.
NonpersistentChangestodisksinnonpersistentmodearediscardedwhenyou
powerofforresetthevirtualmachine.Nonpersistentmodeenablesyoutorestart
thevirtualmachinewithavirtualdiskinthesamestateeverytime.Changestothe
diskareactuallywrittentoandreadfromaredologfilethatisdeletedwhenyou
powerofforreset.
Device Type and Node Settings

Whencreatinganewvirtualdisk,thedefaultadaptertypeisbasedonyourselected
VirtualdiskscanbeconfiguredasIDEdisksforanyguestoperatingsystem.Theycan
besetupasSCSIdisksforanyguestoperatingsystemthathasadriverfortheLSILogic
(parallel),BusLogic(parallel),orLSILogicSASadapter.ThecorrectSCSIadapteris
automaticallychosenbasedonyourguestoperatingsystem.Ifyouneedtochangethe
adaptertype,followtheprocedureinConfiguringSCSIControllersonpage 159.
NOTEForWindowsXPguestsystems,theLSILogicadapterrequiresanaddondriver
fromtheLSILogicWebsite.ForWindowsXPandWindowsServer2003guestsystems,
theBusLogicadapterrequiresanaddondriverfromtheVMwareWebsite.Seethe
VMwareGuestOperatingSystemInstallationGuide.
Eithertypeofvirtualdiskcanbestoredoneithertypeofphysicalharddisk.For
example,thefilesthatmakeupanIDEvirtualdiskcanbestoredoneitheranIDEhard
diskoraSCSIharddisk.Virtualdiskscanalsobestoredonothertypesoffastaccess
storagemedia.
Anavailabledevicenodeisselectedbydefault.
Disk Write Caching Policy Setting

Thefollowingoptionsdeterminewhenchangesarewrittentodisk:
OptimizeforsafetySavesallchangestothevirtualdiskimmediately.
OptimizeforperformanceAcknowledgeschangestothevirtualdisk
immediately,butsavesthematalatertime.
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Adding a Hard Disk to a Virtual Machine

Virtualdisksarestoredasfilesinadatastore.Thedatastorelocationcanbethelocalfile
system,aCIFSstore(Windowsonly),oranNFSmountedfilesystem(Linuxonly).See
ManagingDatastoresonpage 110.
ItdoesnotmatterwhetherthedatastorelocationisonanIDEorSCSIphysicaldisk.An
IDEvirtualdiskcanbestoredoneitheranIDEphysicalharddiskoronaSCSIphysical
harddisk.SocanaSCSIvirtualdisk.
YoucanaddaSCSIvirtualdisktoahardwareversion7virtualmachinewhenthe
virtualmachineispoweredon.Forearliervirtualmachinehardwareversions,itis
possibletoaddaSCSIvirtualdiskwhenthevirtualmachineispoweredononlyifa
SCSIcontrollerwithanavailableslotalreadyexists.SCSIcontrollersarecreatedas
needed,butcannotbecreatedwhenthevirtualmachineispoweredonforvirtual
machineswithhardwareversionsearlierthan7.
ItisnotpossibletoaddanIDEvirtualdiskwhenthevirtualmachineispoweredon.
NOTEIfyouhaveaWindowsNT4.0guestwithaSCSIvirtualdisk,youcannotadd
bothanadditionalSCSIdiskandanIDEdisktotheconfiguration.
To add a new or existing virtual disk
1 FromtheAddHardwareorNewVirtualMachinewizard,clickHardDisk.
ForinformationabouthowtostarttheAddHardwarewizard,seeAdding
HardwaretoaVirtualMachineonpage 137.
2 OntheHardDiskpage,clickoneofthefollowing:
CreateaNewVirtualDiskSelecttoaddanewblankharddisktoyour
virtualmachine.ThewizarddisplaysthePropertiespage,fromwhichyoucan
acceptorchangethedefaultvaluesfordiskcapacity,datastorelocation,file
allocationoptions,diskmode,virtualdevicenode,andcachingpolicy
settings.
UseanExistingVirtualDiskSelectifyouwanttoreuseorshareavirtual
harddiskthathasalreadybeencreated.ThewizarddisplaystheProperties
page,fromwhichyoucanbrowsetoavirtualdisk(.vmdk)fileyoucreated
previously.Afteryouselecttheexistingdiskfileusingthedatastorebrowser,
itscurrentpropertiesaredisplayed.Youcanmodifythediskmode,virtual
devicenode,andcachingpolicysettings.
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3 MakeanyrequiredchangestothedefaultvaluesonthePropertiespage,andclick
Next.
FordetailedinformationaboutsettingsyoucanconfigureonthePropertiespage,
seeHardDiskTypesandPropertiesonpage 142.
TheReadytoCompletepagedisplaysthehardwaresettings.
4 Reviewtheconfigurationsummary,andclickFinishtocompletethewizard.
Thewizardcreatesthenewvirtualdisk.
Thevirtualdiskappearstoyourguestoperatingsystemasanewblankharddisk.Use
theguestoperatingsystemsutilitiestopartitionandformatthenewdisk.
Editing a Virtual Hard Disk

Thissectiondescribeshowtochangethesettingsforanexistingharddisk.
Thefileallocationoptionsaredisplayedandcannotbechanged.Whenthevirtual
machineispoweredoff,youcanmodifythevirtualdevicenode.
Ifthevirtualmachinedoesnothaveasnapshot,youcanalsodothefollowing:
IncreasethediskcapacityforaSCSIvirtualdisk.Thevirtualmachinemustbe
poweredoff.
Changethediskmode.
To edit an existing hard disk
1 SelectthevirtualmachineintheInventorypanel.
2 Ifrequiredtochangethesetting,makesurethatthevirtualmachineispoweredoff.
3 IntheHardwaresectionoftheSummarytab,clicktheharddisktomodifyand
selectEdit.
TheHardDiskdialogboxdisplaysinformationaboutthedisk,includingthe
datastoreitisin,thelocationofthefirstfileassociatedwiththedisk,thedisk
capacity,whetherthediskisgrowableorpreallocated,andwhetherthediskspans
multiplefiles.
4 (Optional)Forvirtualdiskswithsettingsthatallowyoutoincreasethedisk
capacity,clickIncreaseCapacityandenteranewvalueintheIncreaseByor
New Capacityfield.Theotherfieldisautomaticallyadjustedtoreflectthechange.
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Ifyouhaveasnapshot,youmustremoveitbeforeyoucanchangethedisk
capacity.YoucanonlychangethediskcapacityforSCSIvirtualdisks.Thevirtual
machinemustbepoweredoff.
SeeDiskCapacitySettingonpage 142.
5 (Optional)IntheVirtualDeviceNodesection,selectanadapteranddevicenode
fromthedropdownmenus.
SeeDeviceTypeandNodeSettingsonpage 143.
6 (Optional)IntheDiskModesection,selectwhetherornottorunthediskin
IndependentMode.Anindependentdiskcanbepersistentornonpersistent.
DisksinIndependentModearenotaffectedbysnapshots.
Ifyouhaveasnapshot,youmustremoveittochangethediskmode.See
RemovingaSnapshotonpage 199.
AlsoseeDiskModeSettingsonpage 142.
7 (Optional)InthePoliciessection,selectthewritecachingpolicyforthedisk.
SeeDiskWriteCachingPolicySettingonpage 143.
Removing a Hard Disk from a Virtual Machine

Whenyouremoveaharddiskfromavirtualmachine,youcanchoosewhetherto
removethediskfilesfromthehostsystem.
To remove an existing hard disk
3 IntheHardwaresectionoftheSummarytab,clicktheharddisktoremoveand
selectoneofthefollowing:
RemoveRemovestheharddiskfromthevirtualmachine.
DeletefromDiskRemovestheharddiskfromthevirtualmachineand
deletestheassociateddiskfilesfromthehostsystem.
4 Adialogboxasksyoutoconfirmthatyouwanttoremovethedisk.Ifyouwantto
removeit,clickYes.
Thevirtualdiskisremoved.
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Virtual Disk Maintenance Tasks

Defragmentingvirtualdiskscanimproveperformance.Shrinkingvirtualdisks
reclaimsunusedspace.
Defragmenting Virtual Disks

Likephysicaldisks,virtualdiskscanbecomefragmented.Defragmentationrearranges
data,applications,andunusedspaceonthevirtualdisksothatprogramsrunfasterand
filesopenmorequickly.
Beforeyoubegin,makesurethatyouhaveadequatefreeworkingspaceonthehost
system.Ifyourvirtualdiskiscontainedinasinglefile,forexample,youneedfreespace
equaltothesizeofthevirtualdisk.Othervirtualdiskconfigurationsrequirelessfree
space.
Defragmentationdoesnotreclaimunusedspaceonavirtualdisk.Forinformation
abouthowtoreclaimunusedspace,seeShrinkingVirtualDisksonpage 147.
To defragment a virtual disk
1 Runadiskdefragmentationutilityinsidetheguestoperatingsystem.
Forexample,inaWindowsXPguestoperatingsystem,usetheWindowsXPDisk
Defragmenterutility.
2 Runadiskdefragmentationutilityonthehostsystem.
Defragmentingdiskscantakeconsiderabletime.
Shrinking Virtual Disks

Shrinkingavirtualdiskreclaimsunusedspaceinthevirtualdisk.Ifadiskhasempty
space,thisprocessreducestheamountofspacethatthevirtualdiskoccupiesonthe
physicalharddisk.
Onlyshrinkvirtualdiskswhentheamountofusedspaceonthevirtualharddiskis
significantlylowerthanthesizeofthe.vmdkfilesassociatedwiththevirtualdisk.For
informationaboutthefilesassociatedwithavirtualdisk,seeAppendix B,FilesThat
MakeUpaVirtualMachine,onpage 323.
Beforeshrinkingavirtualdisk,makesurethatthefollowingprerequisitesaremet:
VMwareToolsisinstalledintheguestoperatingsystem.
Thehostsystemhasfreediskspaceequaltothesizeofthevirtualdiskyouplanto
shrink.
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Thediskspaceisnotpreallocatedforthevirtualdisk.Ifthediskspaceis
preallocated,youcannotshrinkthedisk.(ClicktheharddiskandselectEditto
determinehowdiskspaceisallocated.)
Thevirtualmachinedoesnothaveasnapshot.Toremoveanexistingsnapshot,see
Ifthevirtualdiskisanindependentdisk,itmustbepersistent.SeeDiskMode
Settingsonpage 142.
NOTETheshrinkprocessappliestoallvirtualdisks,evenifyoudonotprepareallthe
virtualdisksinavirtualmachineforshrinking.
To shrink a virtual disk
1 LaunchtheVMwareToolscontrolpanel:
ForaWindowsguest,doubleclicktheVMwareToolsiconinthenotification
areaofthetaskbar.
Iftheiconisnotavailable,selectStart>Settings>ControlPanel,and
doubleclickVMwareTools.
ForaLinux,Solaris,orFreeBSDguest,openaterminalwindow,becomeroot,
andrunvmware-toolbox.
Ifyoushrinkdisksasanonrootuser,youcannotwipethepartsofthevirtual
diskthatrequirerootlevelpermissions.
2 IntheVMwareToolscontrolpanel,clicktheShrinktab.
Ifthevirtualmachinedoesnotallowshrinking,theShrinktabshowsthereason.
3 SelectthevirtualdiskstoshrinkandclickPreparetoShrink.
Ifyoudeselectsomepartitions,thewholediskisstillshrunk.However,those
partitionsarenotwipedforshrinking,andtheshrinkprocessdoesnotreducethe
sizeofthevirtualdiskasmuchasitwouldwithallpartitionsselected.
VMwareToolsreclaimsallunusedportionsofdiskpartitions(suchasdeletedfiles)
andpreparesthemforshrinking.Duringthisphase,youcanstillinteractwiththe
virtualmachine.
WhenVMwareToolsfinisheswipingtheselecteddiskpartitions,apromptto
shrinkthedisksappears.
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4 ClickYes.
Shrinkingdiskscantakeconsiderabletime.
5 ClickOK.
Using VMware Virtual Disk Manager

VMwareVirtualDiskManagerisautilitythatallowsyoutocreate,manage,and
modifyvirtualdiskfilesfromthecommandlineorinscripts.
Unlikeaphysicaldisk,youcanenlargeavirtualdisksothatthemaximumcapacityis
largerthanitwaswhenyoucreatedit.Thisisusefulifyouneedmorediskspaceina
givenvirtualmachine,butdonotwanttoaddanothervirtualdiskorifyouuse
ghostingsoftwaretotransferthedataonavirtualdisktoalargervirtualdisk.
Youcanalsochangedisktypes.Whenyoucreateavirtualmachine,youspecifyhow
diskspaceisallocated,asfollows:
Allspaceforthevirtualdiskisallocatedinadvance.Thiscorrespondstothe
preallocateddisktypeforVirtualDiskManager.
Spaceallocatedforthevirtualdiskgrowsasneeded.Thiscorrespondstothe
growabledisktypeforVirtualDiskManager.
Ifyouallocateallthediskspaceforavirtualdiskbutlaterneedtoreclaimsomehard
diskspaceonthehost,youcanconvertthepreallocatedvirtualdiskintoagrowable
disk.Thenewvirtualdiskisstilllargeenoughtocontainallthedataintheoriginal
virtualdisk.
Youcanalsochangewhetherthevirtualdiskisstoredinasinglefileorsplitinto2GB
files.
SeetheVMwaretechnicalnoteaboutusingVirtualDiskManager.
Moving Virtual Disks

Akeyadvantageofvirtualdisksistheirportability.Becausethevirtualdisksarestored
asfilesinadatastoreonalocalornetworkedfilesystem,youcanmovethemeasilyto
anewlocationonthesamecomputerortoadifferentcomputer.Youcanalsocreate
virtualdisksonaWindowshostandmovethemtoaLinuxcomputerorthereverse.
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Configuring CD/DVD Drives

YoucanuseVI WebAccesstoconfigurevirtualmachinestousephysicalCD/DVD
drivesandISOimagesonthehostsystem.YoucanuseVMwareRemoteConsoleto
connecttoCD/DVDdrivesandISOimagesonyourclientsystem,asdescribedin
Thissectiondescribeshowtoadd,edit,andremoveCD/DVDdrivesonthehost,and
howtoconfiguredrivesettings.
CD/DVD Drive Type and Properties

ThissectiondescribesthesettingsyoucanspecifyforavirtualCD/DVDdrive.Youcan
configurethedeviceadaptertypeandnode.Foraphysicaldrive,youcanchoosetouse
ATAPIemulationmodeoraccessthedrivedirectly.
YoucanuseCD/DVDdrivestoreaddataDVDROMdiscs.DVDvideoisnot
supported.
Choosing a Device Type for the CD/DVD Drive

Likeavirtualdisk,avirtualCD/DVDdriveisassociatedwithaspecificSCSIorIDE
devicenode.Thetypeofdevicedoesnothavetomatchthetypeofdeviceonthehost.
AnIDECD/DVDdriveonthehostcanbeconfiguredasaSCSIvirtualCD/DVDdrive,
andaSCSICD/DVDdriveonthehostcanbeconfiguredasanIDEvirtualCD/DVD
drive.However,ifyouwanttodomorethanreaddatafromthedrive,suchasburn
discs,matchthebustypessothattheyarebothIDEorSCSI.
YoucanconfigureuptofourbootablevirtualCDROMs.
Using ATAPI Emulation for CD/DVD Drives

Insomecases,theCD/DVDdrivemightnotworkcorrectlywhentheguestoperating
systemiscommunicatingdirectlywiththedrive.Ifyouencounterproblemsusingyour
CD/DVDdrive,tryeditingtheCD/DVDdriveandselectingATAPIemulationtowork
aroundtheseproblems.Inemulationmode,youcanonlyreadfromdatadiscs.
Ifyourunmorethanonevirtualmachineatatime,andiftheirCD/DVDdrivesarein
emulationmode,startthevirtualmachineswiththeirCD/DVDdrivesdisconnected.
ThisensuresthatyoudonothavemultiplevirtualmachinesconnectedtotheCD/DVD
driveatthesametime.
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Accessing the CD/DVD Drive Directly

SelectAccessthedrivedirectlytohavetheguestoperatingsystemcommunicate
directlywiththeCD/DVDdrive.DirectcommunicationwithaCD/DVDdriveenables
youtoreadmultisessionCDs,performdigitalaudioextraction,viewvideo,andburn
discs.
Adding a CD/DVD Drive to a Virtual Machine

YoucanaddoneormoreCD/DVDdrivestoyourvirtualmachine.Youcanconnecta
virtualdrivetoaphysicaldriveorISOimagefileonthehostsystem.
To add a CD/DVD drive to a virtual machine
1 FromtheAddHardwareorNewVirtualMachinewizard,clickCD/DVDDrive.
2 SelectanoptionunderHostMediatoconnecttoadriveorISOimageonthe
VMwareServerhost.
ClickUseaPhysicalDrivetoconnectthevirtualmachinesdrivetoaphysical
driveonthehostsystem.
ClickUseanISOImagetoconnectthevirtualmachinesdrivetoanISOimage
fileonthehostsystem.
3 ClickNext.
4 DooneofthefollowingonthePropertiespage:
IfyouselectedUseaPhysicalDrive,specifythedrivetouse.
IfyouselectedUseanISOImage,clickBrowsetonavigatetoafilewiththe
.isoextensioninanexistingdatastore.Toenterthepathmanually,youmust
usetheformat:
5 (Optional)Tohavethedriveconnecttothevirtualmachinewhenyoupoweron,
selectConnectatpoweron(thedefault).
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Formoreinformation,seeChoosingaDeviceTypefortheCD/DVDDriveon
page 150.
7 ClickNext.
Editing a Virtual CD/DVD Drive

WhenyoueditaCD/DVDdrive,youcanmodifytheconnectionstatusandwhich
physicaldriveorISOimagefiletoconnectto.Whenthevirtualmachineispoweredoff,
youcanalsomodifythevirtualdevicenode.
To edit an existing CD/DVD drive
2 IntheHardwaresectionoftheSummarytab,clicktheCD/DVDdrivetomodify
andselectEdit.
3 SelectHostMediatoconfigureaphysicaldriveorISOimagefileonthehost
system.
IfyouwanttouseaCD/DVDdriveonaclientsystem,selectClientMedia.Using
VI WebAccess,youcanonlychangethedevicenodeforclientdevices,as
describedinStep 6.UseVMwareRemoteConsoletoselectandconnector
disconnecttheclientdevice.SeeConnectingandDisconnectingClientDevices
onpage 132.
4 (Optional)IntheDeviceStatussection,selectConnectatpowerontohavethe
driveconnecttothevirtualmachinewhenyoupoweron.
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5 IntheConnectionsection,selectPhysicalDriveorISOImage.
IfyouselectPhysicalDrive,selectthedrivetouseandselectoneofthe
following:
ATAPIEmulationSelectiftheguestoperatingsystemdoesnotwork
correctlywhencommunicatingdirectlywiththeCD/DVDdrive.For
moreinformation,seeUsingATAPIEmulationforCD/DVDDriveson
page 150.
AccessthedrivedirectlySelecttohavetheguestoperatingsystem
communicatedirectlywiththeCD/DVDdrive.Formoreinformation,see
AccessingtheCD/DVDDriveDirectlyonpage 151.
IfyouselectISOImage,clickBrowsetonavigatetoafilewiththe.iso
extensioninanexistingdatastore.ToentertheISOpathmanually,youmust
usetheformat:
Formoreinformation,seeChoosingaDeviceTypefortheCD/DVDDriveon
page 150.
Removing a CD/DVD Drive from a Virtual Machine

YoucanremoveaCD/DVDdrivefromavirtualmachineifyounolongerwanttouse
thatdeviceinthevirtualmachine.
To remove an existing CD/DVD drive
3 IntheHardwaresectionoftheSummarytab,clicktheCD/DVDdrivetoremove
andselectRemove.
4 Adialogboxasksyoutoconfirmthatyouwanttoremovethedevice.Ifyouwant
toremoveit,clickYes.
Thedeviceisremoved.
VMware, Inc. 153

Configuring Floppy Drives

YoucanuseVI WebAccesstoconfigurevirtualmachinestousephysicalfloppydrives
andfloppyimagesonthehostsystem.YoucanuseVMwareRemoteConsoletoconnect
tofloppydrivesandfloppyimagesonyourclientsystem,asdescribedinConnecting
andDisconnectingClientDevicesonpage 132.
Thissectiondescribeshowtoadd,edit,andremovefloppydrivesonthehost,andhow
toconfiguredrivesettings.
Adding a Floppy Drive to a Virtual Machine

Youcanconnectavirtualfloppydrivetoaphysicalfloppydriveorafloppyimagefile
onthehostsystem.
Youcanadduptotwofloppydrivestoyourvirtualmachine.Avirtualfloppydrivecan
connecttoaphysicalfloppydriveonthehostsystem,anexistingfloppyimagefile,or
anewblankfloppyimagefile.
To add a new virtual floppy drive to a virtual machine
1 FromtheAddHardwareorNewVirtualMachinewizard,clickFloppyDrive.
2 SelectanoptionunderHostMediatoconnecttoafloppydriveorfloppyimageon
theVMwareServerhost.
ClickUseaPhysicalDrivetoconnectthevirtualfloppydrivetoaphysical
driveonthehostsystem.
ClickUseaFloppyImagetoconnectthevirtualfloppydrivetoafloppy
imagefileonthehostsystem.
3 ClickNext.
4 DooneofthefollowingonthePropertiespage:
IfyouselectedUseaPhysicalDrive,selectthedrivetouse.
IfyouselectedUseanexistingfloppyimageorCreateablankfloppyimage,
clickBrowsetonavigatetoafilewiththe.flpextensioninanexisting
datastore.Toenterthepathmanually,youmustusetheformat:
[ datastore_name ] path_and_filename.flp
5 (Optional)Tohavethedriveconnecttothevirtualmachinewhenyoupoweron,
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6 ClickNext.
NOTEBydefault,onlyonefloppydriveisenabledinthevirtualmachinesBIOS.Ifyou
areaddingasecondfloppydrivetothevirtualmachine,configurethevirtualmachine
MachinePowerSettingsonpage 125.Onthemainscreen,selectLegacyDisketteB:
andusetheplus(+)andminus()keysonthenumericalkeypadtoselectthetypeof
floppydriveyouwanttouse.PressF10tosaveyourchangesandclosetheBIOSsetup
utility.
Editing a Virtual Floppy Drive

Whenyoueditavirtualfloppydrive,youcanmodifytheconnectionstatusandwhich
physicaldriveorfloppyimagefiletoconnectto.Whenthevirtualmachineispowered
off,youcanalsochangethevirtualdevicenode.
Youcanconnectonlyonevirtualfloppydrivetoeachphysicaldriveonthehostsystem.
Thephysicaldevicecanbeconnectedtoonlyonevirtualmachineatatime.
To edit an existing floppy drive
2 IntheHardwaresectionoftheSummarytab,clickthefloppydrivetomodifyand
selectEdit.
3 SelectHostMediatoconfigureaphysicaldriveorfloppyimagefileonthehost
system.
Ifyouwanttouseafloppydriveonaclientsystem,selectClientMedia.Use
4 (Optional)IntheDeviceStatussection,selectConnectatpowerontohavethe
driveconnecttothevirtualmachinewhenyoupoweron.
VMware, Inc. 155

5 IntheConnectionsection,specifywhethertoconnecttoaphysicaldriveora
floppyimage.SelectPhysicalDrive,FloppyImage,orNewFloppyImage.
IfyouselectPhysicalDrive,selectaphysicaldriveonthehostsystemfrom
thedropdownmenu.
IfyouselectFloppyImage,clickBrowsetonavigatetoafilewiththe.flp
extensioninanexistingdatastore.Toenterthepathmanually,youmustuse
theformat:
IfyouselectNewFloppyImage,clickBrowsetonavigatetoanewblank
floppyimagefilewiththe.flpextensioninanexistingdatastore.Toenterthe
pathmanually,youmustusetheformat:
Removing a Floppy Drive from a Virtual Machine

Youcanremoveafloppydrivefromavirtualmachineifyounolongerwanttousethat
deviceinthevirtualmachine.
To remove an existing floppy drive
3 IntheHardwaresectionoftheSummarytab,clickthefloppydriveandselect
Remove.
Thedeviceisremoved.
Configuring Passthrough (Generic) SCSI Devices

PassthroughSCSIdevicesintheguestoperatingsystemhavedirectaccesstoSCSI
devicesconnectedtothehost,suchasscanners,tapedrives,andotherdatastorage
devices.UsingthegenericSCSIdriver,VMwareServerallowsavirtualmachineto
accessanySCSIdevicethatissupportedbytheguestoperatingsystem.
156 VMware, Inc.

Intheory,genericSCSIiscompletelydeviceindependent,butVMwarehasdiscovered
thatitissensitivetotheguestoperatingsystem,deviceclass,andspecificSCSI
hardware.TryanySCSIhardwareandreportproblemstoVMwaretechnicalsupport.
Youcanadd,edit,andremovegenericSCSIdevices.
Adding a Passthrough (Generic) SCSI Device to a Virtual

Machine
AddapassthroughSCSIdevicetoavirtualmachinetomaptheSCSIvirtualdeviceto
aphysicalpassthroughSCSIdeviceonthehost.
Beforeyoubegin,makesurethatyouhavethefollowingrequiredpermissions:
OnWindowshosts,youmustrunVMwareServerasauserwithadministrator
access.
OnLinuxhosts,youmustbeloggedonasauserwhohasreadandwrite
permissionstousethedevice.
To add a passthrough SCSI device to a virtual machine
1 FromtheAddHardwareorNewVirtualMachinewizard,clickPassthroughSCSI
Device.
2 SelectaSCSIdevicetouse.
AphysicalSCSIdevicemustbeattachedtothedevice,anditmustbeconnectedto
thevirtualmachine.
3 (Optional)IntheVirtualDeviceNodesection,selectaSCSIadapteranddevice
nodefromthedropdownmenus.
4 ClickOK.
VMware, Inc. 157

Editing a Virtual Passthrough (Generic) SCSI Device

WhenyoueditapassthroughSCSIdevice,youcanchangethephysicaldevice.When
thevirtualmachineispoweredoff,youcanalsochangethevirtualdevicenode.
To edit an existing generic SCSI device
2 IntheHardwaresectionoftheSummarytab,clicktheSCSIdevicetomodifyand
selectEdit.
3 (Optional)UnderConnection,selectthephysicaldevicetouse.
4 (Optional)UnderVirtualDeviceNode,selectaSCSIdeviceadapterandan
availablenodefromthedropdownmenus.
Removing a Passthrough (Generic) SCSI Device from a Virtual

Machine
YoucanremoveagenericSCSIdevicefromavirtualmachineifyounolongerwantto
usethatdeviceinthevirtualmachine.
To remove an SCSI device
3 IntheHardwaresectionoftheSummarytab,clicktheSCSIdeviceandselect
Remove.
Thedeviceisremoved.
158 VMware, Inc.

Configuring SCSI Controllers

SCSIcontrollersareaddedandremovedautomaticallyasneeded.VMwareServer
supportsuptofourSCSIcontrollers.
YoucanedittheSCSIcontrollerdevicetype.
CAUTIONChangingthedevicetypebeforeyouinstallthecorrespondingdriverinthe
guestoperatingsystemmightpreventthevirtualmachinefrombooting.SeeDevice
TypeandNodeSettingsonpage 143.
To edit an existing SCSI controller
2 IntheHardwaresectionoftheSummarytab,clicktheSCSIcontrollerandselect
Edit.
3 ClickModifydevicetypetochangetheSCSIcontrollerdevicetype.
ThechoicesareBusLogicorLSILogicparallelinterfaces.Forhardwareversion7
virtualmachines,youcanalsoselectLSISASserialinterface.
4 ClickOK.
Configuring USB Controllers and Devices

ThissectiondescribeshowtoaddandremoveaUSBcontroller,andhowtoconfigure
USBdevicesforvirtualmachines.
Adding a USB Controller to a Virtual Machine

Youcanaddonlyonecontrollerpervirtualmachine,butthecontrollersupports
multipleUSBdevices.
To add a USB controller to a virtual machine

1 FromtheAddHardwareorNewVirtualMachinewizard,clickUSBController.
TheReadytoCompletepagedisplaysthehardwaresetting.
VMware, Inc. 159

Whenthevirtualmachineispoweredon,aUSBcontrollermenuappearsinthetoolbar.
UseittoconnecttoUSBdevices,asdescribedinConnectingUSBDeviceson
page 160.
Removing a USB Controller from a Virtual Machine

YoucanremovetheUSBcontrollerfromavirtualmachineifyounolongerwanttouse
USBdevicesinthevirtualmachine.
To remove the USB controller
3 IntheHardwaresectionoftheSummarytab,clicktheUSBcontrollerandselect
Remove.
4 Adialogboxasksyoutoconfirmthatyouwanttoremovethecontroller.Ifyou
wanttoremoveit,clickYes.
TheUSBcontrollerisremoved.
Connecting USB Devices

BeforeyoucanuseUSBdevicesinavirtualmachine,youmustaddaUSBcontroller.
SeeAddingaUSBControllertoaVirtualMachineonpage 159.
WhenyouphysicallypluganewUSBdeviceintothehostsystem,thedeviceisinitially
connectedtothehost.ThedevicenameisalsoaddedtothePluggedintoHostlistin
theUSBcontrollertoolbarmenusothatyoucanconnectittothevirtualmachine,as
describedinthissection.
IfthephysicalUSBdeviceisconnectedtothehostsystemthroughahub,thevirtual
machineseesonlytheUSBdevice,notthehub.
To connect a USB device to a virtual machine
2 FromtheUSBcontrollermenuinthetoolbar,selectthedeviceyouwanttoconnect
tointhePluggedintoHostlist.
WhentheUSBdeviceisconnectedtothevirtualmachine,itappearsasselectedinthe
toolbarmenu.
160 VMware, Inc.

To release a connected USB device
2 FromtheUSBcontrollermenuinthetoolbar,deselectthedeviceyouwantto
disconnect.
TheUSBdevicereturnstothedeselectedstateinthetoolbarmenu.
Using USB Devices in a Virtual Machine

VMwareServerprovidesatwoportUSBcontrollersothatyoucanconnecttobothUSB
1.1andUSB2.0devices.
USB2.0supportisavailableonlyforVMwareproductsthatsupportvirtualmachine
hardwareversion6or7,suchasVMwareServer2andWorkstation6.Yourhost
machinemustalsosupportUSB2.0.
Onthehostsystem,whenaUSB2.0deviceconnectstoaport,thedeviceconnectsto
theEHCIcontrollerandoperatesinUSB2.0mode.AUSB1.1deviceisautomatically
connectedtoaUHCIcontrollerandoperatesinUSB1.1mode.Thisenablesyouto
connecttohighspeedorisochronousUSBdevicessuchaswebcams,speakers,and
microphones.
AlthoughyourhostoperatingsystemmustsupportUSB,youdonotneedtoinstall
devicespecificdriversforyourUSBdevicesinthehostoperatingsystemtousethose
devicesonlyinthevirtualmachine.
NOTEWindowsNTandLinuxkernelsolderthan2.2.17donotsupportUSB.
OnWindowsXPguests,besuretoinstallthelatestservicepackifyouwanttouseUSB
2.0.IfyouuseWindowsXPwithnoservicepacks,thedriverfortheEHCIcontroller
cannotbeloaded.
VMwarehastestedavarietyofUSBdeviceswiththisrelease.Withtheappropriate
guestoperatingsystemdrivers,youcanusePDAs,printers,storage(disk)devices,
scanners,MP3players,digitalcameras,andmemorycardreaders.
VMware, Inc. 161

Using USB with a Windows Host

WhenaparticularUSBdeviceisconnectedtoavirtualmachineforthefirsttime,the
hostdetectsitasanewdevicenamedVMwareUSBDeviceandinstallstheappropriate
VMwaredriver.
OnsomeWindowshostsystems,confirmationisrequiredintheFoundNewHardware
wizard.Selectthedefaultaction,Installthesoftwareautomatically.Afterthesoftware
isinstalled,theguestoperatingsystemdetectstheUSBdeviceandsearchesfora
suitabledriver.
WhenyouaresynchronizingaPDAtoavirtualmachineforthefirsttime,thetotaltime
requiredtoloadtheVMwareUSBdevicedriverinthehostandthePDAdriverinthe
guestmightexceedthedevicesconnectiontimeoutvalue.Thiscausesthedeviceto
disconnectitselffromthecomputerbeforetheguestcansynchronizewithit.Ifthis
occurs,lettheguestfinishinstallingthePDAdriver,dismissanyconnectionerror
warnings,andtrysynchronizingthePDAagain.Thesecondattemptusuallysucceeds.
Replacing USB 2.0 Drivers on a Windows 2000 Host

TouseVMwareServeronaWindows2000hostthathasUSB2.0ports,youmustuse
theMicrosoftUSB2.0driversfortheUSBcontrollerinthehostoperatingsystem.If
yourhostoperatingsystemisusingathirdpartydriveradriversuppliedbyyour
motherboardvendor,forexampleyoumustreplaceit.
To check the provider of your driver
1 OpentheDeviceManager,asfollows:
a RightclickMyComputerandselectProperties.
b ClicktheHardwaretabandclickDeviceManager.
2 ExpandthelistingforUniversalSerialBuscontrollers.
3 RightclickthelistingforthecontrollerandselectProperties.
4 ClicktheDrivertab.
IfthedriverprovidershownonthatpageisMicrosoft,youhavethecorrectdriver
already.
IfthedriverproviderisnotMicrosoft,downloadthelatestUSBdriverforyourhost
operatingsystemfromtheMicrosoftWebsiteandfollowtheMicrosoftinstructionsto
installit.DetailsareavailableinMicrosoftknowledgebasearticle319973.
162 VMware, Inc.

Using USB with a Linux Host

OnLinuxhosts,VMwareServerusestheUSBdevicefilesystemtoconnecttoUSB
devices.InLinuxsystemsthatsupportUSB,theUSBdevicefilesystemisusually
/proc/bus/usb.
IfyourhostoperatingsystemusesadifferentpathtotheUSBdevicefilesystem,run
thefollowingcommandasroottomountthefilesystemtotheexpectedlocation:
mount -t usbfs none /proc/bus/usb
DonotattempttoaddaUSBdrivesdevicenode(forexample,/dev/sda)directoryto
thevirtualmachineasaharddisk.
How Device Control Is Shared Between Host and Guest

OnlythehostortheguestcanhavecontrolofaUSBdeviceatanyonetime.Device
controloperatesdifferently,dependingonwhetherthehostisaLinuxoraWindows
computer.
Device Control on a Windows Host

Whenyouconnectadevicetoavirtualmachine,itisunpluggedfromthehostor
fromthevirtualmachinethatpreviouslyhadcontrolofthedevice.Whenyou
disconnectadevicefromavirtualmachine,itispluggedintothehost.
CAUTIONOnWindows2000andWindowsServer2003hosts,youneedtotakea
specialsteptodisconnectUSBnetworkandstoragedevicesfromthehostbefore
connectingthemtoavirtualmachine.Usetheappropriatesystemtrayiconto
disconnectthedevicefromthehost.OnWindows2000,theiconiscalledEject
Hardware,andonWindowsServer2003,itiscalledSafelyRemoveHardware.
OnWindowshosts,whenyouconnectaUSBnetworkorstoragedevicetoavirtual
machine,youmightseeamessageonyourhostthatsaysthedevicecanberemoved
safely.Thisisnormalbehavior,andyoucandismissthedialogbox.However,donot
removethedevicefromyourphysicalcomputer.
Undersomecircumstances,ifaUSBstoragedeviceisinuseonthehost(forexample,
oneormorefilesstoredonthedeviceareopenonthehost),anerrorappearsinthe
virtualmachinewhenyoutrytoconnecttothedevice.Youmustletthehostcomplete
itsoperationorcloseanyapplicationconnectedtothedeviceonthehost,andthen
connecttothedeviceinthevirtualmachineagain.
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Device Control on a Linux Host

OnLinuxhosts,guestoperatingsystemscanusedevicesthatarenotalreadyinuseby
thehost(devicesthatarenotclaimedbyahostoperatingsystemdriver).
Ifyourdeviceisinusebythehost,youcanunloadthedevicedrivermanuallyasroot
(su -)byusingthermmodcommand.Or,ifthedriverwasautomaticallyloadedby
hotplug,youcandisableitinthehotplugconfigurationfilesinthe/etc/hotplug
directory.SeeyourLinuxdistributionsdocumentationfordetailsoneditingthese
configurationfiles.
Sometimesdevicesthatrelyonautomaticconnection(asPDAsoftendo)experience
connectionproblems.Ifyouhavesuccessfullyusedautoconnectiontoconnectthe
devicetoyourvirtualmachinebutlaterexperienceproblemswiththeconnectiontothe
device,trythefollowingprocedure.
To correct autoconnection problems
1 Disconnectandreconnectthedevicebyunpluggingitphysicallyandpluggingit
backin.
2 Ifyouseeadialogboxwarningthatthedeviceisinuse,disableitinthehotplug
configurationfilesinthe/etc/hotplugdirectory.
Disconnecting USB Devices from a Virtual Machine

BeforeunpluggingaUSBdevice,besureitisinasafestate.
Followtheproceduresthatthedevicemanufacturerspecifiesforunpluggingthedevice
fromaphysicalcomputer.Thisisrequiredwhetheryouarephysicallyunpluggingit,
movingitfromhosttovirtualmachine,movingitbetweenvirtualmachines,ormoving
itfromvirtualmachinetohost.Thisisespeciallyimportantwithdatastoragedevices
(suchasaZipdrive).Ifyoumoveadatastoragedevicetoosoonaftersavingafile,and
theoperatingsystemhasnotactuallywrittenthedatatothedisk,youcanlosedata.
Configuring Sound
VMwareServerprovidesasounddevicecompatiblewiththeCreativeLabsSound
BlasterAudioPCIadapterandsupportssoundinavarietyofWindowsandLinuxguest
operatingsystems.
SoundsupportincludesPCM(pulsecodemodulation)outputandinput.Forexample,
youcanplay.wavfiles,MP3audio,andRealMediaaudio.MIDIoutputfromWindows
guestsissupportedthroughtheWindowssoftwaresynthesizer.MIDIinputisnot
supported,andnoMIDIsupportisavailableforLinuxguests.
164 VMware, Inc.

Windows2000,WindowsXP,andmostrecentLinuxdistributionsautomaticallydetect
thesounddeviceandinstallappropriatedriversforit.
WhenyouinstallVMwareToolsina64bitWindowsVistaguestoperatingsystem,a
sounddriverisinstalled.For32bitWindowsVistaguestsandWindows2003Server
guests,useWindowsUpdatetoinstalla32bitdriver.Windows95,Windows98,
Windows98SE,andWindowsNT4.0donothavedriversfortheSoundBlaster
AudioPCIadapter.Tousesoundintheseguestoperatingsystems,downloadthedriver
fromtheCreativeLabsWebsite(www.creative.com)andinstallitintheguest
operatingsystem.CreativeLabshasanumberofWebsitesservingvariousregionsof
theworld.Theadapternamevaries,dependingontheregion,butusuallyincludes
PCI 128.
Adding a Sound Adapter to a Virtual Machine

Youcanaddonlyonesoundadapterpervirtualmachine.
To add a sound adapter to the virtual machine
1 FromtheAddHardwareorNewVirtualMachinewizard,clickSoundAdapter.
2 OnthePropertiespage,selectthephysicalsoundadapteronthehostmachine,or
selectAutoDetect(thedefault)todetectthesoundadapterautomatically.
3 (Optional)Toconnectthisvirtualmachinetothesoundadapterwhenthevirtual
machineispoweredon,selectConnectatpoweron(thedefault).
4 ClickNext.
Editing a Virtual Sound Adapter

Youcaneditthesoundadaptertochangetheconnectiontypeandwhetheritis
connectedatpoweron.
To edit an existing sound adapter
2 IntheHardwaresectionoftheSummarytab,clickthesoundadaptertomodify
andselectEdit.
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3 (Optional)Toconnectthisvirtualmachinetothesoundadapterwhenthevirtual
machineispoweredon,selectConnectatpoweron.
4 Selectthephysicalsoundadapteronthehostmachine,orselectAutoDetectto
detectthesoundadapterautomatically.
Removing a Sound Adapter from a Virtual Machine

Youcanremovethesoundadapterfromavirtualmachineifyounolongerwanttouse
thehostsystemssounddevice.
To remove an existing sound adapter
3 OntheSummarytab,clickthesoundadapterandselectRemove.
Thedeviceisremoved.
Configuring Serial Ports

Youcanconfigureaserialportinavirtualmachinetouseaphysicalserialportonthe
hostsystem.Avirtualserialportenablesyoutouseanexternalmodemorahandheld
deviceinyourvirtualmachine.Youcanalsoconfigureavirtualserialporttosendits
outputtoafileonthehostsystem.Theoutputfileenablesyoutocapturethedatafrom
anapplicationrunninginthevirtualmachineortoquicklytransferafilefromtheguest
systemtothehostsystem.
Adding a Serial Port to a Virtual Machine

Thissectiondescribeshowtoconfigureavirtualserialportinavirtualmachinetouse
anyofthefollowing:
Aphysicalserialportonthehostsystem
Anoutputfileonthehostsystem
Anamedpipe
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To add a physical serial port to the virtual machine
1 FromtheAddHardwareorNewVirtualMachinewizard,clickSerialPort.
2 ClickUsePhysicalSerialPorttoconnecttoaphysicalportonthehostmachine.
3 OnthePropertiespage,selectaphysicalportfromthedropdownmenu.
4 (Optional)Toconnecttothehostsserialportwhenthevirtualmachineispowered
on,selectConnectatpoweron(thedefault).
5 (Optional)ExpandI/OModetoselectYieldCPUonpoll,whichisdeselectedby
default.
Thekernelinthetargetvirtualmachineusesthevirtualserialportinpolledmode,
notinterruptmode.Formoreinformation,seeYieldingCPUonPolltoImprove
PerformanceWhenDebuggingonpage 176.
6 ClickNext.
To add an output file serial port to the virtual machine
2 ClickUseOutputFiletosendtheoutputofanapplicationrunningintheguest
systemtoafileonthehostsystem.
3 OnthePropertiespage,enterthepathandfilenamefortheoutputfileorclick
Browsetonavigatetoafileinanexistingdatastore.Toenterthepathmanually,
youmustusetheformat:[ datastore_name ] path_and_filename
4 (Optional)Toconnecttothehostsoutputfilewhenthevirtualmachineispowered
default.
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6 ClickNext.
To add a named pipe serial port to the virtual machine

2 ClickUseNamedPipetoconnectthisvirtualmachinetoanapplicationoranother
virtualmachinerunningonthehostmachine.
3 OnthePropertiespage,enterthepathandfilenameforthepipe.Dependingonthe
hostsystem,enteroneofthefollowing:
OnWindowshosts:Thepipenamemustbeintheformat
\\.\pipe\<namedpipe>.Thenamemustbeginwith\\.\pipe\.
OnLinuxhosts:Thepipenamemustbe/tmp/<socket>oranotherUNIX
socketnameofyourchoice.
4 ForNearEnd,selectwhethertheapplicationrunningintheguestoperating
systemwillfunctionasaserveroraclient.
SelectIsaservertostartthisendoftheconnectionfirst.
SelectIsaclienttostartthefarendoftheconnectionfirst.
5 ForFarEnd,specifywheretheapplicationthatthevirtualmachinewillconnectto
islocated.
SelectIsavirtualmachineiftheapplicationthatthevirtualmachinewill
connecttoislocatedonanothervirtualmachineonthehostsystem.
SelectIsanapplicationiftheapplicationthatthevirtualmachinewillconnect
toisrunningdirectlyonthehostsystem.
6 (Optional)Toconnecttothenamedpipewhenthevirtualmachineispoweredon,
default.
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8 ClickNext.
Editing a Virtual Serial Port

Youcaneditanexistingvirtualserialporttochangeitsconfigurationsettings.
To edit an existing serial port
3 IntheHardwaresectionoftheSummarytab,clicktheserialporttomodify.
4 (Optional)Toconnecttotheserialportwhenthevirtualmachineispoweredon,
selectConnectatpoweron.
5 Selecttheconnectiontypeandconfigureitasfollows:
PhysicalSelectthehostserialportfromthedropdownmenu.
FileEnterthepathandfilenamefortheoutputfileorclickBrowseto
navigatetoafileinanexistingdatastore.Toenterthepathmanually,youmust
usetheformat:[ datastore_name ] path_and_filename
NamedPipeEnterthepathandfilenameforthepipe.
UnderNearEnd,specifywhethertheapplicationrunningintheguest
operatingsystemwillfunctionasaserveroraclient.
SelectIsaservertostartthisendoftheconnectionfirst.
SelectIsaclienttostartthefarendoftheconnectionfirst.
UnderFarEnd,specifywheretheapplicationthatthevirtualmachinewill
connecttoislocated.
SelectIsavirtualmachineiftheapplicationthatthevirtualmachinewill
connecttoislocatedonanothervirtualmachineonthehost.
SelectIsanapplicationiftheapplicationthatthevirtualmachinewill
connecttoisrunningdirectlyonthehostmachine.
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6 (Optional)SelectYieldCPUonpoll.
Removing a Serial Port from a Virtual Machine

Youcanremoveaserialportfromavirtualmachineifyounolongerwanttouseit.
To remove an existing serial port
3 IntheHardwaresectionoftheSummarytab,clicktheserialportandselect
Remove.
Thedeviceisremoved.
Serial Port General Usage Examples

AVMwareServervirtualmachinecanuseuptofourvirtualserialports.Youcan
configurevirtualserialportsinthefollowingways:
Connectavirtualserialporttoaphysicalserialportonthehostsystem
Connectavirtualserialporttoafileonthehostsystem
Connectavirtualmachinewithanapplicationrunningonthehostsystem
Connecttwovirtualmachinesonthesamehostsystem
Thissectionprovidesspecificexamplesofthelattertwoconfigurations.
Connecting a Virtual Machine with an Application on the Host System

Youcanconfigureavirtualserialporttoconnecttoanapplicationonthehostsystem.
Forexample,youcancapturedebugginginformationsentfromthevirtualmachines
serialporttoanapplicationonthehost.
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To connect a virtual serial port and an application on the host
2 ClickUseNamedPipe.
4 FortheNearEnd,selectIsaserverorIsaclient.
SelectIsaserverifyouplantostartthisendoftheconnectionfirst.
5 FortheFarEnd,selectIsanapplication.
default.
8 ClickNext.
10 Onyourhostsystem,configuretheapplicationthatcommunicateswiththevirtual
machinetousethesamepipename(foraWindowshost)ortheUNIXsocketname
(foraLinuxhost).
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Connecting Two Virtual Machines

Youcansetupthevirtualserialportsintwovirtualmachinestoconnecttoeachother.
Forexample,anapplicationinonevirtualmachine(theclient)cancapturedebugging
informationsentfromtheother(theserver)virtualmachinesserialport.
Thefollowingproceduresdescribehowtosetuptheserverandtheclienttoconnectto
eachotherusingvirtualserialports.
To set up the server side of the connection
4 SelectThisendistheserver.
5 SelectTheotherendisavirtualmachine.
default.
8 ClickNext.
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To set up the client side of the connection
4 SelectThisendistheclient.
5 SelectTheotherendisavirtualmachine.
default.
8 ClickNext.
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Serial Port Debugging Usage Examples

YoucanuseDebuggingToolsforWindows(WinDbg)orthecommandlineKernel
Debugger(KD)todebugkernelcodeinavirtualmachineoveravirtualserialport.You
candownloadDebuggingToolsforWindowsfromtheWindowsDDKWebsiteat
http://www.microsoft.com/whdc/devtools/debugging/default.mspx.
Thefollowingexamplesillustratehowtouseavirtualserialporttodebugkernelcode:
WiththedebuggingapplicationontheVMwareServerhost(Windowshostonly)
Withthedebuggingapplicationinanothervirtualmachineonthesame
VMware Serverhost(LinuxorWindows)
Eitherofthesemethodsenablesyoutodebugkernelcodeonasinglesystem,instead
ofrequiringtwophysicalcomputers,amodem,oraserialcable.
Debugging an Application in a Virtual Machine from the Windows or

Linux Host
Inthisexample,youhavekernelcodetodebuginavirtualmachine(calledthetarget
virtualmachine)andarerunningWinDbgorKDonyourWindowshost.
To prepare the target virtual machine
FollowthestepsinConnectingaVirtualMachinewithanApplicationontheHost
Systemonpage 170,andconfigurethevirtualmachinesvirtualserialportasfollows:
FortheNearEnd,selectIsaserver.
SelectYieldCPUonpoll.Thekernelinthetargetvirtualmachineusesthevirtual
serialportinpolledmode,notinterruptmode.
To prepare the host
Beforeyoubegin,makesurethatyouhaveaversionofDebuggingToolsforWindows
thatsupportsdebuggingoverapipe.Youmusthaveversion4.0.18.0orhigher.
To debug an application using WinDbg or KD
2 Edittheserialport.
3 Makesurethattheserialportisconnected.
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4 Confirmthepathandfilenameforthepipe.Dependingonthehostsystem,enter
oneofthefollowing:
5 Atthecommandpromptonthehostsystem,dooneofthefollowing:
IfyouareusingWinDbg,enterthefollowing:
windbg -k com:port=\\.\pipe\<namedpipe>,pipe
IfyouareusingKD,enterthefollowing:
kd -k com:port=\\.\pipe\<namedpipe>,pipe
6 PressEntertostartdebugging.
Debugging an Application in a Virtual Machine from Another Virtual

Machine
Inthisexample,youhavekernelcodetodebuginavirtualmachine(thetargetvirtual
machine)andarerunningDebuggingToolsforWindows(WinDbg)orKernelDebugger
(KD)inanothervirtualmachine(thedebuggervirtualmachine)onthesamehost.
ThissetupisusefulifyouarerunningVMwareServeronaLinuxhost.Thedebugger
virtualmachinemustberunningDebuggingToolsforWindows(WinDbg)orKernel
Debugger(KD)inaWindowsguestoperatingsystem.
To prepare the target virtual machine
1 FollowthestepsfortheservervirtualmachineinConnectingTwoVirtual
Machinesonpage 172.
2 Whenyouconfigurethetargetvirtualmachinesvirtualserialport,youmustselect
YieldCPUonpoll.Thekernelinthetargetvirtualmachineusesthevirtualserial
portinpolledmode,notinterruptmode.
To prepare the debugger virtual machine
1 MakesurethatyouhavedownloadedDebuggingToolsforWindows.
2 FollowthestepsfortheclientvirtualmachineinConnectingTwoVirtual
Machinesonpage 172.
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When you are ready to continue, complete the following steps:
1 Poweronbothvirtualmachines.
2 Makesurethattheserialportisconnected.
3 Inthedebuggervirtualmachine,startdebuggingwithWinDbgorKD.
Advanced Options for Debugging Applications

Certainconfigurationoptionsareavailableforserialconnectionsbetweenavirtual
machineandthehostorbetweentwovirtualmachines.Theseoptionsareprimarilyof
interesttodeveloperswhoareusingdebuggingtoolsthatcommunicateoveraserial
connection.
Yielding CPU on Poll to Improve Performance When Debugging

WhenyouselectYieldCPUonPoll,youforcetheaffectedvirtualmachinetoyield
processortimeiftheonlytaskitistryingtoperformistopollthevirtualserialport.
Thisoptionisusefulwhentheserialportisbeingusedbytheguestoperatingsystem
inpolledmodeasopposedtointerruptmode.Polledmodecausesthevirtualmachine
toconsumeadisproportionateshareofCPUtime,whichcancausethehostandother
gueststorunsluggishly.
Changing the Input Speed of the Serial Connection

Thisoptionincreasesthespeedofyourserialconnectionoverapipetothevirtual
machine.Inprinciple,thereisnolimitontheoutputspeed,whichisthespeedatwhich
thevirtualmachinesendsdatathroughthevirtualserialport.Inpractice,theoutput
speeddependsonhowfasttheapplicationattheotherendofthepipereadsdatabeing
senttoit.
To change the input speed of the serial connection
1 Usetheguestoperatingsystemtoconfiguretheserialportforthehighestsetting
supportedbytheapplicationyouarerunninginthevirtualmachine.
3 Addtheserial<n>.pipe.charTimePercentparametertoyourvirtual
machinesconfiguration(.vmx)fileasdescribedinChangingVirtualMachine
AdvancedSettingsonpage 127,andsetittoapositiveintegervalue,asfollows:
nisthenumberoftheserialport,startingfrom0.Sothefirstserialportis
serial0.
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Thevalueisapositiveintegerthatspecifiesthetimetakentotransmita
character,expressedasapercentageofthedefaultspeedsetfortheserialport
intheguestoperatingsystem.Forexample,asettingof200forcestheportto
taketwiceaslongpercharacter,orsenddataathalfthedefaultspeed.A
settingof50forcestheporttotakehalfaslongpercharacter,orsenddataat
twicethedefaultspeed.
Tosettheserialportspeedappropriatelyintheguestoperatingsystem,
experimentwiththissetting.Startwithavalueof100andgraduallydecrease
ituntilyoufindthehighestspeedatwhichyourconnectionworksreliably.
Configuring Parallel Ports

Parallelportsareusedbyavarietyofdevices,includingprinters,scanners,dongles,
anddiskdrives.
Avirtualparallelportcanconnecttoaparallelportorafileonthehostsystem.
Adding a Parallel Port to a Virtual Machine

Youcanaddavirtualparallelportthatconnectstoaphysicalparallelportoranoutput
file.
To add a physical parallel port to the virtual machine
1 FromtheAddHardwareorNewVirtualMachinewizard,clickParallelPort.
2 ClickUseaphysicalparallelporttoconnecttoaphysicalportonthehost
machine.
3 OnthePropertiespage,selectaphysicalportfromthedropdownmenu.
5 ClickNext.
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To add an output file parallel port to the virtual machine
2 FromtheAddHardwareorNewVirtualMachinewizard,clickParallelPort.
3 ClickOutputfile.
4 OnthePropertiespage,typethepathandfilenamefortheoutputfileorclick
Browsetonavigatetoafileinanexistingdatastore.Toenterthepathmanually,
youmustusetheformat:[ datastore_name ] path_and_filename
6 ClickNext.
Editing a Virtual Parallel Port

Youcaneditavirtualparallelporttochangeitsconfigurationsettings.
To edit an existing parallel port
3 IntheHardwaresectionoftheSummarytab,clicktheparallelporttomodify.
4 Toconnecttotheparallelportwhenthevirtualmachineispoweredon,select
Connectatpoweron.
5 Selecttheconnectiontypeandconfigureitasfollows:
PhysicalSelectthehostparallelportfromthedropdownmenu.
FileEnterthepathandfilenamefortheoutputfileorclickBrowseto
navigatetoafileinanexistingdatastore.Toenterthepathmanually,youmust
usetheformat:[ datastore_name ] path_and_filename
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Removing a Parallel Port from a Virtual Machine

Youcanremoveavirtualparallelportfromavirtualmachineifyounolongerwantto
useit.
To remove an existing parallel port
3 IntheHardwaresectionoftheSummarytab,clicktheparallelporttoremoveand
selectRemove.
Thedeviceisremoved.
Using Parallel Ports

Parallelportsareusedbyavarietyofdevices,includingprinters,scanners,dongles,
anddiskdrives.
Currently,VMwareServerprovidesonlypartialemulationofPS/2hardware.
Interruptsrequestedbyadeviceconnectedtothephysicalportarenotpassedtothe
virtualmachine.Also,theguestoperatingsystemcannotuseDMA(directmemory
access)tomovedatatoorfromtheport.Forthisreason,notalldevicesthatattachto
theparallelportareguaranteedtoworkcorrectly.
Youcanattachuptothreeparallelportstoavirtualmachine.Thevirtualparallelport
canconnecttoaparallelportorafileonthehostoperatingsystem.
Configuring a Parallel Port on a Windows Host

Ifavirtualmachineisconfiguredwithaparallelport,mostguestoperatingsystems
detectitatinstallationtimeandinstalltherequireddrivers.Someoperatingsystems,
includingWindowsNT,andWindows2000,automaticallydetecttheportsatboottime.
Others,likeWindows95andWindows98,donot.
InaWindows95orWindows98guest,afteryouaddtheport,runtheguestoperating
systemsAddNewHardwarewizard(Start>Settings>ControlPanel>AddNew
Hardware)soWindowscandetectthenewdevice.
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Configuring a Parallel Port on a Linux Host

Fortheparallelporttoworkproperlyinaguestoperatingsystem,itmustfirstbe
configuredproperlyonthehostsystem.Thissectiondiscussesissueswithparallelport
functionalitythatarearesultoftheincorrectconfigurationofthefollowinghost
settings:
Linuxkernelversion
Deviceaccesspermissions
Requiredmodules
Parallel Ports and Linux 2.2.x Kernels

The2.2.xkernelsthatsupportparallelportsusetheparport,parport_pc,and
vmppusermodules.MakesurethatPCStyleHardware(CONFIG_PARPORT_PC)is
loadedasamodule.OnLinuxhosts,VMwareServerrequiresthattheparallelport
PCstylehardwareoption(CONFIG_PARPORT_PC)bebuiltandloadedasakernel
module(settom).VMwareServercannotuseparallelportdevicesif
CONFIG_PARPORT_PCisbuiltdirectly(compiled)intothekernel.Thislimitation
existsbecauseCONFIG_PARPORT_PCdoesnotcorrectlyexportitssymbols.
ThevmppusermoduleissuppliedbyVMwareServertoallowvirtualmachines
userlevelaccesstotheparallelport.
To check the module configuration
1 Determinewhethertheparport,parport_pc,andvmppusermodulesare
installedandrunningonyoursystembyrunningthelsmodcommandastheroot
user.
Allthreemodulesmustbeincludedinthelistingofrunningmodules.Youcanalso
lookatthe/proc/modulesfileforthesamelist.
2 Toloadthepropermodules,runthiscommand:
insmod <modulename>
3 Ifnoneofthelistedparallelportmodulesisloaded,enterthiscommand:
insmod parport_pc
Thiscommandinsertsthethreemodulesneededforaparallelport.
Ifyoucontinuetohaveproblems,itispossiblethatthelpmoduleisrunning.Ifit
is,thevirtualmachinecannotusetheparallelportcorrectly.
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4 Ifthelpmoduleisloaded,runthefollowingcommandastherootusertoremove
it:
rmmod lp
5 Verifythatthelinereferringtothelpmoduleinthe/etc/modules.confor
/etc/conf.modulesfileisremovedorcommentedoutbyinsertingahash
character(#)atthebeginningoftheline.Thenameoftheconfigurationfile
dependsontheLinuxdistributionyouareusing.
Whenyourebootthehostafterremovingthisline,theconfigurationfilenolonger
startsthelpmodule.
6 Toensurethatthepropermodulesfortheparallelportareloadedatboottime,add
thefollowinglinetothe/etc/modules.confor/etc/conf.modulesfile:
alias parport_lowlevel parport_pc

MakesurethatPCStyleHardware(CONFIG_PARPORT_PC)isloadedasamodule
(settom).Ifyouareusinga2.4.xkernel,themodulesthatprovideparallelport
functionalityareparport,parport_pc,andppdev.
Alsomakesurethatyouenablesupportforuserspaceparalleldevicedrivers
(CONFIG_PPDEV).
To check the module configuration
1 Determinewhethertheparport,parport_pc,andppdevmodulesareinstalled
andloadedonyoursystembyrunningthelsmodcommandastherootuser.
Allthreemodulesmustbeincludedinthelistingofloadedmodules.Youcanalso
lookatthe/proc/modulesfileforthesamelist.
2 Toloadthepropermodules,runthiscommand:
insmod <modulename>
3 Ifnoneofthelistedparallelportmodulesisloaded,usethiscommand:
insmod parport_pc
Thiscommandinsertstheparport and parport_pcmodulesneededfora

parallelport.
4 Usethiscommandtoloadtheppdevmodule:
insmod ppdev
Ifyoucontinuetohaveproblems,itispossiblethatthelpmoduleisloaded.Ifit
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5 Ifthelpmoduleisloaded,runthiscommandastherootusertoremoveit:
rmmod lp
startsthelpmodule.
thislinetothe/etc/modules.confor/etc/conf.modulesfile:
Linuxkernelsinthe2.4.xseriesalsouseaspecialarbitratorthatallowsaccesstothe
parallelporthardware.Iftheparallelportisinusebythehost,theguestcannotuseit.
Ifavirtualmachineisusingtheparallelport,thehostandanyusersaccessingthehost
arenotgivenaccesstothedevice.VMwareServerputsalockonthedevice,andthis
lockrestrictsaccesssothatonlythevirtualmachinecanusetheport.

MakesurethatPCStyleHardware(CONFIG_PARPORT_PC)isloadedasamodule
(settom).Ifyouareusinga2.6.xkernel,themodulesthatprovideparallelport
functionalityare modprobe <modulename>andmodprobe parport_pc.
To check the configuration
1 Determinewhetherthemodprobe <modulename>and modprobe parport_pc

modulesareinstalledandloadedonyoursystembyrunningthelsmodcommand
astherootuser.Youcanalsolookatthe/proc/modulesfileforthesamelist.
In2.6.xkernels,loadingparport_pcdoesnotloadallmodules.
2 Ifnoneofthelistedparallelportmodulesisloaded,usethiscommand:
modprobe parport_pc && modprobe ppdev
Thiscommandinsertsthemodulesneededforaparallelport.
Ifyoucontinuetohaveproblems,itispossiblethatthelpmoduleisloaded.Ifit
3 Ifthelpmoduleisloaded,runthiscommandastherootusertoremoveit:
rmmod lp
182 VMware, Inc.

startsthelpmodule.
thislinetothe/etc/modules.confor/etc/conf.modulesfile:
Linuxkernelsinthe2.6.xseriesalsouseaspecialarbitratorthatallowsaccesstothe
parallelporthardware.Iftheparallelportisinusebythehost,theguestcannotuseit.
Ifavirtualmachineisusingtheparallelport,thehostandanyusersaccessingthehost
arenotgivenaccesstothedevice.VMwareServerputsalockonthedevice,andthis
lockrestrictsaccesssothatonlythevirtualmachinecanusetheport.
Device Permissions
SomeLinuxdistributionsdonotgrantthevirtualmachineaccesstothelpand
parportdevicesbydefault.Inmostofthesecases,theownerofthedeviceisrootand
theassociatedgroupislp.ToallowtheVMwareusertoaccessthedevice,addtheuser
totheassociatedgroup.Toviewtheownerandgroupofthedevice,runthiscommand:
ls la /dev/parport0
Thethirdandfourthcolumnsoftheoutputshowtheownerandgroup,respectively.
Toaddtheusertothedevicegroup,editthe/etc/groupfile.Onthelinebeginning
withlp,whichdefinesthelpgroup,addtheVMwareServerusersusername.You
mustmakethischangeastherootuser.Thefollowinglineprovidesanexamplefora
userwhoseusernameisuserj.
lp::7:daemon,lp,userj
Thenexttimetheuserlogsontothehost,thechangestakeeffect.
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Notes for Using the Iomega Zip Drive

OnWindows95orWindows98guestoperatingsystems,usingolderdriversforthe
IomegaZipdrivemightcausetheguesttolockupintermittentlyatboottimeorduring
installationoftheguestoperatingsystem.ThenewestIomegadriversworkreliablyin
VMwaretests.TheyareavailablefromtheIomegaWebsite.
Keyboard Mapping on Linux Hosts

Thissectionaddressesthefollowingissuesandprovidesadditionaldetailson
keyboardmappinginLinux:
Somelanguagespecifickeyboardsdonotappeartobesupportedby
VMware Server.
Someofthekeysonthekeyboarddontworkcorrectlyinthevirtualmachine.
Thekeyboardworksfinewhenyourunavirtualmachinelocally,butnotwhen
yourunthesamevirtualmachinewitharemoteXserver.
IfyourkeyboardworkscorrectlywithalocalXserver,andyouwantthesamebehavior
witharemoteXserver(whichisalsoanXFree86serverrunningonaPC),poweroffthe
virtualmachineandclosetheVMwareServerwindow.Addthefollowingsettingtothe
virtualmachineconfiguration(.vmx)fileorto~/.vmware/config:
xkeymap.usekeycodeMapIfXFree86 = "TRUE"
Makethischangeonthehostmachine,whereyourunthevirtualmachine,notonthe
machinewiththeremoteXserver.
IfyouareusinganXFree86basedserverthatVMwareServerdoesnotrecognizeasan
XFree86server,usethissettinginstead:
xkeymap.usekeycodeMap = "TRUE"
IfyouareusinganXFree86serverrunninglocally,andthekeyboarddoesnotwork
correctly,reporttheproblemtoVMwaretechnicalsupport.
184 VMware, Inc.

X Key Codes Compared to Keysyms

PressingakeyonthePCkeyboardgeneratesascancodebasedroughlyontheposition
ofthekey.Forexample,theZkeyonaGermankeyboardgeneratesthesamecodeas
theYkeyonanEnglishkeyboard,becausetheyareinthesamepositiononthe
keyboard.Mostkeyshaveonebytescancodes,butsomekeyshavetwobytescan
codeswithprefix0xe0.
Internally,VMwareServerusesasimplifiedversionofthePCscancodethatisasingle
ninebitnumericvalue,calledavscancode.Avscancodeiswrittenasathreedigit
hexadecimalnumber.Thefirstdigitis0or1.Forexample,thelefthandCtrlkeyhasa
onebytescancode(0x1d);itsvscancodeis0x01d.TherighthandCtrlkeyscancode
istwobytes(0xe0,0x1d);itsvscancodeis0x11d.
AnXserverusesatwolevelencodingofkeys.AnXkeycodeisaonebytevalue.The
assignmentofkeycodestokeysdependsontheXserverimplementationandthe
physicalkeyboard.Asaresult,anXapplicationcannotusekeycodesdirectly.Instead,
thekeycodesaremappedintokeysymsthathavenameslikespace,escape,x,and2.
ThemappingcanbecontrolledbyanXapplicationusingthe
XChangeKeyboardMapping functionorthexmodmapprogram.Youcanusexevtoview
thekeycodesandkeysymsforkeystypedintoitswindow.
Akeycodecorrespondsroughlytoaphysicalkey,whileakeysymcorrespondstothe
symbolonthekeytop.Forexample,withanXFree86serverrunningonaPC,theZkey
ontheGermankeyboardhasthesamekeycodeastheYkeyonanEnglishkeyboard.
TheGermanZkeysym,however,isthesameastheEnglishZkeysym,anddifferent
fromtheEnglishYkeysym.
ForanXFree86serveronaPC,thereisaonetoonemappingfromXkeycodestoPC
scancodes(orvscancodes,whichiswhatVMwareServerreallyuses).VMwareServer
takesadvantageofthisfact.WhenitisusinganXFree86serveronthelocalhost,ituses
thebuiltinmappingfromXkeycodestovscancodes.Thismappingiskeyboard
independentandiscorrectformost,ifnotall,languages.Whenyouarenotusingan
XFree86serveroralocalserver,VMwareServermustmapkeysymstovscancodesby
usingasetofkeyboardspecifictables.
VMware, Inc. 185

Configuring How Key Codes Are Mapped

Keycodemappingissimple,automatic,andfoolproof.(Keysymmappingismore
complexandisdescribedlater.)However,becausetheprogramcannottellwhethera
remoteserverisrunningonaPCoronsomeotherkindofcomputer,ituseskeycode
mappingonlywithlocalXservers.Thisapproachmighthaveundesirableeffects.This
andotherbehaviorrelatedtokeycodemappingcanbecontrolledbypoweringoffthe
virtualmachine,closingtheVMwareServerwindow,andusingatexteditortoadd
configurationsettingstothevirtualmachinesconfiguration(.vmx)file.Youmight
wanttousesomeofthefollowingconfigurationsettings:
xkeymap.usekeycodeMapIfXFree86 = "TRUE"
UsekeycodemappingifyouareusinganXFree86server,evenifitisremote.
xkeymap.usekeycodeMap = "TRUE"
Alwaysusekeycodemappingregardlessofservertype.
xkeymap.nokeycodeMap = "TRUE"
Neverusekeycodemapping.
xkeymap.keycode.<code> = "<v-scan code>"
Ifyouareusingkeycodemapping,mapkeycode<code>to<v-scan code>.In
thisexample,<code>mustbeadecimalnumberand<v-scan code>isaCsyntax
hexadecimalnumber(forexample,0x001).
TheeasiestwaytofindtheXkeycodeforakeyistorunxevorxmodmap -pk.Mostof
thevscancodesarecoveredinVScanCodeTableonpage 188.Thekeysym
mappingtablesdescribedinthissectionarealsohelpful.
Usethisfeaturetomakesmallmodificationstothemapping.Forexample,toswapleft
CtrlandCapsLock,usethefollowingsettings:
xkeymap.keycode.64 = "0x01d # X Caps_Lock -> VM left ctrl"
xkeymap.keycode.37 = "0x03a # X Control_L -> VM caps lock"
TheseconfigurationlinescanbeaddedtoyourpersonalVMwareServerconfiguration
(~/.vmware/config),oreventothehostwide(/etc/vmware/config)or
installationwide(usually/usr/lib/vmware/config)configuration.
186 VMware, Inc.

Configuring How Keysyms Are Mapped

Whenkeycodemappingcannotbeused(orisdisabled),VMwareServermaps
keysymstovscancodes.Itdoesthisusingoneofthetablesinthexkeymapdirectory
intheVMwareServerinstallation(usually/usr//lib/vmware).
Whichtableyouusedependsonthekeyboardlayout.Thenormaldistributionincludes
tablesforPCkeyboardsfortheUnitedStatesandanumberofEuropeancountriesand
languages.Andformostofthese,thereareboththe101key(or102key)andthe
104key(or105key)variants.
VMwareServerautomaticallydetermineswhichtabletousebyexaminingthecurrent
Xkeymap.However,itsmappingmightnotbecorrect.Inaddition,eachmappingis
fixedandmightnotbecompletelycorrectforagivenkeyboardandXkey
codetokeysymmapping.Forexample,ausermighthaveswappedCtrlandCaps
Lockusingxmodmap.Thismeansthekeysareswappedinthevirtualmachinewhen
usingaremoteserver(keysymmapping),butarenotswappedwhenusingalocal
server(keycodemapping).
Therefore,keysymmappingisnecessarilyinexact.Tomakeupforthis,youcancontrol
mostofthebehaviorusingconfigurationsettings:
xkeymap.language = "<keyboard-type>"
UsethissettingifVMwareServerhasatableinxkeymapforyourkeyboardbut
cannotdetectit.<keyboard-type>mustbeoneofthetablesinthexkeymap
directory.(Seeaboveforlocation.)However,thefailuretodetectthekeyboard
probablymeansthatthetableisnotcompletelycorrectforyou.
xkeymap.keysym.<sym> = "<v-scan code>"
Ifyouusekeysymmapping,mapkeysym<sym>to<v-scan code>.Whenyoudo,
<sym>mustbeanXkeysymnameand<v-scan code>isaCsyntaxhexadecimal
number(forexample,0x001).
Theeasiestwaytofindthekeysymnameforakeyistorunxevorxmodmap -pk.
TheXheaderfile/usr/include/X11/keysymdef.hhasacompletelistof
keysyms.(ThenameofakeysymisthesameasitsCconstantwithouttheXK_
prefix.)MostvscancodesareinVScanCodeTableonpage 188.
Thexkeymaptablesthemselvesarealsohelpful.Usethemtofixsmallerrorsinan
existingmapping.
VMware, Inc. 187

xkeymap.fileName = "<file-path>"
Usethekeysymmappingtablein<file-path>.Atableisasequenceof
configurationlinesusingthefollowingformat:
<sym> = "<v-scan code>"
where<sym>isanXkeysymname,and<v-scan code>isaCsyntaxhexadecimal
number(forexample,0x001).(Seetheexplanationofxkeymap.keysymabovefor
tipsonfindingthekeysymsandvscancodesforyourkeyboard.)
Compilingacompletekeysymmappingisdifficult.Itisbesttostartwithan
existingtableandmakesmallchanges.
V-Scan Code Table

Table 81showsthevscancodesforthe104keyU.S.keyboard.
Table 8-1. V-Scan Codes for the 104-Key U.S. Keyboard

Symbol Shifted Symbol Location V-Scan Code
Esc 0x001
1 ! 0x002
2 @ 0x003
3 # 0x004
4 $ 0x005
5 % 0x006
6 ^ 0x007
7 & 0x008
8 * 0x009
9 ( 0x00a
0 ) 0x00b
_ 0x00c
= + 0x00d
Backspace 0x00e
Tab 0x00f
Q 0x010
W 0x011
E 0x012
188 VMware, Inc.

Table 8-1. V-Scan Codes for the 104-Key U.S. Keyboard (Continued)
R 0x013
T 0x014
Y 0x015
U 0x016
I 0x017
O 0x018
P 0x019
[ { 0x01a
] } 0x01b
Enter 0x01c
Ctrl left 0x01d
A 0x01e
S 0x01f
D 0x020
F 0x021
G 0x022
H 0x023
J 0x024
K 0x025
L 0x026
; 0x027
0x028
` 0x029
Shift left 0x02a
\ | 0x02b
Z 0x02c
X 0x02d
C 0x02e
V 0x02f
VMware, Inc. 189

B 0x030
N 0x031
M 0x032
, < 0x033
. > 0x034
/ ? 0x035
Shift right 0x036

* numericpad 0x037
Alt left 0x038
Spacebar 0x039
CapsLock 0x03a
F1 0x03b
F2 0x03c
F3 0x03d
F4 0x03e
F5 0x03f
F6 0x040
F7 0x041
F8 0x042
F9 0x043
F10 0x044
NumLock numericpad 0x045
ScrollLock 0x046
Home 7 numericpad 0x047
Uparrow 8 numericpad 0x048
PgUp 9 numericpad 0x049

numericpad 0x04a
Leftarrow 4 numericpad 0x04b
5 numericpad 0x04c
190 VMware, Inc.

Rightarrow 6 numericpad 0x04d

+ numericpad 0x04e
End 1 numericpad 0x04f
Downarrow 2 numericpad 0x050

PgDn 3 numericpad 0x051
Ins 0 numericpad 0x052
Del numericpad 0x053

F11 0x057
F12 0x058
Break Pause 0x100
Enter numericpad 0x11c
Ctrl right 0x11d
/ numericpad 0x135
SysRq PrintScrn 0x137

Alt right 0x138
Home functionpad 0x147
Uparrow functionpad 0x148

PageUp functionpad 0x149
Leftarrow functionpad 0x14b
Rightarrow functionpad 0x14d

End functionpad 0x14f
Downarrow functionpad 0x150
PageDown functionpad 0x151
Insert functionpad 0x152
Delete functionpad 0x153
Windows left 0x15b

Windows right 0x15c
Menu 0x15d
VMware, Inc. 191

The84keykeyboardhasaSysReqkeyonthenumericpad.Itsvscancodeis0x054.
KeyboardsoutsidetheU.S.usuallyhaveanextrakey(often<>or<>|)nexttotheleft
shiftkey.Thevscancodeforthiskeyis0x056.
192 VMware, Inc.

9
Preserving the State of a

Virtual Machine 9
Suspendingavirtualmachineallowsyoutosavethecurrentstatesothatyoucan
continueworklaterfromthesamestate.Takingasnapshotallowsyoutopreservethe
stateofavirtualmachinesothatyoucanreturntothesamestaterepeatedly.Toperform
suspendorsnapshotoperations,youmusthavetherequiredpermissions.
SuspendingandResumingVirtualMachinesonpage 193
UsingSnapshotsonpage 195
Suspending and Resuming Virtual Machines

Thesuspendoperationsavesthecurrentstateofthevirtualmachine.Whenyouresume
asuspendedvirtualmachine,anyapplicationsthatwererunningwhenyoususpended
thevirtualmachineareresumedintheirrunningstate,andtheapplicationdataisthe
sameaswhenyoususpendedthevirtualmachine.
Thespeedofthesuspendandresumeoperationsdependsonhowmuchdatahas
changedduringthetimethatthevirtualmachinewasrunning.Thefirstsuspend
operationtypicallytakeslongerthanlatersuspendoperations.
Whenyouresumeanddoadditionalworkinthevirtualmachine,youcannotreturnto
thestatethatthevirtualmachinewasinatthetimeitwassuspended.Topreservethe
stateofthevirtualmachinesothatyoucanreturntothesamestaterepeatedly,takea
snapshot,asdescribedinUsingSnapshotsonpage 195.
VMware, Inc. 193

Configuring Hard Suspend or Soft Suspend

YoucanconfigureVMwareServertorunaVMwareToolsscriptintheguestoperating
systembeforesuspendingthevirtualmachine.Thisconfigurationiscalledasoft
suspend.
Beforeyoubegin,makesurethatVMwareToolsisinstalledintheguestoperating
system.SeeChapter 5,InstallingandUsingVMwareTools,onpage 73.
OnWindowsguests,whenyoudoasoftsuspend,ascriptreleasestheIPaddressifthe
guestoperatingsystemisusingDHCP.OnLinux,FreeBSD,andSolarisguests,the
scriptstopsnetworkingforthevirtualmachine.WhenyouresumeaWindowsguest,a
scriptgetsanewIPaddressfromDHCP.OnLinux,FreeBSD,andSolarisguests,
networkingrestarts.
To configure hard suspend or soft suspend
VM.
2 ClickthePowertab.
3 InthePowerControlssection,specifyahardsuspend(Suspend),softsuspend
(SuspendGuest),ordefault(SystemDefault)operation.
WhenVMwareToolsisnotinstalled,theSystemDefaultactionistosuspendthe
virtualmachinewithoutsuspendingtheguest.WhenVMwareToolsisinstalled,
theSystemDefaultactionistosuspendtheguestbeforesuspendingthevirtual
machine.
4 IntheVMwareToolsScriptssection,selectoneormorecheckboxestoruna
VMwareToolsscriptbeforesuspendingorafterresumingtheguest.SeeScripts
Tabonpage 94.
5 ClickOK.
Forinformationonadditionalhardandsoftpoweroperationsandotherpowercontrol
settings,seeChangingVirtualMachinePowerSettingsonpage 125.
194 VMware, Inc.

Chapter 9 Preserving the State of a Virtual Machine
Suspending or Resuming a Virtual Machine

Thesuspendandresumeoperationsallowyousavethecurrentstateofyourvirtual
machineandcontinueworklaterfromthesamestate.
Beforesuspendingavirtualmachine,configurethehardsuspendorsoftsuspend
settings.SeeConfiguringHardSuspendorSoftSuspendonpage 194.
To suspend a virtual machine
1 SelectthevirtualmachinethatispoweredonintheInventorypanel.
2 ClicktheSuspendbuttononthetoolbar.
Whenyoususpendavirtualmachine,afilewitha.vmssextensioniscreatedin
theworkingdirectory.Thisfilecontainstheentirestateofthevirtualmachine.See
FilesThatMakeUpaVirtualMachineonpage 323.
To resume a virtual machine that is suspended
1 SelectthesuspendedvirtualmachineintheInventorypanel.
2 ClickthePlaybuttononthetoolbar.
Whenyouresumethevirtualmachine,itsstateisrestoredfromthe.vmssfile.
Using Snapshots
Snapshotsallowyoutopreservethestateofthevirtualmachinesoyoucanreturnto
thesamestaterepeatedly.Forexample,youmightusesnapshotstotestsoftware.You
cantakeasnapshotbeforeinstallingdifferentversionsofanapplicationtoensurethat
eachtestinstallationbeginsfromtheidenticalbaseline.
Tosavethecurrentstateofyourvirtualmachinetemporarily,seeSuspendingand
ResumingVirtualMachinesonpage 193.
What to Use Snapshots For

Thetopicsinthissectiondescribestrategiesforusingsnapshots.
Using Snapshots as Protection from Risky Changes

Ifyouplantomakeriskychangesinavirtualmachine(forexample,testingnew
softwareorexaminingavirus),takeasnapshotbeforeyoubegin.Ifyouencountera
problem,youcanrestorethevirtualmachinetothestatepreservedinthatsnapshot.
Snapshotscanminimizelostworkifsomethinggoeswrong.Ifyourriskyactionscause
noproblems,youcantakeanewsnapshotofthevirtualmachineinitsnewstate.
VMware, Inc. 195

Starting a Virtual Machine Repeatedly in the Same State

Youcanconfigureavirtualmachinetoreverttoasnapshotanytimeitispoweredoff,
asdescribedinSettingSnapshotPowerOffOptionsonpage 127.Forexample,you
mightusethisfeaturewhensettingupstudentvirtualmachinessothatyoucanstart
eachnewclassatthebeginningofthelesson,discardingthepreviousstudentswork.
What Is Captured by a Snapshot

Asnapshotcapturestheentirestateofthevirtualmachineatthetimeyoutakethe
snapshot.Thisincludes:
MemorystateContentsofthevirtualmachinesmemory.
ConfigurationstateVirtualmachinesettings.
DiskstateStateofthevirtualmachinesvirtualdisks.
NOTEThestateoftheindependentdisksisnotpreservedwhenyoutakea
snapshot.SeeExcludingVirtualDisksfromSnapshotsonpage 198.
Whenyoureverttoasnapshot,youreturnthevirtualmachinesmemory,settings,and
diskstothestatetheywereinwhenyoutookthesnapshot.Ifyouwantthevirtual
machinetobesuspended,poweredon,orpoweredoffwhenyoulaunchit,besureitis
inthestateyouwantwhenyoutakethesnapshot.
Activities That Conflict with Snapshots

Whenyoutakeasnapshot,beawareofotheractivitygoingoninthevirtualmachine
andthelikelyimpactofrevertingtothatsnapshot.Ingeneral,itisbesttotakea
snapshotwhennoapplicationsinthevirtualmachinearecommunicatingwithother
computers.Thepotentialforproblemsisgreatestifthevirtualmachineis
communicatingwithanothercomputer,especiallyinaproductionenvironment.
Consideracaseinwhichyoutakeasnapshotwhilethevirtualmachineisdownloading
afilefromaserveronthenetwork.Afteryoutakethesnapshot,thevirtualmachine
continuesdownloadingthefile,communicatingitsprogresstotheserver.Ifyourevert
tothesnapshot,communicationsbetweenthevirtualmachineandtheserverarelost
andthefiletransferfails.
Orconsideracaseinwhichyoutakeasnapshotwhileanapplicationinthevirtual
machineissendingatransactiontoadatabaseonaseparatemachine.Ifyourevertto
thatsnapshotafterthetransactionstartsbutbeforeithasbeencommitted,thedatabase
couldbeinconsistent.
196 VMware, Inc.

Enabling and Disabling Background Snapshots for All Virtual

Machines
Takingasnapshotisnotinstantaneous.Youcaneditahostwidesettingtotake
snapshotsasabackgroundactivity.Thisallowsyoutocontinueworkingwhile
VMwareServerpreservesthestateofthevirtualmachine.However,enabling
backgroundsnapshotsforahostwithslowharddiskscanadverselyaffect
performance.Ifyouexperiencesignificantperformanceproblemswhentakingor
restoringsnapshots,disablebackgroundsnapshots.
Theproceduretoconfigurethehostwidesettingtoenableanddisablebackground
snapshotsisdescribedinEnablingandDisablingBackgroundSnapshotson
page 115.
Snapshots and a Virtual Machines Hard Disks

Whenthevirtualmachinewritesnewdatatodiskafterasnapshotiscreated,thatdata
iswrittentoredologfiles.Thesefilescangrowquitelargeasnewlysaveddata
continuestoaccumulateinthem,untilyoutakeanactionthataffectsthesnapshot.Be
awareofhowmuchdiskspacethesefilesconsume.
RemoveasnapshotWhenyouremovethesnapshot,thechangesaccumulated
intheredologfilesarewrittenpermanentlytothebasevirtualdiskfiles.
ReverttoasnapshotWhenyoureverttothesnapshot,thecontentsoftheredo
logfilesarediscarded.
TakeasnapshotIfyoutakeasnapshotwhenthevirtualmachinealreadyhasa
snapshot,thechangesaccumulatedintheredologfilesarewrittenpermanentlyto
thebasevirtualdiskfiles.Anysubsequentchangesaccumulateinnewredologs.
Redologfilesandvirtualdiskfileshavea.vmdkextensionandarestoredinthevirtual
machinesworkingdirectory.Formoreinformationaboutthefilesthatmakeupa
virtualmachine,includingsnapshotfiles,seeAppendix B,FilesThatMakeUpa
VirtualMachine,onpage 323.
VMware, Inc. 197

Excluding Virtual Disks from Snapshots

Incertainvirtualmachineconfigurations,youmightwanttorevertsomediskstoa
snapshotwhileotherdisksretainallchanges.Forexample,youmightwantasnapshot
topreserveadiskwithyouroperatingsystemandapplications,whilealwayskeeping
thechangestoadiskwithyourdocumentsanddata.
Whenyouaddanewvirtualdisk,settheDiskModetoIndependentModeifyoudo
notwantittobeaffectedbysnapshots,asdescribedinAddingaHardDisktoaVirtual
Machineonpage 144.
Youcanexcludeexistingvirtualdisksfromasnapshotbychangingthediskmode.If
youhaveasnapshot,youmustremoveitbeforeyoucanchangethediskmode.See
EditingaVirtualHardDiskonpage 145.
Taking a Snapshot
Youcantakeasnapshotwhileavirtualmachineispoweredon,poweredoff,or
suspended.Ifyouaresuspendingavirtualmachine,waituntilthesuspendoperation
hasfinishedbeforetakingasnapshot.AsdescribedinActivitiesThatConflictwith
Snapshotsonpage 196,donottakeasnapshotwhenthevirtualmachineis
communicatingwithanothercomputer.
NOTEIfyouruseofvirtualmachinesisstronglyperformanceoriented,consider
defragmentingtheguestoperatingsystemsdrivesbeforetakingasnapshot.Usethe
guestoperatingsystemsdefragmentationutility.SeeVirtualDiskMaintenanceTasks
onpage 147.
To take a snapshot
1 IntheCommandssectionofthevirtualmachinesSummarytab,expandthe
Snapshotcommand(ifnotalreadyexpanded)andclickTakeSnapshot.
2 Ifasnapshotalreadyexists,adialogboxasksyouifyouwanttooverwritethe
existingsnapshot.Ifyouwanttooverwriteit,clickYes.
Anewsnapshotiscreated.
198 VMware, Inc.

Reverting to a Snapshot
Youcanrestorethevirtualmachinetothepointintimethatasnapshotwastaken.The
currentdisk,settings,andmemorystatesarediscarded,andthevirtualmachinereverts
tothedisk,settings,andmemorystatesofthesnapshot.SeeWhatIsCapturedbya
Snapshotonpage 196.
To revert to a snapshot
Snapshotcommand(ifnotalreadyexpanded)andclickReverttoSnapshot.
2 Adialogboxasksyoutoconfirmthatyouwanttoreverttothesnapshot.Ifyou
wanttoreverttothesnapshot,clickYes.
Youcanalsoconfigureavirtualmachinetoautomaticallyreverttothesnapshot,orto
askyouwhetheryouwanttoreverttothesnapshot,wheneveryoupoweroffthevirtual
machine.SeeSettingSnapshotPowerOffOptionsonpage 127.
Removing a Snapshot
Removingthesnapshotwritesthecontentsofthesnapshottothevirtualdisk.This
actiondoesnotdestroyanydatainthevirtualmachine.Movingforward,anychanges
youmakeasyourunthevirtualmachinearewrittentothevirtualdisk.Youcannot
reverttoapreviousstatebecausethesnapshotnolongerexists.
Removingasnapshotwhenthevirtualmachineispoweredoffcantakealongtime,
dependingonthesizeofthesnapshotfile.
To remove the snapshot

Snapshotcommand(ifnotalreadyexpanded)andclickRemoveSnapshot.
3 Adialogboxasksyoutoconfirmthatyouwanttoremovethesnapshot.Ifyou
Thesnapshotisremoved.
Locking a Snapshot
Lockingthecurrentsnapshotpreventsitfrombeingoverwritten.Youcanlocka
snapshotafterithasbeentaken.SeeLockingtheSnapshotonpage 126.
VMware, Inc. 199

200 VMware, Inc.

10
Managing Roles and

Permissions 10
ThischapterdescribeshowtomanageaccesstoVMwareServerusingrolesand
permissions.VMwareServerauthenticatesusersbasedontheloginusernameand
passwordcombination.RolesassignedtousersonVMwareServerobjectsdetermine
whatactionsuserscanperformonthoseobjects.
AccessElementsonpage 201
ManagingUsersonpage 203
ManagingGroupsonpage 203
ManagingRolesonpage 203
ManagingPermissionsonpage 206
RulesforPermissionPropagationonpage 208
Access Elements
AccesstoVMwareServerobjectsandactionsisdeterminedbasedonthefollowing:
LogininformationUsernameandpassword.
Usersarecreatedandmanagedusingthemechanismsprovidedbythehost
operatingsystem.
VMware, Inc. 201

GroupMembershipAgroupiscollectionofusers.Ausercanbeamemberof
oneormoregroups.
Groupsprovideaconvenientwaytomanageacollectionofusers.Groupsare
createdandmanagedusingthemechanismsprovidedbythehostoperating
system.
PrivilegesAprivilegeisarighttoperformanindividualactiononanobjector
categoryofobjects.
Forexample,theabilitytopoweronavirtualmachineisaprivilege,inthecategory
ofinteractionswiththevirtualmachineobject.Thisprivilegeistypicallygrouped
inarolewithotherpoweroperationsonvirtualmachines.Foracompletelistof
availableprivileges,organizedforconveniencebycategory,seeAppendix A,
DefinedPrivileges,onpage 299.Privilegescannotbemodified.
RolesAroleisanamedcollectionofprivileges.Rolescanbeassignedtousers
andgroupsonanobjectorcategoryofobjects.
Rolescontroluserandgroupaccesstoobjects.VMware Serverprovidessystem
roles,listedinTable 101,SystemRoles,onpage 204.Youcanalsocreateand
manageuserdefinedroles.
PermissionsApermissionisarulethatdeterminesaccesscontrol.Itspecifies
whichrole(collectionofprivileges)isassignedtoauserorgrouponanobjector
categoryofobjects.
Theroleandauserorgroupnamemakeapair.Thispairisassignedtoan
inventoryobject.Youcanchoosewhetherornotthepermissionispropagatedto
thechildobjectsintheinventoryhierarchy.
Figure 10-1. Permission
user group
role
inventory object
202 VMware, Inc.

Chapter 10 Managing Roles and Permissions
Managing Users
AuserisanindividualauthorizedtologintoVMwareServer.Userscanaccess
VMwareServerusingVIWebAccess,thevmruncommand,theVIXAPI,ora
thirdpartyclient.
Tocreate,remove,ormodifyusersonaVMwareServersystem,usethemechanisms
providedbythehostoperatingsystem.UsersremovedfromaVMwareServerhostlose
accesstoallVMwareServerobjectsandarenotabletologonagain.Usersthatare
loggedinwhentheyareremovedfromthehostretaintheirVMwareServer
permissionsonlyuntilthenextvalidationperiod(thedefaultisevery24hours).
VIWebAccessdisplaysalistofexistingusersthatyoucanselectfromwhenyou
configurepermissions.
Managing Groups
Agroupisacollectionofusersthatyouwanttomanagethroughacommonsetofrules.
Youcanefficientlymanageusersthatrequirethesameprivilegesbycreatinggroups.
Usinggroupscansignificantlyreducethetimeittakestoconfigureyourpermissions
model.
Tocreate,remove,ormodifygroupsonaVMwareServersystem,usethemechanisms
providedbythehostoperatingsystem.Groupmembershipischeckedeachtimeauser
logsin.ThegroupsareretrievedeitherfromtheWindowsdomain(forVMwareServer
runningonWindows)orfromtheLinuxoperatingsystemgrouplist(forVMware
ServerrunningonLinux).Removingagroupdoesnotaffectthepermissionsgranted
individuallytotheusersinthatgroup,orthosegrantedaspartofinclusioninanother
group.
Whenyouassignaroletoagroup,itappliestoalltheusersinthegroup.VI WebAccess
displaysalistofexistinggroupsthatyoucanselectfromwhenyouconfigure
permissions.
Managing Roles
Aroleisanamedcollectionofprivileges.VMwareServergrantsaccesstoobjectsonly
tousersthathaveprivilegesfortheobject.Bypairingauserorgroupwitharole,you
granttheuserorgroupaccessrightstotheobject.
VMwareServerprovidesbuiltinsystemroles.Theprivilegesassociatedwithsystem
rolescannotbechanged.
VMware, Inc. 203

Table 101liststhepredefinedsystemroles.
Table 10-1. System Roles

Role Description of User Capabilities
NoAccessUser Cannotvieworchangetheassociatedobject.
Tabsassociatedwiththeobjectdisplaywithoutcontent.
Thisisthedefaultroleforallusers,exceptforusersinthe
Administratorsgroup.
ReadOnlyUser Canviewtheobjectstateanddetailsabouttheobject.
Canviewalltabs,exceptfortheConsoletab.
Cannotperformanyactionsthroughthemenusandtoolbars.
Administrator Grantedallprivilegesforallobjects.
Canadd,remove,andsetaccessrightsandprivilegesforallobjectsin
theVMwareServerenvironment.
ThisisthedefaultroleforallmembersoftheAdministratorsgroup.
Youcancreateuserdefinedroleswithprivilegesetsthatmatchyouruserneeds.These
rolescanbemodified,renamed,orremoved.Allchangestakeeffectimmediately.Users
donotneedtologoutandloginforchangestorolestotakeeffect.
Creating Roles
Youcancreateuserdefinedrolesifyouhavesituationsthatrequireacombinationof
accessprivilegesotherthanthosedefinedinthesystemroles.
Youcanalsomodifyexistinguserdefinedrolestosuityourneeds.SeeEditingand
RenamingRolesonpage 205.
To create a role
1 FromtheVIWebAccessmenubar,selectAdministration>ManageRoles.
2 Enteranamefortherole.
Thereisnowaytoenteradescriptionfortherole.Adescriptionfortheroleis
automaticallycreated,butitisidenticaltotherolename.Enteradescriptivename
foreachroletohelpidentifyit.
3 InthePrivilegestree,selecttheprivilegestoincludeintherole.Expandthetreeas
necessarytoviewtheprivilegesineachcategory.
4 ClickOK.
Theroleiscreated.
204 VMware, Inc.

Editing and Renaming Roles

Whenyoueditauserdefinedrole,youcanchangeanyoralloftheprivilegesselected
forthatrole.Whencompleted,thesemodifiedprivilegesareimmediatelyappliedto
anyuserorgroupassignedtherole.Youcanalsorenameanexistingrole.
Systemrolescannotbeeditedorrenamed.
To edit a role
2 IntheRoleslist,selecttheroleyouwanttomodify.
3 ClickModify.
4 Ifyouwanttorenametherole,enterthenewrolenameintheNametextbox.
Thereisnowaytoenteradescriptionfortherole,sothedescriptionintheRoles
listischangedtomatchthenewrolename.Enteradescriptivenameforeachrole
tohelpidentifyit.
5 Ifyouwanttochangetheprivilegesincludedintherole,selectordeselectthe
appropriateprivilegesinthePrivilegestree.Expandthetreeasnecessarytoview
theprivilegesineachcategory.
6 ClickOK.
Thechangestotherolearesaved.
Removing Roles
Whenyouremoveauserdefinedrole,thedefinitionisremovedfromthelistofroles.
Whenyouremovearolethatisassignedtousersorgroups,youcanremoveallrole
assignmentsorreplacethemwithanassignmenttoanotherrole.
CAUTIONMakesurethatyouunderstandhowuserswillbeaffectedbeforeremoving
roleassignmentsorreplacingthem.
Systemrolescannotberemoved.
To remove an existing role
2 IntheRoleslist,selecttheroleyouwanttoremove.
3 ClickRemove.
VMware, Inc. 205

4 Toconfirmthatyouwanttodeletetheselectedrole,clickOK.
5 Iftheroleisassignedtooneormoreusersorgroups,awarningdialogbox
appears,andyoumustselectoneoffollowingtheoptions:
RemoveroleRemovestheroleandallassociatedpermissions.Usersand
groupsthathavenootherpermissionsassignednolongerhaveanyprivileges.
ConvertroleReassignsanyassociatedpermissionstotheroleyouselect
fromthedropdownmenu.
6 ClickOK.
Theroleisremovedfromthelistandisnolongeravailabletoassigntousersor
groups.
Managing Permissions
InVMwareServer,apermissionconsistsofauserorgroupsassignedrolefora
VMwareServerobject,suchasavirtualmachine.
Anewpermissioniscreatedbypairingauserorgroupandaroleandassigningthis
pairtoaninventoryobject.Permissionsgrantuserstherighttoperformactionsonan
objectorcategoryofobjects.Forexample,toconfigurememoryforVMware Server,
youmusthavehostconfigurationpermissions.
Allchangestakeeffectimmediately.Youdonotneedtologoutandloginforchanges
topermissionstotakeeffect.
NOTEBydefault,allusersthataremembersoftheAdministratorsgroupona
Windowshostaregrantedthesameaccessrightsasanyuserassignedtothe
Administratorrole.MembersoftheAdministratorsgroupcanloginasindividual
usersandhavefullaccess.
Creating Permissions
YoucanassignsystemoruserdefinedrolestousersorgroupsonVMwareServer
inventoryobjects.
To create a permission
1 LogintoVIWebAccessasauserwithAdministratorprivileges.
2 SelectahostorvirtualmachinefromtheInventorypanel,andclickthe
Permissionstab.
3 IntheCommandssection,clickNewPermission.
206 VMware, Inc.

4 Selecttheuserorgrouptowhichyouwanttoassignaroleonthisobject.
Whenyouhavealargenumberofusersandgroups,onlysomeofthemare
displayed.Tofindasubsetofusersorgroups,enterasearchvalueintheQuick
Findtextbox.
5 Selecttheroleyouwanttoassignfromthedropdownlist.
Whenyouselectarole,theprivilegesgrantedwiththeroleareselectedinthe
Privilegetreeforyourreference.
6 (Optional)Ifyouwanttoapplythepermissiontoallchildobjectsoftheselected
inventoryobject,selectGrantthissetofpermissionstochildobjects.
7 ClickOK.
Thepermissionisaddedtothelistofpermissionsfortheobject.Thelistof
permissionsincludesallusersandgroupsthathaverolesassignedtotheobject,
andindicatesthelevelatwhichthepermissionisdefined.
Editing Permissions
Whenyoueditapermission,youcanchangetheroletopairwiththeuserorgroupand
whetherthepermissionispropagatedtochildobjects.
To edit the permission role for a user or group
1 ClickthehostsorvirtualmachinesPermissionstab.
2 InthePermissionslist,selectthepermissionyouwanttomodify.
3 IntheCommandssection,clickEditPermission.
4 Selecttheuserorgrouptowhichyouwanttoassignaroleonthisobject.
5 Selectaroletoassignfromthedropdownlist.
Whenyouselectarole,theprivilegesgrantedwiththeroleareselectedinthe
Privilegetreeforyourreference.
6 (Optional)Ifyouwanttoapplythepermissiontoallchildobjectsoftheselected
inventoryobject,selectGrantthissetofpermissionstochildobjects.
7 ClickOK.
Thechangestothepermissionaresaved.
VMware, Inc. 207

Removing Permissions
Removingapermissionforauserorgroupdoesnotremovetheuserorgroup.Itdoes
notremovetheroleeither.Itremovesthepairingoftheroleandtheuserorgroupfrom
theselectedinventoryobject.
To remove a permission for a user or group
1 ClickthehostsorvirtualmachinesPermissionstab.
2 InthePermissionslist,selectthepermissionyouwanttoremove.
3 IntheCommandssection,clickRemovePermission.
4 ClickOKtoconfirmthatyouwanttoremovethepermission.
Thepermissionisremoved.
Rules for Permission Propagation

Thissectiondescribespermissionprecedencewhenauserinheritspermissions
throughtheobjecthierarchyorgroupmembership.
Multiplepermissionscanbedefinedonanobject,andpermissionscanbeinherited
fromparentobjects.Permissionsdefinedonachildobjectalwaysoverridethose
definedonaparentobject.InVMwareServer,thehostistheparentobjectfor
individualvirtualmachines.
Whenmultiplepermissionsaredefinedonthesameobjectthroughgroup
membership,thefollowingrulesapply:
Ifauserisamemberofmultiplegroupswithdifferentpermissions,foreachobject
thegrouphaspermissionson,thesamepermissionsapplyasifgrantedtotheuser
directly.
Ifmultiplegrouppermissionsaredefinedonthesameobjectandtheuserbelongs
totwoormoreofthegroups,permissionsaredeterminedasfollows:
Ifthereisnopermissiondefinedexplicitlyfortheuseronthatobject,theuser
isassignedtheunionofprivilegesassignedtothegroupsforthatobject.
Ifthereisapermissiondefinedexplicitlyfortheuseronthatobject,that
permissiontakesprecedenceoverallgrouppermissions.
Thefollowingexampleshowshowauserspermissionscanbeexpanded:
Role1includestheprivilegetopoweronvirtualmachines.
Role2includestheprivilegetotakesnapshotsofvirtualmachines.
208 VMware, Inc.

GroupAisassignedRole1onvirtualmachineVM.
GroupBisassignedRole2onvirtualmachineVM.
User1belongstogroupsAandB.
User1isnotassignedindividualpermissions.
Inthisexample,whenUser1logson,theusercanbothpoweronandtakesnapshots
ofthevirtualmachine.
Thefollowingexampleshowshowauserspermissionscanbelimitedbyoverriding
grouppermissions:
Rolesandgroupsaredefinedasinthepreviousexample.
User1sreadonlypermissionisremovedonthevirtualmachine.(Readonly
permissionisrequiredtopoweronavirtualmachine.)
Inthisexample,User1canstilltakesnapshotsbutcannolongerpoweronthevirtual
machine.
Whensettingpermissions,verifythatusershavetheappropriateprivilegesforeach
actiononeachobjectandcategoryofobjects.
VMware, Inc. 209

210 VMware, Inc.

11
Configuring a Virtual
Network 11
Thefirsttopicsinthischapterintroducethevirtualnetworkingcomponentsthat
VMwareServerprovidesanddescribehowyoucanusethemwithyourvirtual
machine.Therestofthechapterprovidesmoredetailonnetworkingcapabilitiesand
specializedconfigurations.
NetworkBasicsonpage 212
ComponentsoftheVirtualNetworkonpage 213
CommonNetworkingConfigurationsonpage 215
ExampleCustomNetworkingConfigurationonpage 219
ChangingtheNetworkingConfigurationonpage 222
AdvancedNetworkingTopicsonpage 230
UnderstandingNATonpage 248
UsingSambaforFileSharingonaLinuxHostonpage 258
UsingtheVirtualNetworkEditoronpage 267
VMware, Inc. 211

Network Basics
VMwareServerprovidesmultiplewaysyoucanconfigureavirtualmachineforvirtual
networking:
BridgednetworkingConfiguresyourvirtualmachineasauniqueidentityon
thenetwork,separatefromandunrelatedtoitshost.Othercomputersonthe
networkcancommunicatedirectlywiththevirtualmachine.Bridgednetworking
workswithEthernet,DSL,cable,wireless,andlegacyphonemodems.See
BridgedNetworkingonpage 215.
Networkaddresstranslation(NAT)Configuresyourvirtualmachinetoshare
theIPandMACaddressesofthehost.Thevirtualmachinesharesthehostspublic
networkidentity,andhasaprivateidentitythatisnotvisiblebeyondthehost.NAT
canbeusefulwhenyouareallowedasingleIPaddressorMACaddressbyyour
networkadministrator.YoumightalsouseNATtoconfigureseparatevirtual
machinesforhandlingHTTPandFTPrequests,withbothvirtualmachines
runningoffthesameIPaddressordomain.
NATworkswithEthernet,DSL,andlegacyphonemodems.SeeNetwork
AddressTranslation(NAT)onpage 216.
HostonlynetworkingConfiguresyourvirtualmachinetoallownetwork
accessonlytoaprivatenetworkonthehost.Withhostonlynetworking,the
virtualmachinecancommunicateonlywiththehostandothervirtualmachinesin
thehostonlynetwork.Thiscanbeusefulwhenyouwantasecurevirtualmachine
thatisconnectedtothehostnetwork,butavailableonlythroughthehostmachine.
Inthisconfiguration,thevirtualmachinecannotconnecttotheInternet.See
HostOnlyNetworkingonpage 218.
YoucansetupspecializedconfigurationsusingthevirtualnetworkeditoronWindows
hostsandvmware-config.plonLinuxhosts.SeeExampleCustomNetworking
Configurationonpage 219.
OnaWindowshost,thesoftwareneededforbridged,NAT,andhostonlynetworking
configurationsisinstalledwhenyouinstallVMwareServer.TheNewVirtualMachine
wizardconnectsthevirtualmachinetothevirtualnetworkyouselect:thebridged
VMnet0virtualnetwork(namedBridged)isthedefaultselection.Youcanlatersetup
morespecializedconfigurationsbyconfiguringtheappropriatesettingsinthevirtual
networkeditorandonyourhostcomputer.
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Chapter 11 Configuring a Virtual Network
OnaLinuxhost,whenyouinstallandconfigureVMwareServer,youcanchooseto
havebridged,hostonly,andNATnetworkingavailabletoyourvirtualmachinesby
configuringeachoptionwhenyourunvmware-config.pl.Youcanlaterreconfigure
networkingtoadd,delete,ormodifyvirtualnetworksbyrerunning
vmware-config.pl.
Components of the Virtual Network

Thefollowingsectionsdescribethedevicesthatmakeupavirtualnetwork.
Virtual Network Switch

Thevirtualswitchworkslikeaphysicalswitch,butitisusedbyvirtualmachines.Like
aphysicalswitch,avirtualswitchletsyouconnectothernetworkingcomponents
together.VirtualswitchesarecreatedasneededbyVMwareServer,uptoatotalof10
virtualswitchesonWindowsand255onLinux.Virtualswitchescanbeusedin
bridged,hostonly,andNATnetworkconfigurations.
Youcanconnectoneormorevirtualmachinestoaswitch.OnaWindowshost,youcan
connectanunlimitednumberofportstoavirtualswitch.OnaLinuxhost,youcan
connectupto32ports.
Afewnetworkshavedefaultnamesandswitchesassociatedwiththem:
TheBridgednetworkusesVMnet0,asdescribedinBridgedNetworkingon
page 215.
TheHostOnlynetworkusesVMnet1,asdescribedinHostOnlyNetworkingon
page 218.
TheNATnetworkusesVMnet8,asdescribedinNetworkAddressTranslation
(NAT)onpage 216.
TheotheravailableswitchesareVMnet2,VMnet3,VMnet4,andsoon.
TofindoutwhatnetworksareconfiguredontheVMwareServerhost,selectthehostin
VI WebAccess.TheNetworkssectionofthehostsSummarytabliststhename,VMnet
number,andnetworktypeforeachvirtualnetwork.
Tofindoutwhichnetworksavirtualmachineisusing,selectthevirtualmachine.The
networknameandtypearedisplayedintheHardwaresectionoftheSummarytab.
Toviewormodifynetworkproperties,clicktheNetworkAdapteryouwanttomodify
andselectEdit.Foradditionalinformation,seeEditingaVirtualNetworkAdapter
onpage 224.Toaddanotheradapter,seeAddingaNetworkAdaptertoaVirtual
Machineonpage 223.
VMware, Inc. 213

Internal DHCP Server

TheVMwareinternalDHCP(dynamichostconfigurationprotocol)serverprovidesIP
networkaddressestovirtualmachinesinconfigurationsthatarenotbridgedtoan
externalnetwork.HostonlyandNATnetworkconfigurationsusetheDHCPserver
(bridgedconfigurationsdonot).
Virtual Network Adapter

Onevirtualnetworkadapter(alsoknownasavirtualNIC)issetupforyourvirtual
machinewhenyoucreateitwiththeNewVirtualMachinewizard.Thevirtualnetwork
adapterusestheBridgedvirtualnetworkunlessyouchangethedefaultselection.
ThenetworkadapterappearstotheguestoperatingsystemasanAMDPCNetAdapter
adapterfor32bitguestsorasanIntelPro/1000MTServerAdapterfor64bitand
WindowsVistaguests.VMwareServerautomaticallyselectsthenetworkdriverbased
ontheconfigurationonyourvirtualmachine.
For32bitguestsystems,VMwareServersupportsnetworkadaptermorphingto
dynamicallyselectthedriver.Thevlancedriverisautomaticallyinstalledwhenyou
installaguestoperatingsystem.Thevmxnetdriverisautomaticallyinstalledwhenyou
reboottheguestafterinstallingVMwareTools.Whenyoueditthenetworkadapter,the
devicetypeisdisplayedasFlexible.
For64bitandWindowsVistaguestsystems,thenetworkadapterusesthee1000
devicedriver.
Youcancreateandconfigureupto10virtualnetworkadaptersinVMwareServer2and
Workstation6virtualmachines.ThelimitisfouradaptersforVMwareServer1and
otheroldervirtualmachineversions.Formoreinformation,seeAddingaNetwork
AdaptertoaVirtualMachineonpage 223.
Host Virtual Adapter

Hostvirtualadaptersallowcommunicationbetweenthehostcomputerandthevirtual
machinesonthehostcomputer.AhostvirtualadapterisusedinhostonlyandNAT
configurations.
WhenyouinstallVMwareServer,twonetworkadaptersareaddedtotheconfiguration
ofyourhostoperatingsystemonethatallowsthehosttoconnecttothehostonly
virtualnetworkandonethatallowsthehosttoconnecttotheNATvirtualnetwork.
Thehostvirtualadapterisnotconnectedtoanyexternalnetworkunlessyousetup
specialsoftwareonthehostcomputersuchasaproxyservertoconnectthe
hostonlyadaptertothephysicalnetworkadapter.
214 VMware, Inc.

OnaWindowshost,thesoftwarethatcreatesthehostvirtualadapterisinstalledwhen
youinstallVMwareServer.OnaLinuxhost,youmustselecthostonlynetworking
whenyourunvmware-config.pltoinstallthehostvirtualadapter.
Common Networking Configurations

Thefollowingsectionsillustratethenetworkingconfigurationsthataresetupwhen
youselectoneofthestandardnetworkingoptionsintheNewVirtualMachinewizard
orwhenyouaddoreditavirtualnetworkadapter.
Bridged Networking
Bridgednetworkingconnectsavirtualmachinetoanetworkbyusingthehost
computersnetworkadapter.IfyourhostcomputerisonanEthernetnetwork,thisis
oftentheeasiestwaytogiveyourvirtualmachineaccesstothatnetwork.Thevirtual
networkadapterinthevirtualmachineconnectstothephysicalnetworkadapterin
yourhostcomputer,allowingittoconnecttotheLANusedbythehostcomputer.
Bridgednetworkingmakesthevirtualmachinevisibletoothercomputersonthe
network,andtheycancommunicatedirectlywiththevirtualmachine.
Figure 11-1. Bridged Networking Setup

virtual
network
adapter
virtual machine virtual network switch

(VMnet0)
host
virtual bridge network
adapter
How to Set Up Bridged Networking

BridgednetworkingissetupautomaticallyifyouselectBridgedintheNewVirtual
Machinewizard.OnLinuxhosts,thisselectionisavailableonlyifyouenablethe
bridgednetworkingoptionwhenyourunvmware-config.pl.Youcansetup
additionalvirtualbridgesforcustomconfigurationsthatrequireconnectionstomore
thanonephysicalnetworkadapteronthehostcomputer.LinuxandWindowshosts
canusebridgednetworkingtoconnecttobothwiredandwirelessnetworks.
VMware, Inc. 215

Requirements for IP Addresses

Ifyouusebridgednetworking,yourvirtualmachinemusthaveitsownidentityonthe
network.Forexample,onaTCP/IPnetwork,thevirtualmachineneedsitsownIP
address.YournetworkadministratorcantellyouwhetherIPaddressesareavailablefor
yourvirtualmachineandwhichnetworkingsettingstouseintheguestoperating
system.Generally,yourguestoperatingsystemcanacquireanIPaddressandother
networkdetailsautomaticallyfromaDHCPserver,oryoumightneedtosettheIP
addressandotherdetailsmanuallyintheguestoperatingsystem.
Ifyouusebridgednetworking,thevirtualmachineisafullparticipantinthenetwork.
Ithasaccesstoothermachinesonthenetworkandcanbecontactedbyothermachines
onthenetworkasifitwereaphysicalcomputeronthenetwork.
Beawarethatifthehostcomputerissetuptobootmultipleoperatingsystemsandyou
runoneormoreoftheminvirtualmachines,youneedtoconfigureeachoperating
systemwithauniquenetworkaddress.Peoplewhobootmultipleoperatingsystems
oftenassignallsystemsthesameaddress,becausetheyassumeonlyoneoperating
systemwillberunningatatime.Ifyouuseoneormoreoftheoperatingsystemsina
virtualmachine,thisassumptionisnolongertrue.
How to Edit the Setting Later

IfyoumakeanotherselectionintheNewVirtualMachinewizardandlaterdecideyou
wanttousebridgednetworking,makethatchangeasdescribedinChangingthe
NetworkingConfigurationonpage 222.
Network Address Translation (NAT)

NATgivesavirtualmachineaccesstonetworkresourcesbyusingthehostcomputers
IPaddress.IfyouarenotabletogiveyourvirtualmachineanIPaddressontheexternal
network,youmightfindthatNATistheeasiestwaytogiveyourvirtualmachineaccess
totheInternetorotherTCP/IPnetwork.NATusesthehostcomputersdialup
networkingorbroadbandconnection.
216 VMware, Inc.

Figure 11-2. Network Address Translation Setup

virtual
network
adapter
virtual network switch DHCP server

virtual machine (VMnet8)
NAT network
device
IfyouselectNAT,thevirtualmachinecanusemanystandardTCP/IPprotocolsto
connecttoothermachinesontheexternalnetwork.Forexample,youcanuseHTTPto
browseWebsites,FTPtotransferfiles,andTelnettologontoothercomputers.NAT
alsoallowsyoutoconnecttoaTCP/IPnetworkusingaTokenRingadapteronthehost
computer.
InthedefaultNATconfiguration,computersontheexternalnetworkcannotinitiate
connectionstothevirtualmachine.Thatmeans,forexample,thatthedefault
configurationdoesnotletyouusethevirtualmachineasaWebservertosendWeb
pagestocomputersontheexternalnetwork.Thisconfigurationhastheadvantageof
protectingtheguestoperatingsystemfrombeingcompromisedbeforeyouhavea
chancetoinstallsecuritysoftware.Forexample,itisoftenrecommendedthatfor
Windowsguestoperatingsystems,youuseNATuntilyouinstallantivirussoftware.
How to Set Up NAT

AnetworkaddresstranslationconnectionissetupautomaticallyifyouselectNATin
theNewVirtualMachinewizard.OnLinuxhosts,thisselectionisavailableonlyifyou
enabletheNAToptionwhenyourunvmware-config.pl.

IfyouuseNAT,yourvirtualmachinedoesnothaveitsownIPaddressontheexternal
network.Instead,aseparateprivatenetworkissetuponthehostcomputer.Your
virtualmachinegetsanaddressonthatnetworkfromtheVMwareinternalDHCP
server.TheVMwareNATdevicepassesnetworkdatabetweenoneormorevirtual
machinesandtheexternalnetwork,usingahostnetworkadapterthatisvisibletothe
hostoperatingsystem.Itidentifiesincomingdatapacketsintendedforeachvirtual
machineandsendsthemtothecorrectdestination.
VMware, Inc. 217


IfyoumakesomeotherselectionintheNewVirtualMachinewizardandlaterdecide
youwanttouseNAT,youcanmakethatchangeasdescribedinChangingthe
ForamorethoroughdiscussionofNAT,seeUnderstandingNATonpage 248.
Host-Only Networking
Hostonlynetworkingcreatesanetworkthatiscompletelycontainedwithinthehost
computer.Hostonlynetworkingprovidesanetworkconnectionbetweenthevirtual
machineandthehostcomputer,usingahostnetworkadapterthatisvisibletothehost
operatingsystem.Thisapproachcanbeusefulifyouneedtosetupanisolatedvirtual
network.
Figure 11-3. Host-Only Networking Setup

virtual
network
adapter
virtual network switch DHCP server

virtual machine (VMnet1)
host
network
adapter
AhostonlynetworkissetupautomaticallyifyouselectHostOnlyintheNewVirtual
Machinewizard.OnLinuxhosts,thisselectionisavailableonlyifyouenablethe
hostonlynetworkingoptionwhenyourunvmware-config.pl.

Ifyouusehostonlynetworking,yourvirtualmachineandthehostnetworkadapter
areconnectedtoaprivateEthernetnetwork.Addressesonthisnetworkareprovided
bytheVMwareinternalDHCPserver.

IfyoumakeanotherselectionintheNewVirtualMachinewizardandlaterwanttouse
hostonlynetworking,youcanmakethatchangeasdescribedinChangingthe
218 VMware, Inc.

Routing and Connection Sharing

Ifyouinstalltheproperroutingorproxysoftwareonyourhostcomputer,youcan
establishaconnectionbetweenthevirtualnetworkadapterandaphysicalnetwork
adapteronthehostcomputer.Thisallowsyou,forexample,toconnectthevirtual
machinetoaTokenRingorothernonEthernetnetwork.
OnaWindowshostcomputer,youcanusehostonlynetworkingincombinationwith
theInternetconnectionsharingfeatureinWindowstoallowavirtualmachinetouse
thehostsdialupnetworkingadapterorotherconnectiontotheInternet.Seeyour
WindowsdocumentationfordetailsonconfiguringInternetconnectionsharing.
Example Custom Networking Configuration

ThevirtualnetworkingcomponentsprovidedbyVMwareServermakeitpossiblefor
youtocreatesophisticatedvirtualnetworks.Thevirtualnetworkscanbeconnectedto
oneormoreexternalnetworks,ortheycanrunentirelyonthehostcomputer.
Beforeattemptingtosetupcomplexvirtualnetworks,youmusthaveagood
understandingofhowtoconfigurenetworkdevicesinyourhostandguestoperating
systems.
Theexampledescribedinthissectionillustratesmanyofthewaysyoucancombine
devicesonavirtualnetwork.OthercustomconfigurationsaredescribedinAdvanced
NetworkingTopicsonpage 230andUnderstandingNATonpage 248.
Inthisconfiguration,aWebserverconnectsthroughafirewalltoanexternalnetwork.
AnadministratorscomputerconnectstotheWebserverthroughasecondfirewall.
VMware, Inc. 219

Figure 11-4. Custom Configuration That Uses Two Firewalls

host
network
adapter
virtual bridge
virtual network switch virtual virtual
virtual (VMnet0)
network network network
adapter adapter adapter
virtual machine 2
Web server virtual network switch virtual machine 1
(VMnet2) firewall
virtual network switch

virtual virtual (VMnet3)
network network virtual
adapter adapter network
adapter
virtual machine 4
virtual machine 3 internal PC
firewall
Inadditiontousingthedefaultbridgednetwork,VMnet0,thisconfigurationrequires
youtoconfigureVMnet2andVMnet3hostonlyvirtualnetworks.Youwillalsocreate
fourvirtualmachinesandinstalltheappropriateguestoperatingsystemsand
applicationsoftwareineachvirtualmachineandmaketheappropriatenetworking
settingschangesineachvirtualmachine.
To set up a virtual network that connects to an external network
1 ConfigureVMnet2andVMnet3hostonlynetworks.
OnWindows,usethevirtualnetworkeditor(fromtheWindowsStartmenu,
selectPrograms>VMwareServer>ManageVirtualNetworks)toaddhost
virtualadaptersforVMnet2andVMnet3.
Afteryoumakechangesusingthevirtualnetworkeditor,youmustrestart
yournetworkusingtheRefreshNetworkSystemcommandintheHost
SummarytabofVI WebAccess.Thenyoucanaddthesenetworkstovirtual
machines.
OnLinux,runvmware-config.pltoconfigureVMnet2andVMnet3
networks.Thescriptautomaticallyrefreshesthenetworkwhenitcompletes
theconfigurationchanges.
220 VMware, Inc.

2 SetupfourvirtualmachinesusingtheNewVirtualMachinewizardasdescribed
inChapter 4,CreatingandUpgradingVirtualMachines,onpage 59:
a Createthefirstvirtualmachineusingthedefaultbridgednetwork(VMnet0),
soitcanconnecttoanexternalnetworkwiththehostcomputersnetwork
adapter.ThisvirtualmachineactsastheoutsidefirewallfortheDMZ,andis
namedFW1inthisprocedure.
b Createtheotherthreevirtualmachineswithoutnetworking.Thevirtual
machinewiththeWebServerisnamedWSinthisprocedure.Thevirtual
machinethatactsasaninternalfirewallisnamedFW2inthisprocedure.
Youwillsetuptheirvirtualnetworkadaptersinlatersteps.
YouwillnotinstalltheoperatingsystemsuntilStep 8.
3 Configurenetworksettingsforthefirstvirtualmachine,FW1:
a SelectvirtualmachineFW1inVI WebAccess,butdonotpoweriton.
b UsetheAddHardwarewizardtoaddtheVMnet2network(HostOnly1)to
thevirtualmachine.
SeeAddingaNetworkAdaptertoaVirtualMachineonpage 223.
4 ConfigurenetworksettingsfortheWebServervirtualmachine,asfollows:
a SelectWSinVI WebAccess,butdonotpoweriton.
b UsetheAddHardwarewizardtoaddtheVMnet2(HostOnly1)network
adaptertothevirtualmachine.
5 Configurenetworksettingsfortheinsidefirewallvirtualmachine,asfollows:
a SelectFW2inVI WebAccess,butdonotpoweriton.
b UsetheAddHardwarewizardtoaddtheVMnet2(HostOnly1)network
adaptertothevirtualmachine.
c UsetheAddHardwarewizardtoaddtheVMnet3(HostOnly2)connectionto
thevirtualmachine.
6 Configurenetworksettingsforthefourthvirtualmachine,asfollows:
UsetheAddHardwarewizardtoaddtheVMnet3connectiontothevirtual
machine.
VMware, Inc. 221

7 DeterminethenetworkaddressesusedforVMnet2andVMnet3:
OnWindowshosts,openacommandpromptandrun:
ipconfig /all
Notethenetworkaddressesusedbyeachvirtualadapter.
OnLinuxhosts,openaterminalandrun:
ifconfig
Notethenetworkaddressesusedbyeachvirtualswitch.
8 Poweroneachvirtualmachineinturnandinstalltheappropriateguestoperating
system.
NOTEOnaWindowshost,forStep 9,youarenotrequiredtoconfigurenetwork
addressesmanually.YoucaninsteaduseVMwareServersDHCPserver.Inthe
virtualnetworkeditorsDHCPtab,addVMnet2andVMnet3tothelistofvirtual
networksservedbytheVMwareinternalDHCPserver.
9 Configurethenetworkingineachguestoperatingsystem:
Machine1Forthebridgednetworkadapterinvirtualmachine1,usethe
networkingsettingsneededforaconnectiontotheexternalnetwork.Ifthe
virtualmachinegetsitsIPaddressfromaDHCPserverontheexternal
network,thedefaultsettingswillwork.
Forthesecondnetworkadapterinvirtualmachine1,manuallyassignanIP
addressintherangeyouareusingwithVMnet2.
Machine2AssignanIPaddressintherangeyouareusingwithVMnet2.
Machine3NetworkadaptersareconnectedtoVMnet2andVMnet3.Assign
eachadapteranIPaddressintherangeyouareusingwiththevirtualnetwork
towhichitisconnected.
Machine4AssignanIPaddressintherangeyouareusingwithVMnet3.
10 Installthenecessaryapplicationsoftwareineachvirtualmachine.
Changing the Networking Configuration

Thissectiondescribeshowyoucanaddvirtualnetworkadapterstoyourvirtual
machineandchangetheconfigurationofexistingadapters.
222 VMware, Inc.

Refreshing the Network

OnWindows,toconfigurecustomvirtualnetworksyoumustusethevirtualnetwork
editor(fromtheWindowsStartmenu,selectPrograms>VMwareServer>Manage
VirtualNetworks).Afteryoumakechangesusingthevirtualnetworkeditor,youmust
updatethenetworklistinVI Web AccessusingtheRefreshNetworkListcommand.
Afterrefreshingthenetwork,thechangesmadeusingthevirtualnetworkeditor
appearintheNetworkssectionofthehostsSummarytab,andyoucanaddthese
networkstovirtualmachines.
To restart the virtual network system
2 IntheCommandssectionofthehostSummarytab,clickRefresh Network List.
Adding a Network Adapter to a Virtual Machine

Virtualnetworkadapterscanbeconnectedtoalabelednetworkinmuchthesameway
thatphysicalnetworkadaptersareconnectedbycablestowalljacks.Bychoosinga
labelednetworkforanadapter,youenabletheguestoperatingsystemtoreachthe
resourcesofthespecifiednetwork.
To add a virtual network adapter
3 IntheCommandssectionoftheSummarytab,clickAddHardware.
TheAddHardwarewizardopens.
4 ClickNetworkAdapter,andclickNext.
5 Selectthenameofthevirtualnetworkadapter.SelectBridged,NAT,HostOnly,or
acustomnetworkyouhaveconfiguredinthevirtualnetworkeditor(Windows)or
vmware-config.pl(Linux).
Ifyouselectacustomnetworkyouconfiguredinthevirtualnetworkeditor,select
namethatcorrespondstotheVMnetvirtualnetworktousefromthedropdown
list.
NOTEVMnet0,VMnet1,andVMnet8arenormallyusedforbridged,hostonly,
andNATconfigurations,respectively.Specialstepsarerequiredtomakethem
availableforuseincustomconfigurations.Selectoneoftheotherswitches.
VMware, Inc. 223

6 (Optional)Tohavethenetworkadapterconnectedtothevirtualmachinewhen
youpoweriton,selectConnectatpoweron(thedefault).
7 ClickNext.
TheReadytoCompletepageappearsanddisplaysthehardwaresettings.
Editing a Virtual Network Adapter

Virtualnetworkadapterscanbeconnectedtoalabelednetworkinmuchthesameway
thatphysicalnetworkadaptersareconnectedbycablestowalljacks.Bychoosinga
labelednetworkforanadapter,youenabletheguestoperatingsystemtoreachthe
resourcesofthespecifiednetwork.
To edit an existing network adapter
2 IntheHardwaresectionoftheSummarytab,clickthenetworkadaptertomodify
andselectEdit.
3 (Optional)Toconnectthevirtualmachinetothisnetworkwhenthevirtual
machineispoweredon,selectConnectatpoweron.
4 IntheNetworkConnectionlist,selectthevirtualnetworkname.
SelectBridged,NAT,HostOnly,orthenameofyourcustomVMnetvirtual
networkfromthedropdownlist.
5 (Optional)IntheMACAddresssection,thecurrentMACaddressisdisplayedin
atextbox.Initially,theMACaddressisgeneratedbythehost.Youmightwantto
changetheMACaddressmanuallyif,forexample:
Virtualnetworkadaptersondifferentphysicalserverssharethesamesubnet
andareassignedthesameMACaddress,causingaconflict.
YouwanttoensurethatavirtualnetworkadapteralwayshasthesameMAC
address.
IfyouselectManual,youcaneditthevalueoftheMACaddressinthetextbox.
Thevalueyouentermustbebetween00:50:56:00:00:00and
00:50:56:3F:FF:FF.
SeeMaintainingandChangingtheMACAddressofaVirtualMachineon
page 234.
224 VMware, Inc.

7 MakesuretheguestoperatingsystemisconfiguredtouseanappropriateIP
addressonthenewnetwork.
IftheguestisusingDHCP,releaseandrenewthelease.IftheIPaddressisset
statically,makesuretheguesthasanaddressonthecorrectvirtualnetwork.
Removing a Network Adapter from a Virtual Machine

Ifyounolongerwanttouseanetworkadapterinavirtualmachine,youcanremoveit.
To remove an existing network adapter
2 OntheSummarytab,clickthenetworkadaptertoremoveandselectRemove.
3 Adialogboxpromptsyoutoconfirmthatyouwanttoremovetheadapter.Ifyou
Thenetworkadapterisdeleted.
Configuring Bridged Networking Options on a Windows Host

Youcanviewandchangethesettingsforbridgednetworkingonyourhost.These
changesaffectallvirtualmachinesusingbridgednetworkingonthehost.
Youcanchoosewhichnetworkadaptersonyourhosttouseforbridgednetworking.
Youcanmapspecificanetworkadaptertoaspecificvirtualnetwork(VMnet).
To configure bridged networking options on a Windows host
1 Startthevirtualnetworkeditor(fromtheWindowsStartmenu,selectPrograms >
VMwareServer>ManageVirtualNetworks).
ThevirtualnetworkeditordisplaystheSummarytab.
2 Bydefault,theVMnet0virtualnetworkissetupinbridgedmodeandisbridged
tooneoftheactivenetworkadaptersonthehostcomputer.
Thechoiceofwhichadapteritusesisarbitrary.VMwarerecommendsthatyoulet
VMwareServerselectanavailablephysicalnetworkadapterforbridging,to
providefaulttolerance.Ifanetworkadapterbecomesunavailable(forexample,if
itisunpluggedorremovedfromthehost),thenetworkbridgeautomatically
switchestoanothernetworkadapteronthehost.
VMware, Inc. 225

YoucanrestricttherangeofchoicesusingtheoptionsontheAutomaticBridging
tab.
(VMnet1isthedefaultvirtualnetworkforhostonlynetworkingandVMnet8isthe
defaultvirtualnetworkforNAT,iftheyareenabledinVMware Server.)
3 ToexcludeoneormorephysicalnetworkadaptersfromthelisttowhichVMnet0
canbebridged,clicktheAutomaticBridgingtab.
Toexcludeanetworkadapter,clickAddtoaddittothelistofexcludeddevices.
IntheChooseNetworkAdaptersdialogbox,selectthelistingfortheadapteryou
wanttoexclude,andclickOK.
Toremoveanadapterfromthelistofexcludedadapters,selectitsnameinthelist,
andclickRemove.
Ifyouareusingteamednetworkadaptersonyourhost,youcanexcludethe
physicalnetworkadaptersfrombridgednetworking.Forinformationabout
teamednetworkadapters,seeConfiguringBridgedNetworkingWhenUsing
TeamedNetworkInterfaceCardsonpage 238.
4 Todesignateaphysicalnetworkadaptertobeusedforbridgednetworkingon
virtualswitchesnamedVMnet2VMnet7,clicktheHostVirtualNetwork
Mappingtab.
Selectanadapterfromthedropdownlistbesidethenameofthevirtualswitch
youwanttouse.
Ifyouareusingteamednetworkadaptersonyourhost,youcanselecttheteamed
networkadapterforVMnet0.
CAUTIONBecarefulwhenyouchangethebridgedadaptermappings.Ifyou
reassignaphysicalnetworkadaptertoadifferentvirtualnetwork,anyvirtual
machineusingtheoriginalnetworklosesitsnetworkconnectivitythroughthat
network.Youmustthenchangethesettingforeachaffectedvirtualmachines
networkadapterindividually.Thiscanbeespeciallytroublesomeifyourhosthas
onlyonephysicalnetworkadapterandyoureassignittoaVMnetotherthan
VMnet0.EventhoughtheVMnetstillappearstobebridgedtoanautomatically
chosenadapter,theonlyadapteritcanusehasbeenassignedtoanotherVMnet.
226 VMware, Inc.

5 TomakechangestothesubnetortheDHCPsettingsforavirtualnetwork,clickthe
buttonontherightthatcorrespondstothevirtualnetworkyouwanttoconfigure,
andselectSubnetorDHCP.
IntheSubnetdialogbox,youcanchangethesubnetsIPaddressandthesubnet
mask.Theaddressmustbeavalidnetworkaddressthatissuitableforusewiththe
subnetmask.
Thedefaultsubnetmaskis255.255.255.0(aclassCnetwork).Typically,thismeans
youshouldmodifyonlythethirdnumberintheIPaddressforexample,xin
192.168.x.0or172.16.x.0.Ingeneral,youshouldnotchangethesubnetmask.
Certainvirtualnetworkservicesmightnotworkaswellwithacustomizedsubnet
mask.
Whenyoumodifythenetworkaddressorsubnetmask,VMwareServer
automaticallyupdatestheIPaddresssettingsforothercomponentssuchas
DHCP,NAT,andhostvirtualadapteronthatvirtualnetworktoreflectthenew
settings.ThespecificsettingsthatareautomaticallyupdatedincludeDHCPlease
range,DHCPserveraddress,NATgatewayaddress,andhostvirtualadapterIP
address.However,ifyouchangeanyofthesesettingsfromitsdefaultvalue
evenifyoulaterchangethesettingbacktothedefaultVMware Serverdoesnot
updatethatcustomsetting.
IntheDHCPsettingsdialogbox,youcanchangetherangeofIPaddresses
providedbytheDHCPserveronaparticularvirtualnetwork.Youcanalsosetthe
durationofleasesprovidedtoclientsonthevirtualnetwork.
6 Whenyouhavemadeallthechangesyouwanttomakeinthevirtualnetwork
editor,clickOK.
Enabling, Disabling, Adding, and Removing Host Virtual

Adapters
WhenyouinstallVMwareServer,twonetworkadaptersareaddedtotheconfiguration
ofyourhostoperatingsystem:onethatallowsthehosttoconnecttothehostonly
networkandonethatallowsthehosttoconnecttotheNATnetwork.
Ifyouarenotusingtheseadapters,youcanremovethem.OnWindowshosts,youcan
disabletheadaptersinsteadofremovingthem.Thepresenceoftheseadaptershasa
slightperformancecost,becausebroadcastpacketsmustgototheextraadapters.On
Windowsnetworks,browsingyournetworkcanbeslowerthanusual.Andinsome
cases,theseadaptersinteractwiththehostcomputersnetworkingconfigurationin
undesirableways.
VMware, Inc. 227

To disable a host virtual adapter on a Windows host
1 Startthevirtualnetworkeditor(fromtheWindowsStartmenu,selectPrograms>
2 SelecttheHostVirtualAdapterstab.
3 Selecttheadapteryouwanttodisable.
4 ClickDisableadapter.
5 ClickOK.
To enable a disabled host virtual adapter on a Windows host
2 ClickHostVirtualAdapters.
3 Selectthedisabledadapteryouwanttoenable.
4 ClickEnableadapter.
5 ClickOK.
To add a host virtual adapter on a Windows host
3 ClickAddnewadapter.
4 Selectthevirtualnetworkonwhichyouwanttousetheadapter,andclickOK.
5 ClickApply.
6 ClickOKtoclosethevirtualnetworkeditor.
To remove a host virtual adapter on a Windows host
1 FromtheWindowsStartmenu,selectPrograms>VMwareServer>Manage
VirtualNetworks.
3 Selecttheadapteryouwanttoremove,thenclickRemoveadapter.
4 ClickApply.
228 VMware, Inc.

To remove a host virtual adapter on a Linux host
1 Asroot(su -),runtheVMwareServerconfigurationprogram.
vmware-config.pl
ToconfigureVMwareServercorrectly,thevmware-config.plconfiguration
programrequiresallvirtualmachinestobeshutdown.Theprogramshutsdown
anyrunningvirtualmachinesautomatically.
Ifyoustillwanttouseanynetworkinginyourvirtualmachines,respondyesto
thefollowingprompt:
Do you want networking for your Virtual Machines? (yes/no/help) [yes]
Otherwise,typenotoremoveallnetworking.
2 Ifyourespondyestousenetworking,thescriptpromptsyoutoselectthewizard
ortheeditortoedityournetworkconfiguration.Selecteditor.Thisistheonly
waytodeletevirtualnetworkadapterswithoutremovingallofthem.
Would you prefer to modify your existing networking configuration using
the wizard or the editor? (wizard/editor/help) [wizard]
editor
3 Alistofvirtualnetworksthathavebeenconfiguredisdisplayed.Selectthe
networkcorrespondingtotheadapteryouwanttodisable.Forexample:
The following virtual networks have been defined:
. vmnet0 is bridged to eth0
. vmnet1 is a host-only network on subnet 172.16.155.0.
. vmnet8 is NAT network on a private subnet 172.16.107.0.
Which virtual network do you wish to configure? (0-99) 1
4 Youmightbepromptedtokeepthisvirtualnetwork.Ifyouaresureyouwantto
removeit,typeyeswhenprompted:
The network vmnet1 has been reserved for a host-only network. You may
change it, but it is highly recommended that you use it as a host-only
network. Are you sure you want to modify it? (yes/no) [no] yes
5 Whenpromptedaboutthetypeofvirtualnetwork,selectnonetoremovethe
virtualnetwork.
What type of virtual network do you wish to set vmnet1?
(bridged,hostonly,nat,none) [hostonly] none
VMware, Inc. 229

Advanced Networking Topics

Thefollowingsectionsdescribeadvancednetworkingtopics.
Selecting IP Addresses on a Host-Only Network or NAT

Configuration
Ahostonlynetworkusesaprivatevirtualnetwork.Thehostandallvirtualmachines
configuredforhostonlynetworkingareconnectedtothenetworkthroughavirtual
switch.TypicallyallthepartiesonthisprivatenetworkusetheTCP/IPprotocolsuite,
althoughothercommunicationprotocolscanbeused.
Anetworkaddresstranslation(NAT)configurationalsosetsupaprivatenetwork,
whichmustbeaTCP/IPnetwork.ThevirtualmachinesconfiguredforNATare
connectedtothatnetworkthroughavirtualswitch.Thehostcomputerisalso
connectedtotheprivatenetworkusedforNATthroughahostvirtualadapter.
Eachvirtualmachineandthehostmustbeassignedaddressesontheprivatenetwork.
ThisistypicallydoneusingtheDHCPserverthatcomeswithVMwareServer.This
serverdoesnotservicevirtual(orphysical)machinesresidingonbridgednetworks.
Addressescanalsobeassignedstaticallyfromapoolofaddressesthatarenotassigned
bytheDHCPserver.
IfhostonlynetworkingisenabledwhenVMwareServerisinstalled,thenetwork
numbertouseforthevirtualnetworkisautomaticallyselectedasanunusedprivateIP
networknumber.TofindoutwhichnetworkisusedonaWindowshost,select
Programs>VMwareServer>ManageVirtualNetworksandcheckthesubnetnumber
associatedwiththevirtualnetwork.OnaLinuxhost,runifconfiginaterminal.
ANATconfigurationalsousesanunusedprivatenetworkautomaticallyselectedwhen
youinstallVMwareServer.TofindoutwhichnetworkisusedonaWindowshost,
selectPrograms>VMwareServer>ManageVirtualNetworksandcheckthesubnet
numberassociatedwiththevirtualnetwork.OnaLinuxhost,runifconfigina
terminal.
UsingDHCPtoassignIPaddressesissimplerthanstaticallyassigningthem.Most
Windowsoperatingsystems,forexample,comepreconfiguredtouseDHCPatboot
time,soWindowsvirtualmachinescanconnecttothenetworkthefirsttimetheyare
booted,withoutadditionalconfiguration.Ifyouwantyourvirtualmachinesto
communicatewitheachotherusingnamesinsteadofIPaddresses,however,youmust
setupanamingconvention,anameserverontheprivatenetwork,orboth.Inthatcase
itmightbesimplertousestaticIPaddresses.
230 VMware, Inc.

Ingeneral,ifyouhavevirtualmachinesyouintendtousefrequentlyorforextended
periodsoftime,itisprobablymostconvenienttoassignthemstaticIPaddressesorto
configuretheVMwareDHCPservertoalwaysassignthesameIPaddresstoeachof
thesevirtualmachines.
To configure the DHCP server on a Linux host
1 OnaLinuxhost,configurethehostonlyDHCPserverbyeditingtheDHCP
configurationfileforVMnet1(/etc/vmware/vmnet1/dhcp/dhcp.conf).
2 ToconfiguretheDHCPserverfortheNATnetwork,edittheconfigurationfilefor
VMnet8(/etc/vmware/vmnet8/dhcp/dhcp.conf).
EditingtheDHCPserverconfigurationfilerequiresinformationthatisbest
obtaineddirectlyfromtheDHCPserverdocumentation.
3 Consultthemanualpagesdhcpd(8)anddhcpd.conf(8).
To configure the DHCP server on a Windows host
1 OnaWindowshost,youconfiguretheDHCPserverusingthevirtualnetwork
editor.
VirtualNetworks.
3 ClickDHCP.
4 Selectthevirtualnetworkforwhichyouwanttochangesettingsandclick
Properties.
5 Makethedesiredchanges,thenclickOK.
Choosing the Method for Assigning IP Addresses

Forvirtualmachinesthatyoudonotexpecttokeepforlong,useDHCPandletit
allocateanIPaddress.
ForeachhostonlyorNATnetwork,theavailableIPaddressesaresplitupusingthe
conventionsshowninthetablesbelow,where<net>isthenetworknumberassignedto
yourhostonlyorNATnetwork.VMwareServeralwaysusesaClassCaddressfor
hostonlyandNATnetworks.
VMware, Inc. 231

Table 11-1. Address Use on a Host-Only Network

Range Address Use Example
<net>.1 Hostmachine 192.168.0.1
<net>.2<net>.127 Staticaddresses 192.168.0.2192.168.0.127
<net>.128<net>.253 DHCPassigned 192.168.0.128192.168.0.253
<net>.254 DHCPserver 192.168.0.254
<net>.255 Broadcasting 192.168.0.255
Table 11-2. Address Use on a NAT Network

Range Address Use Example
<net>.1 Hostmachine 192.168.0.1
<net>.2 NATdevice 192.168.0.2
<net>.3<net>.127 Staticaddresses 192.168.0.3192.168.0.127
<net>.128<net>.253 DHCPassigned 192.168.0.128192.168.0.253
<net>.254 DHCPserver 192.168.0.254

<net>.255 Broadcasting 192.168.0.255
Avoiding IP Packet Leakage in a Host-Only Network

Bydesign,eachhostonlynetworkshouldbeconfinedtothehostmachineonwhichit
issetup.Thatis,nopacketssentbyvirtualmachinesonthisnetworkshouldleakout
toaphysicalnetworkattachedtothehost.Packetleakagecanoccuronlyifamachine
activelyforwardspackets.Itispossibleforthehostmachineoranyvirtualmachine
runningonthehostonlynetworktobeconfiguredinawaythatpermitspacket
leakage.
Windows Hosts
SystemsusingserverversionsofWindows2000arecapableofforwardingIPpackets
thatarenotaddressedtothem.Bydefault,however,thesesystemscomewithIPpacket
forwardingdisabled.
IfyoufindpacketsleakingoutofahostonlynetworkonaWindows2000host
computer,checktoseewhetherforwardinghasbeenenabledonthehostmachine.Ifit
isenabled,disableit.
232 VMware, Inc.

SelectStart>Programs>AdministrativeTools>RoutingandRemoteAccess.Anicon
ontheleftislabeledwiththehostname.Ifagreendotappearsovertheicon,IP
forwardingisturnedon.Toturnitoff,rightclicktheiconanddisableRoutingand
RemoteAccess.Areddotappears,indicatingthatIPforwardingisdisabled.
Linux Hosts
IfyoufindpacketsleakingoutofahostonlynetworkonaLinuxhostcomputer,check
toseewhetherforwardinghasmistakenlybeenenabledonthehostmachine.Ifitis
enabled,disableit.
FormanyLinuxsystems,disableforwardingbywritinga0(zero)tothespecialfile
/proc/sys/net/ipv4/ip_forward.Asroot,enterthiscommand:
echo 0>/proc/sys/net/ipv4/ip_forward
OtherLinuxsystemshaveasystemconfigurationoptionthatyoucanset.Themethod
dependsonyourLinuxdistribution.Youcanuseacontrolpanel,specifyasettingatthe
timeyoucompileyourkernel,orpossiblyenteraspecificationwhenyoubootyour
system.Consultyouroperatingsystemdocumentationfordetailsonthemethodtouse
withyourparticulardistribution.
Using Filtering
Ifthehostcomputerhasmultiplenetworkadapters,itmightbeintentionally
configuredtodoIPforwarding.Inthiscase,youdonotwanttodisableforwarding.To
avoidpacketleakage,youmustenableapacketfilteringfacilityandspecifythat
packetsfromthehostonlynetworkshouldnotbesentoutsidethehostcomputer.
Consultyouroperatingsystemdocumentationfordetailsonhowtoconfigurepacket
filtering.
Leaks from a Virtual Machine

Virtualmachinesmightleakpackets,aswell.Forexample,ifyouusedialup
networkingsupportinavirtualmachineandpacketforwardingisenabled,hostonly
networktrafficmightleakoutthroughthedialupconnection.
Topreventtheleakage,makesurepacketforwardingisdisabledinyourguest
operatingsystem.
VMware, Inc. 233

Maintaining and Changing the MAC Address of a Virtual

Machine
Whenavirtualmachineispoweredon,VMwareServerassignseachofitsvirtual
networkadaptersanEthernetmediaaccesscontrol(MAC)address.AMACaddressis
theuniqueaddressassignedtoeachEthernetnetworkdevice.
ThesoftwareguaranteesthatvirtualmachinesareassigneduniqueMACaddresses
withinagivenhostsystem.ThevirtualmachineisassignedthesameMACaddress
everytimeitispoweredonifbothofthefollowingconditionsaretrue:
Thevirtualmachineisnotmoved.Thatis,thepathandfilenameforthevirtual
machinesconfiguration(.vmx)fileremainthesame.
Nochangesaremadetocertainsettingsintheconfigurationfile.
However,VMwareServercannotguaranteethatitwillautomaticallyassignunique
MACaddressesforvirtualmachinesthatrunonmultiplehostsystems.
Avoiding MAC Address Changes

ToavoidchangesintheMACaddressautomaticallyassignedtoavirtualmachine,do
notmovethevirtualmachinesconfigurationfile.Movingittoadifferenthost
computerorevenmovingittoadifferentlocationonthesamehostcomputerchanges
theMACaddress.
Alsodonotchangecertainsettingsinthevirtualmachinesconfigurationfile.Ifyou
neveredittheconfigurationfilebyhandanddonotremovethevirtualnetwork
adapter,thesesettingsremainuntouched.Ifyoudoedittheconfigurationfilebyhand,
donotremoveorchangethefollowingoptions:
ethernet[n].generatedAddress
ethernet[n].addressType
ethernet[n].generatedAddressOffset
uuid.location
uuid.bios
ethernet[n].present
Intheseoptions, ethernet[n] isthenumberofthevirtualnetworkadapter,for

exampleethernet0.
NOTETopreserveavirtualnetworkadaptersMACaddress,youalsomustbecareful
nottoremovetheadapter.Ifyouremovetheadapterbutlaterrecreateit,theadapter
mightreceiveadifferentMACaddress.
234 VMware, Inc.

Assigning a Specific MAC Address Manually

AssignaspecificMACaddressusingtheproceduredescribedinEditingaVirtual
NetworkAdapteronpage 224.Thisguaranteesthefollowing:
ThesameMACaddressisassignedtoagivenvirtualmachineeverytimeyou
poweriton,evenifthevirtualmachineismoved.
AuniqueMACaddressforeachvirtualmachinewithinanetworkedenvironment.
Theaddressmustbeintheformat:
00:50:56:XX:YY:ZZ
XXmustbeavalidhexadecimalnumberbetween00hand3Fh,andYYandZZmustbe
validhexadecimalnumbersbetween00handFFh.Youmustusethisformatbecause
VMwareServervirtualmachinesdonotsupportarbitraryMACaddresses.
AvalueforXX:YY:ZZthatisuniqueamongyourhardcodedaddressesavoidsconflicts
betweentheautomaticallyassignedMACaddressesandthemanuallyassigned
addresses.
Controlling Routing for a Host-Only Network on a Linux Host

Ahostonlynetworkisafullfledgednetwork.Ithasanetworkinterfaceassociated
withit(VMnet1)thatismarkedupatthetimethehostoperatingsystemisbooted.
Consequently,routingserverprocessesthatoperateonthehostoperatingsystem,such
asroutedandgated,automaticallydiscoverthenetworkandpropagateinformation
abouthowtoreachitunlessyouexplicitlyconfigurethemnottodoso.
Ifeitheroftheseprocessesisbeingrunonlytoreceiveroutinginformation,theeasiest
solutionistoruntheprocesswitha-qoptionsothatitdoesnotsupplyrouting
information,onlyreceivesit.
If,however,theprocessesarerunningbecausetheysupplyroutinginformation,you
needtoconfigurethemsotheydonotadvertiseroutestothehostonlynetwork.
TheversionofroutedthatcomeswithmanydistributionsofLinuxhasnosupportfor
specifyingthataninterfaceshouldnotbeadvertised.Consulttherouted(8)manual
pageforyoursystemincaseyouhaveamorecontemporaryversionofthesoftware.
Thegatedprocessrequiressomeconfiguration.Youneedtoexplicitlyexcludethe
VMnet1interfacefromanyprotocolactivity.Ifyouneedtorunvirtualmachinesona
hostonlynetworkonamultihomedsystemwheregatedisusedandhaveproblems
doingso,contactVMwaretechnicalsupportbysubmittingasupportrequestat
www.vmware.com/requestsupport.
VMware, Inc. 235

Potential Issues with Host-Only Networking on a Linux Host

Thefollowingarecommonissuesyoumightencounterwhenyouareconfiguringa
hostonlynetwork.
DHCPD on the Linux Host Does Not Work After VMware Server
Installation
IfyouwererunningtheDHCPserverprogramdhcpdonyourmachinebefore
installingVMwareServer,itprobablywasconfiguredtorespondtoDHCPrequests
fromclientsonanynetworkinterfacepresentonthemachine.Whenhostonly
networkingisconfigured,anadditionalnetworkinterface,VMnet1,ismarkedup
andavailableforuse,anddhcpdmightnoticethis.
Insuchcases,somedhcpdimplementationsabortiftheirconfigurationfilesdonot
includeasubnetspecificationfortheinterfaceevenifdhcpdisnotsupposedto
respondtomessagesthatarrivethroughtheinterface.
Thebestsolutiontothisproblemistoaddalineinthefollowingformattothedhcpd
configurationfile:
subnet <net>.0 netmask 255.255.255.0 {}
<net>isthenetworknumberassignedtoyourhostonlynetworkforexample,
192.168.0.Thisconfigurationfileentryinformsdhcpdaboutthehostonlynetworkand
tellsitexplicitlynottorespondtoanyDHCPrequestsitseescomingfromit.
Analternativesolutionistoexplicitlystatethesetofnetworkinterfacesthatyouwant
dhcpdtolistentoeachtimeyoustarttheprogram.Forexample,ifyourmachinehas
oneEthernetinterface,eth0,theneachtimeyoustartdhcpd,listitonthecommand
line:
dhcpd eth0
Thiskeepsdhcpdfromprobingforallavailablenetworkinterfaces.
IftheabovesolutionsdonotworkforyourDHCPserverprogram,thenitlikelyisold.
YoucantryupgradingtoamorecurrentversionsuchastheDHCPsoftwareavailable
fromtheISCWebsiteatwww.isc.org.
DHCP and Dynamic Domain Name Service (DDNS)

DHCPcanbeusedtohandoutIPaddressesaswellasotherinformation,suchasthe
identityofahostrunninganameserverandthenearestrouterorgateway.TheDHCP
serverinVMwareServerdoesnotprovideameanstodynamicallyestablisha
relationshipbetweentheIPaddressitassignsandaclientsname(thatis,toupdatea
DNSserverusingDDNS).
236 VMware, Inc.

Ifyouwanttousenamestocommunicatewithothervirtualmachines,youmusteither
edittheDHCPconfigurationfileforVMnet1(/etc/vmware/vmnet1.conf)oruseIP
addressesthatarestaticallyboundtoahostname.EditingtheDHCPserver
configurationfilerequiresinformationthatisbestobtaineddirectlyfromtheDHCP
serverdocumentation.Consultthemanualpagesdhcpd(8)anddhcpd.conf(8).
Setting Up a Second Bridged Network Interface on a Linux Host

Ifyourhostcomputerhastwonetworkadaptersconnectedtotwodifferentnetworks,
youcanconfigureyourvirtualmachinesonthathostcomputertobridgetoboth
networkadapters.Thatway,thevirtualmachinescanaccesseitherorbothphysical
networks.
WhenyouinstallVMwareServeronahostcomputerwithmultiplenetworkadapters,
youhavetheoptionofconfiguringmorethanonebridgednetwork.Youcanalso
configureadditionalbridgednetworksatanytimebyrerunningvmware-config.pl.
To set up another Bridged network interface on a Linux host
vmware-config.pl
Ifyouhavemorethanonephysicalnetworkadapter,oneofthepromptsyousee
issimilartothis:
The following bridged networks have been defined:
. vmnet0 is bridged to eth0
Do you wish to configure another bridged network? (yes/no) [no]
Typeyes.
2 Ifyouhaveadditionalphysicalnetworkadaptersnotyetconnectedtoabridged
network,thepromptisrepeated,showinginformationaboutallcurrently
configuredbridgednetworks.
3 Whenyouhavesetupallthebridgednetworksyouwant,typeno.
VMware, Inc. 237

Configuring Bridged Networking When Using Teamed Network

Interface Cards
Networkadapterteaming(wheretwoormorenetworkinterfacecardsworkasoneand
appearasasingle,separatedevice)providesaVMwareServerhostandthevirtual
machinesrunningonitwithalevelofnetworkhardwarefaulttolerance.Ifonephysical
networkadapterfails,thennetworktrafficforthehostandvirtualmachinescan
continueusingtheremainingnetworkadaptersintheteam.
Anothermethodforprovidingfaulttoleranceisbymakingsurethatautomatic
bridgingisenabled.ThisfeatureisavailableonWindowshostsonlyandisenabledby
default.Formoreinformation,seeConfiguringBridgedNetworkingOptionsona
WindowsHostonpage 225.Thismethodismorelimitedthanusingnetworkadapter
teaming,asitdoesnotallowforloadbalancing,switchfaulttolerance,faulttolerance
toanynecessaryservicesrunningonthehost,ortheabilitytospecifyanadapterasthe
primaryorsecondaryadapter.
Certainnetworkadapterteamingmodesprovideloadbalancingandarediscussed
below.
IfyourVMwareServerhostisconfiguredtouseteamednetworkinterfacecards,and
youusebridgednetworkingwithyourvirtualmachines,youneedtoadjustyour
networksettings.YoudothisbybindingtheVMwareBridgeProtocoltotheteamed
networkadapterandunbindingitfromeachindividual,physicalnetworkadapteron
thehost.SeeSettingUptheWindowsHostonpage 239.
BeforeyoustartusingteamedNICstonetworkyourvirtualmachines,youmusthave
agoodunderstandingofhownetworkteamingworksinyourhostenvironment.
Support for Network Adapter Teaming

VMwaresupportsteamedNICsonWindowshostswithenterpriseclassnetwork
adaptersthatcanbeconfiguredfornetworkadapterteaming.Ifthereisaspecific
teamednetworkingmode(suchas802.3adDynamicor802.3adDraftStaticmode)you
wanttouse,youmustuseadaptersthatsupportthatmode.
NOTEYoumightbeunabletouseHostTeamedBroadcomNICsforabridgedvirtual
networkifyouareusingteamedBroadcomnetworkadapterssettoSmartLoadBalance
andFailOverusingBroadcomteamnetworkingsoftware,orifyouarenotrunningthe
latestvirtualadapterdriver.TobridgetoateamedBroadcomdevice,makesurethat
youhaveinstalledthelatestdriver,thenrecreatetheteamwithGenericTrunkingasthe
TeamType.
VMwarehasnottestedanddoesnotsupportnetworkadapterteamswith
VMware ServeronLinuxhosts.
238 VMware, Inc.

VMwareServersupportsteamedBroadcombasednetworkadapterswhenusedwith
Broadcomteamingsoftwareinthefollowingmodes:
GenericTrunking(FEC/GEC/802.3adDraftStatic)
LinkAggregation(802.3ad)
SmartLoadBalanceandFailOver
VMwareServersupportsteamedIntelbasednetworkadapterswhenusedwithIntel
PROSetversion6.4orhigher(32bithosts)orPROSetversion10.0orhigher(64bit
hosts)inthefollowingmodes:
AdapterFaultTolerance
AdaptiveLoadBalancing
StaticLinkAggregation(64bithosts)
FEC/802.3adStaticLinkAggregation(32bithosts)
GEC/802.3adStaticLinkAggregation(32bithosts)
IEEE802.3adDynamicLinkAggregation
NOTEExpressTeamingmodeisnotsupportedwhenyouareteamingIntelbased
networkadapters.
Setting Up the Windows Host

WhenusingVMwareServeronaWindowshostwithteamednetworkadaptersand
bridgednetworking,theVMwareBridgeProtocolmustbeboundtotheteamed
networkadapterandunboundfromtheindividualphysicalnetworkadapters.
To set up bridged networking on a Windows host
1 OpentheWindowsControlPanel,andopenNetworkConnections(onaWindows
Server2003host)oropenNetworkandDialupConnections(onaWindows2000
host).
2 Rightclicktheteamednetworkadapterdevice,andselectPropertiestobindthe
VMwareBridgeProtocoltotheteamednetworkadapter.
3 CheckVMwareBridgeProtocol.
4 ClickOKtoclosethepropertysheet.
5 Rightclickthenetworkadapter,andselectPropertiestounbindthe
VMware BridgeProtocolfromeachphysicalnetworkadapterthatisbeingused
forbridgednetworking.
VMware, Inc. 239

6 CleartheVMwareBridgeProtocolcheckbox.
7 ClickOKtoclosethepropertysheet.
Alternately,youcanusethevirtualnetworkeditortoeithermaptheteamednetwork
adaptertoVMnet0orexcludethephysicaladaptersfromanyautomaticbridgingby
VMwareServer.Forinformation,seeConfiguringBridgedNetworkingOptionsona
WindowsHostonpage 225.
Changing the Teamed Networking Mode

Ifyouchangetheteamednetworkingmode,youmustdeletetheoriginalnetwork
adapterteamonthehostandcreateanewteam.Donotmodifyavirtualmachines
networkadapterteamingsettings.
CAUTIONBeforeyoudeletetheoriginalteam,powerofforsuspendallvirtual
machinesonthehosttopreventtheteamingsoftwarefromlockingup.
Setting Up Two Separate Host-Only Networks

Forsomeconfigurations,youmightneedtosetupmorethanonehostonlynetworkon
thesamehostcomputer.
Youmight,forexample,wanttohavetwovirtualmachinesconnectedtoonehostonly
network,andatthesametimehaveothervirtualmachinesconnectedtoanother
hostonlynetwork.Thissetupisolatesnetworktrafficoneachnetwork.
Oryoumightwanttotestroutingbetweentwovirtualnetworks.Ortestavirtual
machinewithmultiplenetworkinterfacecardswithoutusinganyphysicalnetwork
adapters.
OnWindowshosts,thefirsthostonlynetworkissetupautomaticallywhenyouinstall
VMwareServer.
OnLinuxhosts,thefirsthostonlynetworkissetupwhenyourunthe
vmware-config.plprogramafteryouinstallVMwareServer(providedyouagreeto
installhostonlynetworking).Ifyoudidnotagreetousehostonlynetworking,you
needtorunthescriptagaintosetuphostonlynetworking.
Tosetupthesecondhostonlynetwork,followthestepsoutlinedbelowforyourhost
operatingsystem.
240 VMware, Inc.

To set up the second host-only interface on a Windows host
VirtualNetworks.
4 SelectthevirtualnetworkonwhichtousetheadapterandclickOK.
5 ClickApply.
To set up the second host-only interface on a Linux host
vmware-config.pl
AfterpromptingtoconfigureaNATnetwork,thefollowingpromptisdisplayed:
Do you want to be able to use host-only networking in your virtual
machines?
2 Selectyes.
Thewizardreportsonhostonlynetworksthatyouhavealreadysetuponthehost
or,ifnohostonlynetworkispresent,configuresthefirstone.
Thewizardprompts:
Do you wish to configure another host-only network?
3 Selectyes.
Repeatthisstepforeachhostonlynetworkyouwanttoconfigure.Thentypeno.
4 Completetheremainingstepsinthewizard.
Whenthewizardisfinished,itrestartsallservicesusedbyVMwareServer.
5 Runifconfig.
Youshouldseeatleastfournetworkinterfaceseth0,lo,vmnet1,andvmnet2.
IftheVMnetinterfacesdonotdisplayimmediately,waitforaminute,andrunthe
commandagain.ThesefourinterfacesshouldhavedifferentIPaddresson
separatesubnets.
VMware, Inc. 241

Configuring the Virtual Machines

Nowyouhavetwohostonlyinterfaces(VMnet1andVMnet2).Youarereadytosetup
yourvirtualmachinesforoneofthefollowingconfigurations:
Thevirtualmachineisconfiguredwithonevirtualnetworkadapter,andthat
virtualadapterisconnectedtothedefaulthostonlyinterface(VMnet1).
Thevirtualmachineisconfiguredwithonevirtualnetworkadapter,andthat
virtualadapterisconnectedtothenewlycreatedhostonlyinterface(VMnet2).
Thevirtualmachineisconfiguredwithtwovirtualnetworkadapters.Onevirtual
adapterisconnectedtothedefaulthostonlyinterface(VMnet1)andtheother
virtualadapterisconnectedtothenewlycreatedhostonlyinterface(VMnet2).
Configuration 1 Connect to the Default Host-Only Interface
1 Createthevirtualmachineoruseanexistingvirtualmachine.
2 LaunchVI WebAccessandselectthevirtualmachine.
3 Edittheconfigurationusingthevirtualnetworkeditor.
4 SelectNIC,selectCustom,andselectVMnet1(Hostonly)(onaWindowshost)or
/dev/vmnet1(onaLinuxhost)fromthedropdownlistontheright.
Ifnonetworkadapterisshowninthelistofdevices,clickAdd,andusetheAdd
Hardwarewizardtoaddanadapter.
Configuration 2 Connect to the Newly Created Host-Only Interface
SelectNIC,selectCustom,andselectVMnet2(Hostonly)(onaWindowshost)
or/dev/vmnet2(onaLinuxhost)fromthedropdownlistontheright.
242 VMware, Inc.

Configuration 3 Connect to Two Host-Only Interfaces
Selectthefirstnetworkadapterinthelistofdevices,selectCustom,andselect
VMnet1(Hostonly)(onaWindowshost)or/dev/vmnet1(onaLinuxhost)from
thedropdownlistontheright.Selectthesecondnetworkadapterinthelistof
devices,selectCustom,thenselectVMnet2(Hostonly)(onaWindowshost)or
Ifyouneedtoaddoneormorenetworkadapters,clickAdd,andusetheAdd
Atthispointyoucanpoweronthevirtualmachineandinstallyourguestoperating
system.Inconfigurations1and2youseeoneAMDPCNetAdapter.Inconfiguration3
youseetwoAMDPCNetAdapterswithintheguest.Configurethenetworkadapters
asyouwouldphysicaladaptersonaphysicalcomputer,givingeachadapteranIP
addressontheappropriateVMnetsubnet.
OnWindowshosts,youcanopenacommandpromptandrunipconfig /alltosee
whatIPaddresseseachhostonlynetworkisusing.
OnLinuxhosts,youcanopenaterminalandrunifconfigtoseewhatIPaddresses
eachhostonlynetworkisusing.
Routing Between Two Host-Only Networks

Ifyouaresettingupacomplextestnetworkusingvirtualmachines,youmightwantto
havetwoindependenthostonlynetworkswitharouterbetweenthem.
Therearetwobasicapproaches.Inone,theroutersoftwarerunsonthehostcomputer.
Intheother,theroutersoftwarerunsinitsownvirtualmachine.Inbothcases,youneed
twohostonlyinterfaces.
Theexamplesdescribedhereoutlinethesimplestcase,withonevirtualmachineon
eachofthehostonlynetworks.Formorecomplexconfigurations,youcanaddmore
virtualmachinesandhostonlynetworksasappropriate.
VMware, Inc. 243

Setting Up the First Host-Only Interface

OnWindowshosts,thefirsthostonlynetworkissetupwhenyouinstall
VMware Server.
OnLinuxhosts,thefirsthostonlynetworkissetupwhenyourunthe
vmware-config.plprogramafteryouinstallVMwareServer,providedyouagreeto
installhostonlynetworking.Ifyoudidnotagreetousehostonlynetworking,you
needtorunthescriptagaintosetuphostonlynetworking.
To set up the second host-only interface on a Windows host
VirtualNetworks.
4 SelectthevirtualnetworkonwhichyouwanttousetheadapterandclickOK.
5 ClickApply.
To set up the second host-only interface on a Linux host

vmware-config.pl
Usethewizardtomodifyyourconfiguration.AfterpromptingtoconfigureaNAT
network,theprogramprompts:
Do you want to be able to use host-only networking in your virtual
machines?
Typeyes.
Thewizarddisplaysthehostonlynetworksthatyouhavealreadysetuponthe
hostor,ifnoneispresent,configuresthefirsthostonlynetwork.
2 Thewizardprompts:
Do you wish to configure another host-only network?
Typeyes.
Repeatthisstepforeachhostonlynetworkyouwanttoconfigure.Thentypeno.
244 VMware, Inc.

3 Completethewizard.Whenitisfinished,itrestartsallservicesusedby
VMware Server.
4 Runifconfig.Youshouldseeatleastfournetworkinterfaceseth0,lo,
vmnet1,andvmnet2.IftheVMnetinterfacesdonotshowupimmediately,waitfor
aminute,thenrunthecommandagain.Thesefourinterfacesshouldhavedifferent
IPaddressonseparatesubnets.
Setting Up the Virtual Machines

Nowyouhavetwohostonlynetworkadaptersonthehostcomputer.Eachis
connectedtoitsownvirtualswitch(VMnet1andVMnet2).Youarereadytocreateand
configureyourvirtualmachinesandconnectthemtotheappropriatevirtualswitches.
Virtual Machine 1 Connected to the Default Host-Only Interface
SelectNIC,selectCustom,andselectVMnet1(Hostonly)(onaWindowshost)or
Virtual Machine 2 Connected to the Newly Created Host-Only Interface
SelectNIC,selectCustom,andselectVMnet2(Hostonly)(onaWindowshost)or
Ifyouplantoruntheroutersoftwareonyourhostcomputer,youcanskipthenext
section.
VMware, Inc. 245

Virtual Machine 3 Connected to Both Host-Only Interfaces
Ifyouplantoruntheroutersoftwareonavirtualmachine,setupathirdvirtual
machineforthatpurpose.
Selectthefirstnetworkadapterinthelistofdevices,selectCustom,andselect
VMnet1(Hostonly)(onaWindowshost)or/dev/vmnet1(onaLinuxhost)from
thedropdownlistontheright.Selectthesecondnetworkadapterinthelistof
devices,thenselectCustom,selectVMnet2(Hostonly)(onaWindowshost)or
Ifyouneedtoaddoneormorenetworkadapters,clickAdd,andusetheAdd
Nowyouneedtoconfigurethenetworkingcomponentsonthehostandinthevirtual
machines.TherecommendedapproachusesstaticIPaddressesforallthevirtual
machines.
To configure the host and virtual machine networking components
1 StoptheVMnetDHCPserverservice.
Windowshost:Fromthevirtualnetworkeditor,selectDHCPandclickStop
service.
Linuxhost:Stopthevmnet-dhcpdservice.
killall -TERM vmnet-dhcpd
2 Installguestoperatingsystemsineachofthevirtualmachines.
3 Installtheroutersoftwareonthehostcomputerorinthethirdvirtualmachine,
dependingontheapproachyouareusing.
4 Configurenetworkinginthefirsttwovirtualmachinestouseaddressesonthe
appropriatehostonlynetwork.
OnWindowshosts,youcanopenacommandpromptandrunipconfig /allto
seewhatIPaddresseseachhostonlynetworkisusing.
OnLinuxhosts,youcanopenaterminalandrunifconfigtoseewhatIP
addresseseachhostonlynetworkisusing.
246 VMware, Inc.

5 Ifyouarerunningtherouteronthehostcomputer,assigndefaultrouteraddresses
basedontheaddressesofthehostonlyadaptersonthehostcomputer.Inthefirst
virtualmachinesnetworkingconfiguration,thedefaultrouteraddressshouldbe
theIPaddressforthehostonlyadapterconnectedtoVMnet1.Inthesecondvirtual
machinesnetworkingconfiguration,thedefaultrouteraddressshouldbetheIP
addressforthehostonlyadapterconnectedtoVMnet2.
Ifyouarerunningtheroutersoftwareonthethirdvirtualmachine,setthedefault
routeraddressesinthefirsttwovirtualmachinesbasedonthoseusedbythethird
virtualmachine.Inthefirstvirtualmachinesnetworkingconfiguration,the
defaultrouteraddressshouldbetheIPaddressforthethirdvirtualmachines
networkadapterconnectedtoVMnet1.Inthesecondvirtualmachinesnetworking
configuration,thedefaultrouteraddressshouldbetheIPaddressforthethird
virtualmachinesnetworkadapterconnectedtoVMnet2.
Atthispointyoushouldbeabletopingtheroutermachinefromvirtualmachinesone
andtwo.Andiftheroutersoftwareissetupcorrectly,youshouldbeableto
communicatebetweenthefirstandsecondvirtualmachines.
Using Virtual Network Adapters in Promiscuous Mode on a

Linux Host
VMwareServerdoesnotallowthevirtualnetworkadaptertogointopromiscuous
modeunlesstheuserrunningVMwareServerhaspermissiontomakethatsetting.This
followsthestandardLinuxpracticethatonlyrootcanputanetworkinterfaceinto
promiscuousmode.
WhenyouinstallandconfigureVMwareServer,youmustruntheinstallationasroot.
VMwareServercreatestheVMnetdeviceswithrootownershipandrootgroup
ownership,whichmeansthatonlyroothasreadandwritepermissionstothedevices.
Tosetthevirtualmachinesnetworkadaptertopromiscuousmode,youmustlaunch
VMwareServerasrootbecauseyoumusthavereadandwriteaccesstotheVMnet
device.Forexample,ifyouareusingbridgednetworking,youmusthaveaccessto
/dev/vmnet0.
TograntselectedotherusersreadandwriteaccesstotheVMnetdevice,youcancreate
anewgroup,addtheappropriateuserstothegroupandgrantthatgroupreadand
writeaccesstotheappropriatedevice.Youmustmakethesechangesastherootuser
onthehostoperatingsystem.Forexample,youcanenterthefollowingcommands:
chgrp <newgroup> /dev/vmnet0
chmod g+rw /dev/vmnet0
<newgroup>isthegroupthatshouldhavetheabilitytosetvmnet0topromiscuous
mode.
VMware, Inc. 247

IfyouwantalluserstobeabletosetthevirtualnetworkAdapter(/dev/vmnet0inour
example)topromiscuousmode,runthefollowingcommandastherootuseronthe
host:
chmod a+rw /dev/vmnet0
Understanding NAT
Networkaddresstranslation,orNAT,providesasimplewayforvirtualmachinesto
usemostclientapplicationsoveralmostanytypeofnetworkconnectionavailableto
thehost.TheonlyrequirementforNATisthatthenetworkconnectionmustsupport
TCP/IP.
NATisusefulwhenyouhavealimitedsupplyofIPaddressesorareconnectedtothe
networkthroughanonEthernetnetworkadapter.NATworksbytranslatingaddresses
ofvirtualmachinesinaprivateVMnetnetworktothatofthehostmachine.Whena
virtualmachinesendsarequesttoaccessanetworkresource,itappearstothenetwork
resourceasiftherequestcamefromthehostmachine.
NATusesthehostsownnetworkresourcestoconnecttotheexternalnetwork.Thus,
anyTCP/IPnetworkresourcetowhichthehosthasaccessshouldbeavailablethrough
theNATconnection.
ThechiefadvantageofNATisthatitprovidesatransparent,easytoconfigurewayfor
virtualmachinestogainaccesstonetworkresources.
ThefollowingsectionsprovidemoreinformationaboutNAT.
Using NAT
TheNATdeviceisconnectedtotheVMnet8virtualswitch.Virtualmachinesconnected
totheNATnetworkalsousetheVMnet8virtualswitch.
TheNATdevicewaitsforpacketscomingfromvirtualmachinesontheVMnet8virtual
network.Whenapacketarrives,theNATdevicetranslatestheaddressofthevirtual
machinetothatofthehostbeforeforwardingthepackettotheexternalnetwork.When
dataarrivesfromtheexternalnetworkforthevirtualmachineontheprivatenetwork,
theNATdevicereceivesthedata,replacesthenetworkaddresswiththatofthevirtual
machineandforwardsthedatatothevirtualmachineonthevirtualnetwork.This
translationoccursautomaticallyandrequiresminimalconfigurationontheguestand
thehost.
248 VMware, Inc.

The Host Computer and the NAT Network

ThehostcomputerhasahostvirtualadapterontheNATnetwork(identicaltothehost
virtualadapteronthehostonlynetwork).Thisadapterallowsthehostandthevirtual
machinestocommunicatewitheachotherforsuchpurposesasfilesharing.TheNAT
neverforwardstrafficfromthehostvirtualadapter.
DHCP on the NAT Network

Tomakenetworkingconfigurationeasy,aDHCPserverisautomaticallyinstalledwhen
youinstallVMwareServer.VirtualmachinesrunningonthenetworkwiththeNAT
devicecandynamicallyobtaintheirIPaddressesbysendingoutDHCPrequests.The
DHCPserverontheNATnetwork,whichisalsousedinhostonlynetworking
configurations,dynamicallyallocatesIPaddressesintherangeof<net>.128through
<net>.254,where<net>isthenetworknumberassignedtoyourNATnetwork.
VMware ServeralwaysusesaClassCaddressforNATnetworks.IPaddresses<net>.3
through<net>.127canbeusedforstaticIPaddresses.IPaddress<net>.1isreservedfor
thehostadapterand<net>.2isreservedfortheNATdevice.
InadditiontotheIPaddress,theDHCPserverontheNATnetworkalsosendsout
additionalconfigurationinformationthatenablesthevirtualmachinetooperate
automatically.ThisinformationincludesthedefaultgatewayandtheDNSserver.Inthe
DHCPresponse,theNATdeviceinstructsthevirtualmachinetousetheIPaddress
<net>.2asthedefaultgatewayandDNSserver.ThiscausesallIPpacketsdestinedfor
theexternalnetworkandDNSrequeststobeforwardedtotheNATdevice.
DNS on the NAT Network

TheNATdeviceactsasaDNSserverforthevirtualmachinesontheNATnetwork.
Actually,theNATdeviceisaDNSproxyandmerelyforwardsDNSrequestsfromthe
virtualmachinestoaDNSserverthatisknownbythehost.Responsescomebacktothe
NATdevice,whichthenforwardsthemtothevirtualmachines.
IftheygettheirconfigurationinformationfromDHCP,thevirtualmachinesonthe
NATnetworkautomaticallyusetheNATdeviceastheDNSserver.However,the
virtualmachinescanbestaticallyconfiguredtouseanotherDNSserver.
ThevirtualmachinesintheprivateNATnetworkarenot,themselves,accessibleusing
DNS.IfyouwantthevirtualmachinesrunningontheNATnetworktoaccesseach
otherbyDNSnames,youmustsetupaprivateDNSserverconnectedtotheNAT
network.
VMware, Inc. 249

External Access from the NAT Network

Ingeneral,anyprotocolusingTCPorUDPcanbeusedautomaticallybyavirtual
machineontheNATnetworksolongasthevirtualmachineinitiatesthenetwork
connection.ThisistrueformostclientapplicationssuchasWebbrowsing,Telnet,
passivemodeFTP,anddownloadingstreamingvideo.Additionalprotocolsupporthas
beenbuiltintotheNATdevicetoallowFTPandICMPecho(ping)toworkcompletely
transparentlythroughtheNAT.
Ontheexternalnetworktowhichthehostisconnected,anyvirtualmachineonthe
NATnetworkappearstobethehostitself,becauseitsnetworktrafficusesthehostsIP
address.ItisabletosendandreceivedatausingTCP/IPtoanymachinethatis
accessiblefromthehost.
Beforeanysuchcommunicationcanoccur,theNATdevicemustsetupamapping
betweenthevirtualmachinesaddressontheprivateNATnetworkandthehosts
networkaddressontheexternalnetwork.
Whenavirtualmachineinitiatesanetworkconnectionwithanothernetworkresource,
thismappingiscreatedautomatically.Theoperationisperfectlytransparenttotheuser
ofthevirtualmachineontheNATnetwork.Noadditionalworkneedstobedonetolet
thevirtualmachineaccesstheexternalnetwork.
Thesamecannotbesaidfornetworkconnectionsthatareinitiatedfromtheexternal
networktoavirtualmachineontheNATnetwork.
Whenamachineontheexternalnetworkattemptstoinitiateaconnectionwithavirtual
machineontheNATnetwork,itcannotreachthevirtualmachinebecausetheNAT
devicedoesnotforwardtherequest.Networkconnectionsthatareinitiatedfrom
outsidetheNATnetworkarenottransparent.
However,itispossibletoconfigureportforwardingmanuallyontheNATdeviceso
networktrafficdestinedforacertainportcanstillbeforwardedautomaticallytoa
virtualmachineontheNATnetwork.Fordetails,seeAdvancedNATConfiguration
onpage 251.
FilesharingofthetypeusedbyWindowsoperatingsystemsandSambaispossible
amongcomputersontheNATnetworkincludingvirtualmachinesandthehost
computer.IfyouareusingWINSserversonyournetwork,avirtualmachineusing
NATnetworkingcanaccesssharedfilesandfoldersonthehostthatareknownbythe
WINSserversolongasthosesharedfilesandfoldersareinthesameworkgroupor
domain.
250 VMware, Inc.

Advanced NAT Configuration

Readthesectionthatcorrespondstoyourhostoperatingsystemforinformationabout
configuringNATforyourvirtualmachines.
Windows Hosts
ConfiguretheNATdeviceusingthevirtualnetworkeditor(fromtheWindowsStart
menu,selectPrograms>VMwareServer>ManageVirtualNetworks,andclickthe
NATtab).
Youcanstop,restart,andstartthevirtualNATdevicebyclickingtheappropriate
button.TheVMnethostsettingletsyouselectwhichvirtualnetworkusestheNAT
device.YoucanselectDisableifyoudonotwanttouseNATonanyvirtualnetwork.
ToeditNATsettingsforavirtualnetwork,selectitfromthedropdownmenu,then
clickEdit.TheNATSettingsdialogboxappears.
YoucanchangeanyofthefollowingNATsettings:
PortforwardingletsyousendincomingTCPorUDPrequeststoaspecificvirtual
machineonthevirtualnetworkservedbytheNATdevice.Tosetupandconfigure
forwardedports,clickPortforwarding.Adialogboxappears.
ToaddanewportforeitherTCPorUDP,clickAdd.Ifaportisalreadylisted,you
canchangeitssettings.Selectitsnameinthelist,andclickProperties.Orclick
Removetoremovetheselectedport.
WhenyouclickAdd,anotherdialogboxappears.IntheHostportfield,typethe
numberoftheincomingTCPorUDPport.Forexample,incomingHTTPrequests
areusuallyonport80.InthefirstForwardingIPaddressfield,typetheIPaddress
ofthevirtualmachinetowhichyouwanttoforwardtheincomingrequests.Inthe
secondfieldonthatline,typetheportnumberyouwanttouseforthoserequests
onthatvirtualmachine.Youcanenterthestandardport,suchas80forHTTP,ora
nonstandardportifsoftwarerunninginthevirtualmachineisconfiguredtoaccept
requestsonanonstandardport.TheDescriptionfieldisoptional.Youmightuse
ittoidentifytheservicebeingforwarded(forexample,HTTP).Whenyouhave
madethesesettings,clickOK.
VMware, Inc. 251

YoucanspecifyDNSserverstobeusedbythevirtualNATdevice.Todoso,click
DNS.Adialogboxappears.YoucanchangethePolicyforusingmultipleDNS
serversifyouprefertouseRotateorBurstinsteadofthedefaultsettingofOrder.
ToaddaDNSservertothelist,clickAdd.Anotherdialogboxappears.Enterthe
DNSserversIPaddressintheIPaddressfield.TheDescriptionfieldisoptional.
Whenyouhavemadethedesiredsettings,clickOK.Tochangethesettingsfora
serveralreadyinthelist,selectitsentryintheDNSdialogbox,andclick
Properties.Todeleteanentry,selecttheentry,andclickRemove.Whenyouhave
madethedesiredchanges,clickOK.
YoucanchangetheIPaddressfortheNATdeviceintheGatewayIPaddressfield.
TochangetheNetmask,clickthebuttonontheHostVirtualNetworkMapping
tabofthevirtualnetworkeditorandselectSubnet.
ToallowonlypassivemodeFTPovertheNATdevice,deselecttheActiveFTP
checkbox.
YoucanchangethenumberofminutestokeeptheUDPmappingfortheNATin
theUDPtimeoutfield.
IfyouchangetheOUI(OrganizationallyUniqueIdentifier)portionoftheMAC
addressforthevirtualmachineandsubsequentlycannotuseNATwiththevirtual
machine,youshouldchecktheAllowAnyOUIcheckbox.
IntheConfigportfield,youcanspecifyaportthatcanbeusedtoaccessstatus
informationabouttheNAT.Thisoptionisusedfortroubleshootingpurposeswith
VMwaretechnicalsupportonly.
YoucanchangeNetBIOStimeoutandretrysettings.
Whenyouhavemadeallthenetworkingchangesyouwant,clickOK.
Linux Hosts
UsetheNATconfigurationfileonthehosttoconfiguretheNATdevice.Thisfileis
/etc/vmware/vmnet8/nat/nat.conf.
Theconfigurationfileisdividedintosections.EachsectionconfiguresapartoftheNAT
device.Textsurroundedbysquarebracketssuchas[host]marksthebeginning
ofasection.Ineachsectionisaconfigurationparameterthatcanbeset.The
configurationparameterstaketheformip = 192.168.27.1/24.
ForanexampleofaNATconfigurationfile,seeSampleLinuxvmnetnat.confFileon
page 257.Theconfigurationfilevariablesaredescribedbelow.
252 VMware, Inc.

The [host] Section

ip
TheIPaddressthattheNATdeviceshoulduse.Itcanoptionallybefollowedbyaslash
andthenumberofbitsinthesubnet.
netmask
ThesubnetmasktousefortheNAT.DHCPaddressesareallocatedfromthisrangeof
addresses.
configport
AportthatcanbeusedtoaccessstatusinformationabouttheNAT.
device
TheVMnetdevicetouse.Linuxdevicesareoftheformat/dev/vmnet<x>.VMnet8is
thedefaultNATdevice.
activeFTP
AflagthatindicatesifactiveFTPistobeallowed.ActiveFTPallowsincoming
connectionstobeopenedbytheremoteFTPserver.Turningthisoffmeansthatonly
passivemodeFTPworks.Settheflagto0toturnactiveFTPoff.
The [udp] Section

timeout
ThenumberofminutestokeeptheUDPmappingfortheNAT.
The [incomingtcp] Section

UsethissectiontoconfigureTCPportforwardingforNAT.Youcanassignaport
numbertoanIPaddressandportnumberonavirtualmachine.
Thefollowinglineshowstheformatusedinthissection.
8887 = 192.168.27.128:21
Thisexamplecreatesamappingfromport8887onthehosttotheIPaddress
192.168.27.128andport21.Whenthismappingissetandanexternalmachineconnects
tothehostatport8887,thenetworkpacketsareautomaticallyforwardedtoport21(the
standardportforFTP)onthevirtualmachinewithIPaddress192.168.27.128.
VMware, Inc. 253

The [incomingudp] Section

UsethissectiontoconfigureUDPportforwardingforNAT.Youcanassignaport
numbertoanIPaddressandportnumberonavirtualmachine.
Thefollowinglineshowstheformatusedinthissection.Itillustratesawaytoforward
Xservertrafficfromthehostport6000tothevirtualmachinesport6001.
6000 = 192.168.27.128:6001
Thisexamplecreatesamappingfromport6000onthehosttotheIPaddress
192.168.27.128andport6001.Whenthismappingissetandanexternalmachine
connectstothehostatport6000,thenetworkpacketsareautomaticallyforwardedto
port6001onthevirtualmachinewithIPaddress192.168.27.128.
Custom NAT and DHCP Configuration on a Windows Host

IfyouareanadvanceduseronaWindowshostcomputer,youcanmakecustom
configurationsettingsbyeditingtheNATandDHCPconfigurationfiles.Ifyourhost
operatingsystemisinstalledontheCdrive,theconfigurationfilesforNATandDHCP
areinthefollowinglocations:
NAT:C:\Documents and Settings\All Users\Application

Data\VMware\vmnetnat.conf
DHCP:C:\Documents and Settings\All Users\Application

Data\VMware\vmnetdhcp.conf
NOTEYoucanchangemanykeyNATandDCHPsettingsusingthevirtualnetwork
editor(fromtheWindowsStartmenu,selectPrograms>VMwareServer>Manage
VirtualNetworks).However,ifyouhavemademanualchangestotheconfiguration
files,someorallofthosechangesmightbelostwhenyouusethevirtualnetworkeditor.
Ifyouhavemademanualchanges,makebackupcopiesofthefilesbeforechangingany
settingsinthevirtualnetworkeditor.Aftermakingchangesinthevirtualnetwork
editor,youcancopyyourmanualchangesbackintotheappropriateconfigurationfiles.
Specifying Connections from Ports Below 1024

WhenaclientmachinemakesaTCPorUDPconnectiontoaserver,theconnection
comesfromaparticularportontheclient(thesourceport)andconnectstoaparticular
portontheserver(thedestinationport).Forsecurityreasons,someserversaccept
connectionsonlyfromsourceportsbelow1024.
IfavirtualmachineusingNATattemptstoconnecttoaserverthatrequirestheclient
touseasourceportbelow1024,itisimportantthattheNATdeviceforwardtherequest
fromaportbelow1024.Youcanspecifythisbehaviorinthevmnetnat.conffile.
254 VMware, Inc.

Thisbehavioriscontrolledbyentriesinsectionsheaded[privilegedUDP]and
[privilegedTCP].Youmighthavetoaddsettingstoormodifysettingsineitheror
bothofthesesections,dependingonthekindofconnectionyouneedtomake.
Youcansettwoparameters,eachofwhichappearsonaseparateline.
autodetect = <n>
TheautodetectsettingdetermineswhethertheVMwareNATdeviceautomatically
attemptstomapvirtualmachinesourceportsbelow1024toNATsourceportsbelow
1024.Asettingof1meanstrue.Asettingof0meansfalse.OnaWindowshost,the
defaultis1(true).OnaLinuxhost,thedefaultis0(false).
port = <n>
Theportsettingspecifiesadestinationport(<n>istheportontheserverthataccepts
theconnectionfromtheclient).Wheneveravirtualmachineconnectstothespecified
portonanyserver,theNATdeviceattemptstomaketheconnectionfromasourceport
below1024.Youcanincludeoneormoreportsettingsinthe[privilegedUDP]or
[privilegedTCP]sectionorinbothsections,asrequiredfortheconnectionsyouneed
tomake.Eachportsettingmustbeenteredonaseparateline.
Considerations for Using NAT

BecauseNATrequiresthateverypacketsentandreceivedfromvirtualmachinesbein
theNATnetwork,thereisanunavoidableperformancepenalty.Ourtestingshowsthat
thepenaltyisminorfordialupandDSLconnections,andperformanceisadequatefor
mostVMwareServeruses.
NATisnotperfectlytransparent.Itdoesnotnormallyallowconnectionstobeinitiated
fromoutsidethenetwork,althoughyoucansetupserverconnectionsbymanually
configuringtheNATdevice.ThepracticalresultisthatsomeTCPandUDPprotocols
thatrequireaconnectionbeinitiatedfromtheservermachinesomepeertopeer
applications,forexampledonotworkautomatically,andsomemightnotworkatall.
AstandardNATconfigurationprovidesbasiclevelfirewallprotectionbecausethe
NATdevicecaninitiateconnectionsfromtheprivateNATnetwork,butdevicesonthe
externalnetworkcannotnormallyinitiateconnectionstotheprivateNATnetwork.
Using NAT with NetLogon

WhenusingNATnetworkinginavirtualmachinewithaWindowsguestoperating
systemrunningonaWindowshost,youcanuseNetLogontologontoaWindows
domainfromthevirtualmachine.YoucanthenaccessfilesharesknownbytheWINS
serverinthedomain.
VMware, Inc. 255

TouseNetLogon,youneedtoknowhowWINSserversandWindowsdomain
controllerswork.Thissectionexplainshowtosetupthevirtualmachinetouse
NetLogon.Thesetupprocessissimilartothewayyousetupaphysicalcomputeron
oneLANthatisusingadomaincontrolleronanotherLAN.
TologontoaWindowsdomainoutsidethevirtualNATnetwork,thevirtualmachine
needsaccesstoaWINSserverforthatdomain.Therearetwowaysyoucanconnectthe
virtualmachinetoaWINSserver.YoucanconnecttotheWINSserverprovidedbythe
DHCPserverusedontheNATnetwork,providedthattheWINSserverisalreadyset
uponthehost.IfyouwanttoconnectfromthevirtualmachinetoaWINSservernot
setuponthehost,youcanmanuallyentertheIPaddressoftheWINSserver.
Using NAT to Connect to an Existing WINS Server Already Set Up on the

Host
Tousethismethod,aWINSserverinthesameworkgroupordomainmustbesetup
onthehost.ThesestepsuseWindows2000,WindowsXP,orWindowsServer2003asa
guide.TheprocessissimilarforWindowsNT,WindowsMe,andWindows9xguests.
To use NAT to connect to an existing WINS Server
1 Inthevirtualmachine,rightclickonMyNetworkPlacesandselectProperties.
2 IntheNetworkConnectionswindow,rightclickthevirtualnetworkadapterand
selectProperties.
3 InthePropertiesdialogbox,selectInternetProtocol(TCP/IP),andclick
Properties.
4 IntheTCP/IPPropertiesdialogbox,clickAdvanced.
5 ClicktheWINStab,thenunderNetBIOSsetting,selectUseNetBIOSsetting
fromDHCPServer.
6 ClickOKtwice,andclickClose.
Manually Entering the IP Address of a WINS Server

UsethismethodtoconnecttoaWINSserverinthesameworkgroupordomainthatis
notalreadysetuponthehost.
To manually enter the IP address of a WINS server
1 Inthevirtualmachine,rightclickonMyNetworkPlacesandselectProperties.
2 IntheNetworkConnectionswindow,rightclickthevirtualnetworkadapterand
selectProperties.
256 VMware, Inc.

3 InthePropertiesdialogbox,selectInternetProtocol(TCP/IP),andclick
Properties.
4 IntheTCP/IPPropertiesdialogbox,clickAdvanced.
5 ClicktheWINStab,andclickAdd.
6 IntheTCP/IPWINSServerdialogbox,entertheIPaddressfortheWINSserverin
theWINSserverfield,andclickOK.TheIPaddressoftheWINSserverappears
intheWINSaddresseslistontheWINStab.
Repeatsteps5and6foreachWINSservertowhichyouwanttoconnectfromthis
virtualmachine.
7 ClickOKtwice,andclickClose.
NowthatthevirtualmachinehasanIPaddressforaWINSserver,youuseNetLogon
inthevirtualmachinetologontoadomainandaccesssharesinthatdomain.
Forexample,iftheWINSservercoversadomainwithadomaincontroller,itispossible
toaccessthatdomaincontrollerfromthevirtualmachineandaddthevirtualmachine
tothedomain.YouneedtoknowtheuserIDandpasswordoftheAdministratoronthe
domaincontroller.
NOTEYouraccessislimitedtosharesofvirtualmachinesthatareonthesameNAT
networkorarebridgedonthesamedomain.
Sample Linux vmnetnat.conf File

ThefollowingisasampleLinuxvmnetnat.conffile.
# Linux NAT configuration file
[host]
# NAT gateway address
ip = 192.168.237.2/24
hostMAC = 00:50:56:C0:00:08
# enable configuration; disabled by default for security reasons

#configport = 33445
# VMnet device if not specified on command line

device = VMnet8
# Allow PORT/EPRT FTP commands (they need incoming TCP stream...)

activeFTP = 1
# Allows the source to have any OUI. Enable this if you change the OUI
# in the MAC address of your virtual machines.
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#allowAnyOUI = 1
[udp]
# Timeout in seconds, 0 = no timeout, default = 60; real value might
# be up to 100% longer
timeout = 30
[incomingtcp]
# Use these with care - anyone can enter into your virtual machine through
# these...
# FTP (both active and passive FTP is always enabled)

# ftp localhost 8887
#8887 = 192.168.27.128:21
# WEB (make sure that if you are using named webhosting, names point to
# your host, not to guest... And if you are forwarding port other
# than 80 make sure that your server copes with mismatched port
# number in Host: header)
# lynx http://localhost:8888
#8888 = 192.168.27.128:80
# SSH
# ssh -p 8889 root@localhost
#8889 = 192.168.27.128:22
[incomingudp]
# UDP port forwarding example
#6000 = 192.168.27.128:6001
Using Samba for File Sharing on a Linux Host

OnaLinuxhostcomputer,VMwareServercanautomaticallyinstallandconfigurea
SambaservertoactasafileserverforMicrosoftWindowsguestoperatingsystems.
YoucanthenuseWindowsExplorerinthevirtualmachinetomoveandcopyfiles
betweenvirtualmachineandhostorbetweenvirtualmachinesonthesamenetwork
justasyouwouldwithfilesonphysicalcomputersthatshareanetworkconnection.
ThelightlymodifiedSambaserverinstalledbyVMwareServerrunsoverthe
VMware ServervirtualEthernet,andtheSambatrafficbetweendifferentoperating
systemsisisolatedfromactuallocalareanetworks.
Thesourcecodedifferencesforthechanges(indiffformatandbasedonSamba2.0.6)
areavailablefromVMware.Formoreinformation,see
www.vmware.com/download/open_sources.html.
258 VMware, Inc.

IfyoualreadyhaveSambaconfiguredonyourLinuxhost,therecommendedapproach
istomodifythatconfigurationsoitincludestheIPsubnetusedbytheVMwareServer
virtualnetworkadapter,VMnet1.
YoucanconfigureyourexistingSambaservertoworkwithahostonlynetwork.Allthe
sharesyousetupinSambaandintheguestoperatingsystemnormallyappearonthe
bridgednetworkaswell.
Ifyouneedtobesurethesharessetupintheguestoperatingsystemareseenonlyon
thehostonlynetwork,youmightfinditeasiesttoinstallandusetheSambaserver
providedwithVMwareServer.
Ifyoudonotneedanysharestoappearonyourbridgednetwork,youcanuseyour
existingSambaserverandsetuptheconfigurationfilesoitworksonlyonthehostonly
network.
Sambaconfigurationscanbequitecomplex.Thissectionprovidesseveralsample
configurationfiles.Ifyouneedtogobeyondtheissuescoveredhere,seethemanpage
forthesmb.conffile.Toviewthismanpage,typeoneofthefollowingcommandsina
terminalwindow:
man smb.conf
or
man 5 smb.conf
Payparticularattentiontothesectiononencryptedpasswords.Ifyouhaveenabled
cleartextpasswordsintheguestoperatingsystem,makesurethatsmb.confissetup
tousecleartextpasswords.Similarly,ifyouareusingencryptedpasswords,youmust
havethesamesettingintheguestoperatingsystemandinsmb.conf.
NOTEUsingSambaprintersharingwithvirtualmachinesisnotsupported.Consult
themanpagesforguidanceonconfiguringSambaforprinting.
Sample smb.conf for Host-Only Networking

ThefollowingsampleSambaconfigurationfileisforusewithhostonlynetworking.
Thisconfigurationisforthe2.0.6versionofSambainstalledbyVMwareServer.The
configurationfilesareplacedin/etc/vmware/vmnet1/smbbydefault.
# This is the VMware(TM) Samba configuration file. Read the
# smb.conf(5) manual page to understand the options listed
# here. Samba has a huge number of configurable options
# most of which are not shown in this example
#
# Any line that starts with a ; (semicolon) or a # (hash)
# is a comment and is ignored. In this example we will use a #
# for commentary and a ; for parts of the config file that you
VMware, Inc. 259

# might wish to enable

#
#
# Configuration file for Samba 2.0.6 vmware-[sn]mbd operating on
# vmnet1.
#
# This file was generated by the VMware configuration
# program and modified for this document.
#
# If you modify it, it will be backed up the next time you run the
# configuration program.
# Global settings
[global]
# This should be polled at install time from the private subnet created by
# vmware-config.pl
socket address = 192.168.183.1
interfaces = vmnet1
bind interfaces only = yes
workgroup = WORKGROUP
netbios name = HOSTNAME
server string = VMware host-only
security = user
encrypt passwords = yes
# Note: Printers not loaded in this example. Resource definitions commented

# below.
; load printers = yes
socket options = TCP_NODELAY SO_RCVBUF=8192 SO_SNDBUF=8192
# VMware extension to use a different shared memory access key on each

# Samba server running on this host
sysv shm key = /dev/vmnet1
; log file = /etc/vmware/vmnet1/smb/var/log.smb

; log level = 1
; max log size in KB
; max log size = 50
lock directory = /etc/vmware/vmnet1/smb/var/locks
smb passwd file = /etc/vmware/vmnet1/smb/private/smbpasswd
codepage dir = /usr/lib/vmware/smb/codepages
dns proxy = no
260 VMware, Inc.

# Shared resources
# Home directories
[homes]
comment = Home directories
browseable = no
writable = yes
# Printers
;[printers]
; comment = All printers
; path = /var/lpd
; browseable = no
; guest ok = no
; writable = no
; printable = yes
;[HostFS]
; comment = VMware host filesystem
; path = /
; public = no
; writeable = yes
; printable = no
Sample smb.conf for Bridged Networking

ThefollowingsampleSambaconfigurationfileisforusewithbridgednetworking.This
configurationfileisbasedonthe2.0.7versionofSambaandassumesthatyouareusing
yourexistingSambaserver,asprovidedwithyourhostcomputersLinuxdistribution.
Theconfigurationfileisplacedin/etcbydefault.
# This is the main Samba configuration file. Read the
# smb.conf(5) manual page to understand the options listed
# here. Samba has a huge number of configurable options
# most of which are not shown in this example
#
# Any line that starts with a ; (semicolon) or a # (hash)
# is a comment and is ignored. In this example we will use a #
# for commentary and a ; for parts of the config file that you
# might wish to enable
#
# NOTE: Whenever you modify this file run the command
# "testparm" to check that you have not many any basic syntactic
# errors.
# Global Settings
[global]
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interfaces = eth0
workgroup = WORKGROUP
netbios name = HOSTNAME
server string = Samba Host Box
# Note: Printers not loaded in this example. Resource definitions commented

# below.
; printcap name = lpstat
; load printers = yes
; printing = cups
log file = /var/log/samba/log.%m

max log size = 50
security = user
smb passwd file = /etc/smbpasswd
dns proxy = no
preserve case = yes

short preserve case = yes
default case = lower
; case sensitive = no
# Shared Resources
[homes]
comment = Home Directories
browseable = yes
writable = yes
;[printers]
; comment = All Printers
; path = /var/spool/samba
; browseable = yes
; guest ok = yes
; writable = no
; printable = yes
; create mode = 0700
; print command = lpr-cups -P %p -o raw %s -r # using client side
; printer drivers.
; print command = lpr-cups -P %p %s # using cups own drivers (use
; generic PostScript on clients).
; lpq command = lpstat -o %p
; lprm command = cancel %p-%j
262 VMware, Inc.

;[system]
; comment = System share
; path = /
; valid users = username
; public = no
; browsable = yes
; writable = yes
; printable = no
Adding User Names and Passwords to the VMware Server Samba

Password File
YoumustbesuretheSambapasswordfileincludesentriesforallusersofthevirtual
machinewhowillaccessthehostsfilesystem.Theusernamesandpasswordsinthe
Sambapasswordfilemustbethesameasthoseusedforloggingontotheguest
operatingsystem.
YoucanaddusernamesandpasswordstotheVMwareServerSambapasswordfileat
anytimefromaterminalwindowonyourLinuxhostcomputer.
To add user names and passwords to the VMware Server Samba password file
1 Astherootuser,runtheVMwareServerSambapasswordcommand.
vmware-smbpasswd vmnet1 -a <username>
<username>istheusernameyouwanttoadd.Followtheonscreeninstructions.
NOTEvmware-smbpasswdisbasedonthestandardSambapasswordprogram.If
youarefamiliarwiththeoptionsusedinsmbpasswd,youcanuseanyofthemin
vmware-smbpasswd.
2 Logoutasroot.
exit
Ifthefollowingmessageisdisplayed:
Unknown virtual interface "vmnet1"
ThisindicatesyourmachineisnotusingtheVMwareServerSambaserver.
IfyourinstallationofVMwareServerdoesnotincludetheVMwareServerSamba
serverandyouwanttosetitup,logonastherootuseronthehost,andrun
vmware-config.plfromaterminalonthehost.
ToconfigureVMwareServercorrectly,thevmware-config.plconfigurationprogram
requiresallvirtualmachinestobeshutdown.Theprogramshutsdownanyrunning
virtualmachinesautomatically.
VMware, Inc. 263

Whentheconfigurationprogramprompts:
Do you want this script to automatically configure your system to allow your
virtual machines to access the host file system?
Typeyes.
If You Are Already Running Samba

IfyoualreadyhaveSambarunningonyourLinuxhost,donotinstallthe
VMware ServerSambaserverwhenyouareinstallingVMwareServeronyourhost.
Whentheconfigurationprogramprompts:
Do you want this script to automatically configure your system to allow your
virtual machines to access the host file system?
Typeno.
BesuretomodifyyourSambaconfigurationsoitincludestheIPsubnetusedbythe
VMwareServervirtualnetworkadapter,VMnet1.
To determine what subnet is being used by VMnet1, enter

/sbin/ifconfig vmnet1
YoumustbesuretheSambapasswordfileincludesentriesforallusersofthevirtual
machinewhowillaccessthehostsfilesystem.Theusernamesandpasswordsinthe
Sambapasswordfilemustbethesameasthoseusedforloggingontotheguest
operatingsystem.
YoucanaddusernamesandpasswordstotheSambapasswordfileatanytimefroma
terminalwindowonyourLinuxhostcomputer.
To add user names and passwords to the Samba password file from a Linux host
1 Logontotherootaccount.
su -
2 RuntheSambapasswordcommand.
smbpasswd -a <username>
<username>istheusernameyouwanttoadd.Followtheonscreeninstructions.
3 Logoutoftherootaccount.
exit
264 VMware, Inc.

Using a Samba Server for Both Bridged and Host-Only Networks

YoucanusetheSambaserverofyourchoiceeithertheexistingSambaserverfrom
yourhostoperatingsystemsdistributionortheoneprovidedwithVMwareServer
forbothhostonlyandbridgednetworking.Todoso,youmustmodifyoneparameter
inthesmb.conffile.YoucandefinetheinterfaceparametersoyourSambaserver
servesmultipleinterfaces.Forexample:
interface = eth0 vmnet1
ThisexampletellstheSambaserverthatitistolistentoanduseboththeeth0and
vmnet1interfacestheinterfacesusedbybridgedandhostonlynetworking,
respectively.
Using VMware Servers Samba with an Existing Installation

YoucanalsorunbothyourexistingSambaserverandtheVMwareServerSambaserver
atthesametime.Todothis,yourcurrentSambaservermustbeversion2.0.6orhigher
andmustbeconfiguredcorrectly.However,thisapproachisnotrecommended.
To determine the version of your Samba server, enter

smbd -V
IfyouwanttotryrunningbothSambaserversatthesametime,usethissample
smb.conffileasabasisforconfiguringtheregularSambaserveronyourhost
computer.
Sample smb.conf for Running Two Samba Servers at the Same Time
; This file is the recommended smb.conf file for your
; normal Samba server if you want to run it concurrently
; (which we don't advise) with the VMware Samba server.
;
; Your normal samba server should be at least v 2.0.6
;
; You will need to insert specific information
; for your system at several points indicated in the file
; by <text in angle brackets>.
;
; --------------
;
; Larmor samba server configuration
;
; Global settings
[global]
;
; Identity
;
VMware, Inc. 265

; Allow several Samba servers on the same machine

interfaces = <your real subnet>/<your real netmask>
bind interfaces only = yes
; Workgroup the host belongs to
workgroup = VMware
; SMB name of the host (the hostname by default)
netbios name = <your Windows name>
; Description of the host
server string = Linux running Samba 2.0.6
;
; Access
;
; Allow connections from
; hosts allow = <your real subnet>/<your real netmask>
; Authentication scheme
security = user
;
; Options
;
; Automatically load the printer list (from /etc/printcap
; by default)
load printers = yes
; Gives better performance
;
; Files and directories
;
; Max log size in KB
max log size = 1024
; Locks
lock directory = /var/samba
; SMB passwords
smb passwd file = /etc/samba/smbpasswd
;
; Name browsing
;
; Allow the host to participate in master browser
; elections
local master = yes
; Force a local browser election upon startup
; We need that otherwise it takes a long time before the
; windows network is browsable
preferred master = yes
; Do not try to resolve SMB names using DNS
dns proxy = no
; Shared resources
;
266 VMware, Inc.

; Home directories
[homes]
comment = Home directories
browseable = no
writable = yes
; Printers
;[printers]
; comment = All printers
; path = /var/lpd
; browseable = no
; guest ok = no
; writable = no
; printable = yes
[Slash]
comment = Whole filesystem
path = /
public = no
writeable = yes
printable = no
Using the Virtual Network Editor

UsingtheVirtualNetworkEditor,youcanviewandchangemanykeysettingsfor
networkinginyourvirtualmachinesandcreatecustomvirtualnetworking
configurations.Thesechangesaffectallvirtualmachinesonthehostcomputer.
Althoughanyusercanviewnetworksettings,onlyAdministratoruserscanchange
them.
Summary Tab
TheSummarytabdisplaysalistofthevirtualnetworkscurrentlyactiveonthehost.
Bydefault,theVMnet0virtualnetworkissetupinbridgedmodeandbridgestoan
activenetworkadapteronthehostcomputer.Iftherearemultipleactivenetwork
adaptersonthehost,thechoiceofwhichadapteritusesisarbitrary.Torestrictthe
rangeofchoices,clicktheAutomaticBridgingtabandspecifyanyadaptersyouwant
toexclude.Formoreinformation,seeAutomaticBridgingTabonpage 268.
ClicktheHostVirtualNetworkMappingtabtospecifythenetworkadapterusedfor
VMnet0andforanyothervirtualnetworksyouwanttouseforbridgednetworking.
Controlsonthispanelalsoallowyoutospecifythesubnettobeusedbyanyvirtual
network.Formoreinformation,seeHostVirtualNetworkMappingTabonpage 268.
ClicktheHostVirtualAdapterstabtospecifywhichvirtualnetworkshavehostvirtual
adaptersvirtualnetworkadaptersthatallowthehostcomputertoconnecttothe
network.Formoreinformation,seeHostVirtualAdaptersTabonpage 269.
VMware, Inc. 267

ClicktheDHCPtabtospecifywhichvirtualnetworksusethevirtualDHCPserveror
toconfigureDHCPsettingsforanyofthosenetworks.Formoreinformation,see
DHCPTabonpage 269.
ClicktheNATtabtoconfiguresettingsforthevirtualnetworkaddresstranslation
(NAT)device.Formoreinformation,seeNATTabonpage 270.
Automatic Bridging Tab

Bydefault,VMwareServerautomaticallybridgesVMnet0tothefirstavailablephysical
networkadapteronthehost.
Todisableautomaticbridging,clearthecheckboxcalledAutomaticallychoosean
availablephysicalnetworkadaptertobridgetoVMnet0.Afteryoudeselectthis
option,youcanseewhichphysicaladapterisbridgedtoVMnet0ontheSummarytab
andontheHostVirtualNetworkMappingtab.
TopreventaspecificadapterfromautomaticallybridgingtoVMnet0,leavethecheck
boxselected,andintheExcludedadapterssection,clickAddtospecifywhichphysical
networkadapteryouwanttopreventfrombeingbridgedtoVMnet0.
SeealsoHostVirtualNetworkMappingTabonpage 268.
Host Virtual Network Mapping Tab

Fromthistab,youcan:
Addnewvirtualnetworkadapters(switches).
Designatephysicalnetworkadapterstobeusedforbridgednetworking.
Removeanadapter.
Changesubnetandnetmasksettingsforavirtualadapter(seeChangingSubnet
andNetmaskSettingsonpage 269).
ChangeDHCPsettings(seeChangingDHCPSettingsonpage 269).
Becarefulwhenyouchangethebridgedadaptermappings.Ifyoureassignaphysical
networkadaptertoadifferentvirtualnetwork,anyvirtualmachinethatusedthe
originalnetworkisnolongerbridgedtotheexternalnetworkviathatvirtualnetwork.
Youmustthenchangethesettingforeachaffectedvirtualmachinesnetworkadapter
individually.
Thiscanbeespeciallytroublesomeifyourhosthasonlyonephysicalnetworkadapter
andyoureassignittoaVMnetotherthanVMnet0.EventhoughtheVMnetstillappears
tobridgetoanautomaticallychosenadapter,theonlyadapteritcanusehasbeen
assignedtoadifferentVMnet.
268 VMware, Inc.

Changing Subnet and Netmask Settings

Tovieworchangethesubnetsettingsforavirtualnetwork,clickthe>buttonforthat
virtualnetwork.Acontextmenuappears,fromwhichyoucanselectSubnet.Makeany
changesyouwish,andclickOK.
Changing DHCP Settings

TovieworchangeDHCPsettingsforavirtualnetwork,clickthe>buttonforthat
virtualnetwork.Acontextmenuappears,fromwhichyoucanselectDHCP.Makeany
changesyouwish,andclickOK.
YoucanchangeDHCPsettingsonlyifthevirtualnetworkadapterisbridged.For
example,ifthesettingforVMnet3isNotbridged,thecontextmenudisplaysonly
Subnet,andthereisnooptionforchangingDHCPsettings.
SeealsoDHCPTabonpage 269.
Host Virtual Adapters Tab

Thelistonthispanelshowswhichvirtualnetworkshavehostvirtualadapters
virtualnetworkadaptersthatallowthehostcomputertoconnecttothenetwork.
Ifyouinstalltheproperroutingorproxysoftwareonyourhostcomputer,youcan
establishaconnectionbetweenthehostvirtualnetworkadapterandaphysical
networkadapteronthehostcomputer.Thisallowsyou,forexample,toconnectthe
virtualmachinetoaTokenRingorothernonEthernetnetwork.
Usethistabtoenable,disable,add,andremoveahostvirtualadapter.Youcanenable
anddisableadapterswhileavirtualmachineisrunning.
Thepresenceofvirtualnetworkadaptershasaslightperformancecost,because
broadcastpacketsmustgototheextraadapters.OnWindowsnetworks,browsingyour
networkmightbeslowerthanusual.Andinsomecases,theseadaptersinteractwith
thehostcomputersnetworkingconfigurationinundesirableways.Ifyouarenotusing
avirtualnetworkadapter,youcanremoveordisableit.
DHCP Tab
YouneedtoconfigurethevirtualDHCPserverifyouwanttoassignIPaddressesto
eachvirtualmachineandthehostontheprivatenetwork(thatis,ifyouwanttouse
hostonlyorNATnetworking).UsingDHCPtoassignIPaddressesissimplerandmore
automaticthanstaticallyassigningthem.
VMware, Inc. 269

Toaddanewvirtualnetworktothelist,clickAdd.Inthedialogboxthatappears,select
thenetworkyouwanttoaddfromthedropdownlist,andclickOK.(Atthispoint,you
cannotchangeanyoftheothersettingsintheDHCPSettingsdialogbox.)OntheDHCP
tab,clickApplytoactivatethenewnetwork.Youcannowselectthenewlyadded
networkandchangethesettings,asfollows.
TochangeDHCPsettingsforavirtualnetwork,selectitinthelist,andclickProperties.
IntheDHCPSettingsdialogboxthatappears,youcanchangetherangeofIPaddresses
providedbytheVMwareServerDHCPserveronaparticularvirtualnetwork.Youcan
alsochangethedurationofDHCPleasesprovidedtoclientsonthevirtualnetwork.(If
youwanttochangethesubnetsettings,youneedtousetheHostVirtualnetwork
Mappingtab.)
YoucancompletelystoptheDHCPserviceforallvirtualnetworksbyclickingStop,
andthenclickingApply.Iftheserviceisstopped,youcanstartitbyclickingStartand
thenApply.
(YoucanalsomodifyDHCPsettingsbychoosingEdit>VirtualNetworkSettings>
HostVirtualNetworkMapping,selectingaspecificbridgedadapter,thenclickingthe
>buttonforthatvirtualnetwork.)
NAT Tab
OptionsontheNATtabletyoudeterminewhichvirtualnetworkisusingthevirtual
NATdevice,stopandstarttheNATservice,andconfigureavarietyofsettingsforthe
NATdevice.
Youcanstop,restart,andstartthevirtualNATdevicebyclickingtheappropriate
button.TheVMnethostsettingletsyouselectwhichvirtualnetworkusestheNAT
device.YoucanselectDisableifyoudonotwanttouseNATonanyvirtualnetwork.
YoucanchangeanyofthefollowingNATsettingswhenyouclickEdit:
GatewayIPaddressUsethisfieldtochangetheIPaddressfortheNATdevice.
Ifyouneedtochangethenetmask,clickthe<buttonontheHostVirtualNetwork
MappingtaboftheVirtualNetworkEditorandselectSubnet.
UDPtimeoutUsethisfieldtochangethenumberofminutestokeeptheUDP
mappingfortheNA.
ConfigportfieldUsethisfieldfortroubleshootingpurposeswithVMware
technicalsupportonly.Youwillbedirectedtospecifyaportthatcanbeusedto
accessstatusinformationabouttheNAT.
270 VMware, Inc.

PortforwardingPortforwardingletsyousendincomingTCPorUDPrequests
toaspecificvirtualmachineonthevirtualnetworkservedbytheNATdevice.To
setupandconfigureforwardedports,clickPortForwarding,andcompletethe
dialogboxthatappears,asfollows:
ToaddanewportforeitherTCPorUDP,clickAddintheappropriatesection,
andcompletethedialogboxthatappears,asfollows:
HostportSpecifythenumberoftheincomingTCPorUDPport.For
example,incomingHTTPrequestsareusuallyonport80.
VirtualMachineIPaddressfieldSpecifytheIPaddressofthevirtual
machinetowhichyouwanttoforwardtheincomingrequests.
PortfieldonthatlineSpecifytheportnumberyouwanttousefor
thoserequestsonthatvirtualmachine.Thismaybethestandardport,
suchas80forHTTP,oranonstandardportifsoftwarerunninginthe
virtualmachineisconfiguredtoacceptrequestsonanonstandardport.
Description(optional)SpecifyYoumightusethisfieldtoidentifythe
servicebeingforwarded,forexample,HTTP.
Tochangesettingsforaportalreadylisted,selectitsnameinthelist,andclick
Properties.
DNSThisbuttonletsyouspecifyserverstobeusedbythevirtualNATdevice.
Youcanchangethefollowingsettings:
PolicyIfyouusemultipleDNSservers,specifythestrategytousefor
choosingwhichservertosendarequestto:
OrderSendoneDNSrequestatatimeinorderofthenameservers.
RotateSendoneDNSrequestatatimeandrotatethroughtheDNS
servers.
BurstSendtothreeserversandwaitforthefirstonetorespond.
AutodetectSelectthischeckboxtohaveVMwareServerautomatically
detectavailableDNSservers.
TimeoutSpecifythenumberofminutestokeeptrying,iftheNATisunable
toconnecttotheDNSserver.
RetriesSpecifythenumberoftimestheNATshouldtrytoconnecttothe
DNSserver.
VMware, Inc. 271

ToaddaDNSservertothelist,clickAddandentertheDNSserversIP
addressintheIPaddressfield.TheDescriptionfieldisoptional.
Tochangesettingsforaserveralreadylisted,selectitsnameinthelist,and
clickProperties.
ActiveFTPClearthischeckboxifyouwanttoallowonlypassivemodeFTP
overtheNATdevice.
AllowanyOUIIfyouchangetheOUI(organizationallyuniqueidentifier)
portionoftheMACaddressforthevirtualmachineandsubsequentlycannotuse
NATwiththevirtualmachine,youshouldselectthischeckbox.
NetBIOSsectionUsethissectiontospecifyNBNS(NetBIOSNameService)and
(NetBIOSDatagramService)timeoutsandretrysettings.
272 VMware, Inc.

12
Performance Tuning for

VMware Server 12
ThischapterdescribeshowtooptimizeVMwareServerperformancebyconfiguring
andmaintainingVMwareServerhostsystems,hostwideVMwareServersettings,and
virtualmachines.Thischapterincludesthefollowingtopics:
ConfiguringandMaintainingtheHostSystemonpage 273
AllocatingMemorytoaVirtualMachineonpage 277
EditingVirtualMachineMemoryonpage 277
EditingVirtualProcessorsonpage 279
UsingTwoWayVirtualSymmetricMultiprocessingonpage 278
ConfiguringandMaintainingGuestOperatingSystemsonpage 279
Configuring and Maintaining the Host System

Thissectiondescribeshowtoconfigureandmaintainhostsystemstooptimize
VMwareServerperformance.ItalsodescribeshostwideVMwareServersettingsthat
impactVMwareServerperformance.
VMware, Inc. 273

Defragmenting Hard Disks

Diskaccessperformanceisdegradedwhenthephysicaldiskthatstoresthevirtual
machinediskfilesandworkingdirectoryisfragmented.Fragmentationofthehosthard
diskcandegradetheaccessperformanceofanyorallofthefollowing:
Filesthatmakeupavirtualdisk
Filesthatstorenewlysaveddatawhenyoutakeasnapshot
Filesthatholdinformationusedwhensuspendingandresumingavirtualmachine
Ifyouareexperiencingslowdiskperformanceinthevirtualmachine,orifyouwantto
improvethespeedofsuspendandresumeoperations,makesurethatthehostphysical
diskthatstoresthevirtualmachinediskfilesandworkingdirectoryisnotfragmented.
Ifthehostdiskisfragmented,youcanimproveperformancebyrunninga
defragmentationutilityonthathostdisk.
Maintaining Adequate Free Disk Space

Foroptimalperformance,keepadequatefreediskspaceonthehostphysicaldisk.
PerformancecandegradeconsiderablywhenVMwareServerisusingahostdiskwith
littlefreespacetowritegrowablevirtualdisk,snapshot,andredofiles.
Enabling Disk Write Caching on Windows Hosts

OnWindowshosts,youcanenableanddisablewritecachingforeachharddiskfrom
thePoliciestabofthedisksHardwarePropertiesdialogbox.Insomecases,youcan
alsoenableadvancedperformanceforthedisk.Enablingoneorbothofthesesettings
canimprovehostdiskperformanceingeneral.Enablingthesesettingsonthehostdisk
thatcontainsthevirtualmachinediskfilescanimprovevirtualdiskperformance,
especiallywhenVMwareServerismakingheavyuseofthedisk.
Configuring Swap Space on Linux Hosts

OnLinuxhosts,theamountofswapspaceandthesizeofthe/tmpdirectoryaffect
performance.Makesurethatsizeofthe/tmpdirectoryisatleast1.5timestheamount
ofmemoryonthehost.Forexample,ifthehostsystemhas1GBofmemory,makesure
thatthehosts/tmpdirectoryisatleast1.5GB.
Formoreinformationaboutconfiguringswapspaceandthe/tmpdirectory,see
VMwareknowledgebasearticle844:
http://www.vmware.com/support/kb/enduser/std_adp.php?p_faqid=844.
274 VMware, Inc.

Chapter 12 Performance Tuning for VMware Server
Increasing NIC Interrupt Coalescing

InterruptcoalescingisaconfigurablefeatureinhighperformanceNICs.Interrupt
coalescingprovidesnotificationofthereceptionofagroupofnetworkframestothe
operatingsystemkernelthroughhardwareinterrupts.Increasinginterruptcoalescing
onhostNICscanimproveperformanceforworkloadsinvolvingheavynetworktraffic
totheguestsystem.
Calculating Memory Requirements to Allow for Virtual Machine

Overhead
Virtualmachinesrequirerelativelylargeamountsofmemorytoperformwell.Each
virtualmachinecanusememoryuptoitsallocationlimit,plussomeoverhead.The
amountofoverheadneededdependsonthesizeofthevirtualdisks,theamountof
memoryallocatedtothevirtualmachine,andguestsystembehavior.
Table 121liststheadditionalamountofmemoryneededforoverhead,basedonthe
amountofmemoryallocatedtothevirtualmachine.
Table 12-1. Virtual Machine Allocated Memory and Additional Memory Overhead
Virtual Machine Memory Allocated Additional Memory Overhead Needed
Upto512MB Upto54MB
Upto1000MB Upto62MB
Upto2000MB Upto79MB
Upto3600MB Upto105MB
Donotallowtotalmemoryallocatedforallrunningvirtualmachinesplustheoverhead
forVMwareServerprocessestoexceedtheamountofphysicalmemoryonthehost.
Alsokeepsomememoryavailableforotherapplicationsonthehost.
Configuring Host-Wide Virtual Machine Memory Usage

Inadditiontoconfiguringthememorycapacityforeachvirtualmachine(see
AllocatingMemorytoaVirtualMachineonpage 277),youcanspecifythefollowing
hostwideVMwareServermemorysettings:
Howmuchofthehostsystemsmemorycanbeusedforallrunningvirtual
machines
Theextenttowhichthehostsystemsmemorymanagercanswapvirtualmachines
outofphysicalRAM
Thesesettingsaffectbothvirtualmachineandoverallsystemperformance.
VMware, Inc. 275

Reserving Host Memory for Virtual Machine Use

YoucanlimittheamountofhostmemorythatVMwareServerisallowedtoconsume
forallrunningvirtualmachines.Thisisthereservedmemorylimit,configuredas
describedinReservingHostMemoryforAllVirtualMachinesonpage 113.
Ifyousetthisvaluetoohigh,thehostmightperformpoorlywhenotherapplications
arerunningonthehost.Ifyousetthisvaluetoolow,virtualmachinesmightperform
poorlyandfewervirtualmachinescanrunsimultaneously.
Reservedmemoryisallocatedasneeded,andtheamountinusevarieswhilevirtual
machinesarerunning.Ifmultiplevirtualmachinesarerunningsimultaneously,they
managethememorybetweeneachother.
Evenwhenmultiplevirtualmachinesarerunningsimultaneously,VMwareServer
mightbeusingonlyafractionofthereservedmemorylimit.Unusedhostmemoryis
availableforusebyotherapplications.However,ifallthereservedhostmemoryisin
usebyoneormorevirtualmachines,thehostandotherhostapplicationscannot
operateproperly.Theamountofmemorythatmustremainallocatedtothehostand
otherhostapplicationsdependsonthehostoperatingsystemandthetotalhost
memorysize.
Configuring Host Memory for Swapping

Topreventvirtualmachinesfromaffectingeachothersperformance,VMwareServer
limitsthenumberofvirtualmachinesthatcanrunsimultaneouslybasedontheamount
ofmemoryreservedforallrunningvirtualmachines.Toadjustthenumberofvirtual
machinesthatcanrunsimultaneouslyortheirtotalmemoryusage,specifytheamount
ofvirtualmachinememorythatthehostoperatingsystemcanswaptodisk.
YoucanallowvirtualmachinememorytobeswappedinandoutofhostRAM,oryou
canrequirethatallvirtualmachinememoryfitinreservedRAM.Thesettingthat
determineshowmuchmemorycanbeswappedisconfiguredasdescribedin
ConfiguringAdditionalMemoryforSwappingonpage 114.
Ifyoutrytopoweronavirtualmachinewheninsufficientmemoryisavailable,
VMwareServerdisplaysawarningdialogbox.Themessageindicateshowmuch
memorythevirtualmachineisconfiguredtouseandhowmuchmemoryisavailable.
Toattempttopoweronthevirtualmachineusingtheavailablememory,clickOK.
Otherwise,clickCancel.
276 VMware, Inc.

Allocating Memory to a Virtual Machine

Youspecifythememorycapacityforeachvirtualmachinewhenyoucreateit.TheNew
VirtualMachinewizarddisplaysareasonabledefaultvaluebasedontheguest
operatingsystemtypeandthetotalamountofhostmemory.However,youmightbe
abletoimproveperformancebyadjustingthesettingwhenyoucreatethevirtual
machine,orbylatereditingthememorysetting.SeeEditingVirtualMachine
Memoryonpage 277.
Mostmodernoperatingsystemsusesignificantamountsofmemory,soallowinga
generousvirtualmachinememorycapacityisbeneficialforoptimalperformance.The
optimalsettingdependsonthefollowingconsiderations:
Recommendationsoftheoperatingsystemvendor.
Typesofapplicationsthatareruninthevirtualmachine.
Whethermultiplevirtualmachinesarecontendingformemoryresources.Ifyou
plantorunonevirtualmachineatatimemostofthetime,agoodstartingpointis
togivethevirtualmachinehalfoftheavailablehostmemory.
Whichapplicationsarerunonthehostatthesametimeasthevirtualmachine.
Totalamountofhostmemorythatallrunningvirtualmachinescanuse.See
ReservingHostMemoryforVirtualMachineUseonpage 276.
Filesystemwherethevirtualmachineisstored.Youcannotallocatemorethan2GB
ofmemorytoavirtualmachineifitisstoredonafilesystemthatdoesnotsupport
fileslargerthan2GB,suchasFAT16.Ifyoudo,thevirtualmachinewillnotboot.
Forinformationabouthostwidememorysettings,seeConfiguringHostWide
VirtualMachineMemoryUsageonpage 275.
Editing Virtual Machine Memory

Youcanchangetheamountofmemoryallocatedtoavirtualmachine.
To edit memory allocation for a virtual machine
1 SelectthevirtualmachinefromtheInventorypanel.
3 IntheHardwaresectionoftheSummarytab,clicktheMemoryiconandselect
Edit.
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4 EntertheamountofmemoryinMBorGB,inmultiplesoffour.
NOTETomakesurethatthevirtualmachinecanboot,allocateatleastthe
RecommendedMinimumamountofmemory.
Using Two-Way Virtual Symmetric Multiprocessing

Forallsupportedconfigurationsof32bitand64bithostandguestoperatingsystems
runningonmultiprocessorhostmachines,VMwareServerprovidessupportfor
twowayVirtualSMP.VirtualSMPenablesyoutoassigntwovirtualprocessorstoa
virtualmachineonanyhostmachinethathasatleasttwologicalprocessors.
Thefollowingareallconsideredtohavetwoormorelogicalprocessors:
MultiprocessorhostwithtwoormorephysicalCPUs
SingleprocessorhostwithamulticoreCPU
Singleprocessorhostwithhyperthreadingenabled
NOTEOnhyperthreadeduniprocessorhosts,performanceofvirtualmachineswith
VirtualSMPmightbesubpar.
GuestswithmorethantwovirtualprocessorsarenotsupportedinVMwareServer.
However,youcanpoweronandrunmultipledualprocessorvirtualmachines
concurrently.
NOTEPerformancemightdegradesignificantlyinanovercommittedVirtualSMP
environmentifthetotalnumberofvirtualCPUsinallrunningvirtualmachines
exceedsthenumberofphysicalCPUsoradditionalapplicationsonthehostare
competingwithVMwareServerforCPUresources.
ThevirtualmachineSummarytabdisplaysthenumberofvirtualprocessorscurrently
configuredforthevirtualmachine.Forinformationabouthowtosetthenumberof
processorsforthevirtualmachine,seeEditingVirtualProcessorsonpage 279.
Ifthehostisauniprocessormachineandisnothyperthreaded,assigningtwo
processorsisneithersupportednorrecommended.Awarningmessageappearswhen
youcreatethevirtualmachine.Youcandisregardthewarningandassigntwo
processorstothevirtualmachine,butafteryoufinishcreatingthevirtualmachine,you
cannotpoweritonunlessyoumoveittoahostmachinewithatleasttwological
processors.
278 VMware, Inc.

Editing Virtual Processors

Youcanchangethenumberofvirtualprocessorsusedinavirtualmachine.
Configuringthevirtualmachinetohavetwoprocessorsissupportedonlyforhost
machineswithatleasttwologicalprocessors.
ForinformationaboutVMwareServersupportforvirtualSymmetricMultiprocessing
(VirtualSMP),seeUsingTwoWayVirtualSymmetricMultiprocessingonpage 278.
To change the number of processors in a virtual machine
1 SelectthevirtualmachinefromtheInventorypanel.
3 IntheHardwaresectionoftheSummarytab,clicktheProcessorsiconandselect
Edit.
4 SelectthenumberofprocessorsfromtheProcessorCountdropdownmenu.
Configuring and Maintaining Guest Operating Systems

Thissectionincludesrecommendationsforguestoperatingsystemconfigurationand
maintenancetooptimizeVMwareServerperformance.
Installing Linux Guest Operating Systems in Text Mode

WhenyouareinstallingaLinuxguestoperatingsystem,usethetextmodeinstaller
insteadofthegraphicalinstallerifpossible.Thismakestheinstallationprocessfaster.
Selecting the Correct Guest Operating System

Makesurethatyouselectthecorrectguestoperatingsystemforeachofyourvirtual
machines.Forinformationabouthowtoverifyorchangetheguestoperatingsystem
type,seeChangingVirtualMachineNameandGuestSystemSettingsonpage 124.
VMwareServeroptimizescertaininternalconfigurationsbasedonthissetting.These
optimizationscangreatlyaidtheoperatingsystemtheytarget,buttheycancause
significantperformancedegradationifthereisamismatchbetweenthesettingandthe
operatingsystemactuallyrunninginthevirtualmachine.(Althoughselectingthe
wrongguestoperatingsystemmightdegradethevirtualmachinesperformance,itis
notlikelytocauseavirtualmachinetorunincorrectly.)
VMware, Inc. 279

Installing VMware Tools

AlwaysinstallVMwareToolsinanyguestoperatingsystemforwhichaVMwareTools
packageexists.VMwareToolssetsuptheVMwareToolsservicetorunautomatically
whenthesystemstarts.
VMwareToolsprovidesimprovedvideoandmouseperformanceandgreatly
improvestheusabilityofthevirtualmachine.VMwareToolsalsoallowsyouto
synchronizethevirtualmachinesclockwiththehostcomputersclock,whichcan
improveperformanceforsomefunctions.Formoreinformation,seeChapter 5,
InstallingandUsingVMwareTools,onpage 73.
Temporarily Disabling Acceleration in the Guest Operating

System
Itissometimesnecessarytotemporarilydisableaccelerationinavirtualmachineto
resolveproblemswithaguestoperatingsystemapplicationthatcrashesorseemsto
hangorreportsthatitisrunningunderadebugger.Usuallyitispossibletoreenable
accelerationafterinstallingorstartingtheapplication.
Disablingaccelerationdegradesvirtualmachineperformance.Iftheproblemoccurs
onlyduringapplicationinstallationorstartup,youcanimproveperformanceby
resumingacceleratedoperationaftertheapplicationthatwasencounteringproblems
isinstalledorrunning.Forinformationabouthowtoenableanddisableacceleration,
seeChangingVirtualMachineAdvancedSettingsonpage 127.
Avoiding Remote Disk Access

Avoidconfiguringvirtualdisksthatareaccessedoverthenetworkunlessyouhavea
veryfastnetwork.
Managing Snapshots and Virtual Disks

Ifyoudonotneedsnapshots,runyourvirtualmachinewithoutthemforbest
performance.Forinformationabouthowtoremoveanexistingsnapshot,see
Whennosnapshotexists,accessperformancetotheflatfilesthatmakeupa
preallocatedvirtualdiskiscomparabletothesequentialandrandomaccess
performanceoftheunderlyingphysicaldisk.
280 VMware, Inc.

Whenasnapshotexistsandyouhavemadechangestoapreallocatedvirtualdisk,
accessperformanceforthechangeddiskfilesissomewhatslowerandiscomparableto
thatofagrowablevirtualdisk(whichdoesnothavespaceallocatedinadvance).Ifyou
removethesnapshot,performanceagainreflectsthatoftheunderlyingdisk.
Whenasnapshotexists,virtualdisksoftenhaveverygoodperformanceforrandomor
nonsequentialaccess.Buttheycanpotentiallybecomesofragmentedthatperformance
isaffected.Youcanimproveperformanceforthesedisksbydefragmentingthem,as
describedinDefragmentingVirtualDisksonpage 147.Beforeyoudefragmentthedisk,
youmustfirstremovethesnapshot.
NOTEAfterasnapshotistaken,youcannolongerdefragmenttheoriginaldisk.Ifyou
runadefragmentationutilityintheguestsystemwhenasnapshotexists,
VMware Servermakesallitschangestotheredologratherthantheoriginaldisk.Every
sectorthatchangesiscopiedtothevirtualmachineredolog.Theredologbecomes
extremelylargewhenthediskisheavilyfragmentedandyouattempttodefragment
thediskaftertakingasnapshot.
Disabling Debugging Mode

Youcanconfigurevirtualmachinestorecorddebuggingorstatisticsinformation.
However,recordingdebugginginformationdegradesperformancesignificantly.
Duringnormaluse,makesurethatthevirtualmachineisnotrecordingdebugging
information.Forinformationabouthowtoenableanddisabletherecordingofruntime
information,seeChangingVirtualMachineAdvancedSettingsonpage 127.
Disabling CD/DVD Drive Polling

ManyWindowsoperatingsystemspolltheCD/DVDdriveapproximatelyevery
secondtoseewhetheradiscispresent,allowingthemtorunautorunprograms.When
thispollingoccurs,thevirtualmachinemightappeartopausewhileVMwareServer
connectstothehostCD/DVDdriveandthehostdrivespinsup.
IfyouhaveaCD/DVDdrivethattakesalongtimetospinup,youcaneliminatethese
pausesusingeitherofthefollowingmethods:
Disablepollinginyourguestoperatingsystem.Specificinstructionsdependonthe
operatingsystem.
ConfigureyourvirtualCD/DVDdrivesothatitisnotconnectedwhenthevirtual
machinepowerson.Onlyconnecttothevirtualdrivewhenyouwanttouseitin
thevirtualmachine.
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Disabling Fade Effects in Windows 2000, Windows XP, and

Windows Server 2003
ThefadeeffectsusedbyWindows2000,WindowsXP,andWindowsServer2003to
displaymenuscanmakethevirtualmachineseemlessresponsive.
To disable fade effects
1 RightclicktheguestoperatingsystemdesktopandselectProperties>
Appearance>Effects(onWindowsXPorWindowsServer2003)or
Properties > Effects(onWindows2000).
2 DeselecttheUsetransitioneffectsformenusandtooltipscheckbox.
Disabling Visual Effects in Windows 98

Windows98visualeffectsplaceunnecessarydemandsongraphicsemulationin
VMwareServer.Youmightseeperformanceimprovementsifyouturnofftheseeffects.
To disable visual effects
1 Rightclicktheguestoperatingsystemdesktop,andselectProperties.
2 ClicktheEffectstab.
3 DeselecttheAnimatewindows,menus,andlistscheckbox.
4 (Optional)IfShowwindowcontentswhiledraggingisselected,deselectit.
Configuring Swap File Usage in Windows 95 and Windows 98

YoucanconfigureWindows95andWindows98systemsnottouseswapfilesuntil
thereisnomoreavailableRAM.
Inyoursystem.inifile,inthe[386enh]section,addthefollowingline:
ConservativeSwapFileUsage=1
Enabling Hardware Acceleration in Windows Server 2003

WindowsServer2003disableshardwareaccelerationbydefault.Thisslowsdown
graphicsperformanceandmouseresponsivenessintheguestoperatingsystem.
WhenyouinstallVMwareToolsinaWindowsServer2003guest,youarepromptedto
enablethehardwareaccelerationsetting.VMwarerecommendsthatyouenable
hardwareaccelerationfully.
282 VMware, Inc.

To enable hardware acceleration after installing VMware Tools
1 FromtheWindowscontrolpanel,selectDisplay.
2 ClicktheSettingstab,andclickAdvanced.
3 ClicktheTroubleshoottab,anddragtheHardwareaccelerationslideralltheway
toFull.
Configuring Direct Memory Access (DMA) Disk Settings

SCSCIphysicaldisksareusuallyfasterthanIDEdisksthatuseDMA.However,in
certainsituations,suchassinglethreadeddiskaccess,anIDEdiskthatusesDMAisas
fastasaSCSIdisk.
Inavirtualmachine,SCSIdisksandIDEdisksthatuseDMAhavesimilarperformance.
IDEdisksmightbeveryslowinaguestoperatingsystemthatisnotconfiguredtouse
DMA.Ifsupported,alsoenableDMAinSCSIdisks.
TheeasiestwaytoconfigureaLinuxguesttouseDMAforvirtualIDEdrivesisto
installVMwareTools.DuringVMwareToolsinstallation,IDEvirtualdrivesare
automaticallyconfiguredtouseDMA.
InWindowsServer2003,WindowsXP,andWindows2000,DMAisenabledbydefault.
Windows95OSR2andWindows98canuseDMAforfasterIDEharddiskaccess,but
DMAmightnotbeenabledbydefault.
To enable DMA access using the Device Manager in Windows 95 and Windows 98
1 RightclickMyComputerandselectProperties.
2 Clicktheplus(+)signnexttoDiskDrivestodisplaythevirtualmachines
individualdrives.
3 RightclicktheentryforeachIDEdrivetoopenitsPropertiesdialogbox.
4 UnderSettings,selectDMAandacceptanywarningsthatWindowsdisplays.
5 RestarttheWindowsguestsystem.
ThemethodforchangingthesettingvariesforotherWindowsoperatingsystems.
VMware, Inc. 283

Using DMA in Windows NT Guests on Multiprocessor Host

Systems
YoumightexperienceslowerthanexpecteddiskI/OperformanceinWindowsNT
guestoperatingsystemswhenusingIDEvirtualdisksonmultiprocessorhost
computers.TheI/Olimitationisespeciallynoticeablewhenthevirtualmachineis
booting.YoucanincreaseperformancebyenablingDMAonthevirtualdisksIDE
channel.
IfyouhaveavirtualdiskandaCD/DVDattachedasmasterandslavetotheprimary
IDEcontroller(channel0)andyouwanttoenableDMA,poweroffthevirtualmachine
andedittheCD/DVDdrivetomoveittothesecondaryIDEcontroller(channel1)at
IDE1:0.
YoucanenableDMAafterinstallingWindowsNTServicePack3orhigher.Inthe
WindowsNTguest,insertanSP3orSP4CDinthedriveandrunDMACHECK.EXEfrom
the\SUPPORT\UTILS\I386folderontheCD.Alternatively,downloadDMACHECK.EXE
fromtheMicrosoftWebsite:http://support.microsoft.com/kb/q191774/
ClicktheEnabledoptionfortheIDEcontrollerandchannelconfiguredforthevirtual
disk.Typically,thisischannel0only,unlessyouhavethevirtualmachineconfigured
withmultiplevirtualdisksandnovirtualCD/DVDdrive.
DonotenableDMAonanIDEchannelwithavirtualCD/DVDdriveattached.
Monitoring Virtual Machine Performance on Windows Hosts

VMwareServerprovidesasetofcountersthattheMicrosoftPerformanceconsolecan
usetocollectperformancedatafromrunningvirtualmachines.
ThePerformanceconsoleisavailableonlyonWindowshosts.However,youcan
monitortheperformanceofanytypeofguestoperatingsystem,includingLinux
guests.
TheVMwareServerperformancecounterscanmonitorthefollowingdatafroma
runningvirtualmachine:
Readsandwritestovirtualdisks
Memoryusage
Virtualnetworktraffic
Youcantrackvirtualmachineperformanceonlywhenavirtualmachineisrunning.
Theperformancecountersreflectthestateofthevirtualmachine,nottheguest
operatingsystem.Forexample,thecounterscandeterminehowoftentheguestreads
fromavirtualdisk,butcannotdeterminehowmanyprocessesarerunningintheguest.
284 VMware, Inc.

To add counters to track virtual machine performance using the Windows

Performance console
1 SelectStart>Programs>AdministrativeTools>Performanceorenter
perfmon.mscattheWindowscommandprompt.
2 InthePerformanceconsole,selectSystemMonitor,andclicktheplus(+)signon
thetoolbar.
TheAddCountersdialogboxisdisplayed.
3 InthePerformanceobjectlist,selectVMware.
4 Selectwhichcounterstomonitor:
AllCountersMonitorallcounters
SelectcountersfromlistMonitorthecountersyouselectfromthelist
Todisplaythedescriptionofacounter,selectthecounterandclickExplain.
5 Selectwhichvirtualmachinestomonitor:
AllinstancesMonitorallrunningvirtualmachines
SelectinstancesfromlistMonitorthevirtualmachinesyouselectfromthe
list
6 ClickAddtoaddthecounterstothePerformanceconsole.
FormoreinformationaboutusingthePerformanceconsole,usetheconsoleinproduct
helporvisittheMicrosoftWebsite.
VMware, Inc. 285

286 VMware, Inc.

13
Configuring Clustering on
Windows Hosts 13
ThischapterdescribeshowtocreateclusterconfigurationsusingVMwareServeron
Windowshosts.Thischapterincludesthefollowingtopics:
OverviewofClusteringwithVMwareServeronpage 287
UsingSCSIReservationtoShareVirtualSCSIDisksonpage 288
CreatingaClusterinaBoxonpage 291
Overview of Clustering with VMware Server

Clusteringenablesagroupofcomputerstoachievehighavailability,scalability,or
both.Tousers,theclusterappearstobeasinglesystem.
Forexample,toprovidehighavailability,aclustercouldhaveasinglenodeservingas
adatabaseduringnormaloperation,whiletheothernodesrunotherapplications.Ifthe
databasenodecrashes,thedatabaseapplicationcanrecoverbyrestartingthedatabase
onanothernode.
VMwareServerclusteringcapabilitiesareideallysuitedfordevelopment,testing,and
trainingapplications.
Inatypicalvirtualmachinecluster:
Eachvirtualmachineisonenodeinthecluster.
Disksaresharedbetweennodes.
Shareddisksarerequiredwhentheapplicationusesdynamicdata,suchasmail
serversanddatabaseservers.Sharedvirtualdisksmustbepreallocated,not
growable.
VMware, Inc. 287

Extranetworkconnectionsbetweennodescanmonitorheartbeatstatus.
Amethodforredirectingincomingrequestsisavailable.
NOTEAlwaysrigorouslytestandreviewyourclusterbeforedeployingitina
productionenvironment.
Clustering Software Requirements

TheonlysupportedclusteringsoftwareisMicrosoftClusteringService.InWindows
2000,MicrosoftClusteringServiceprovidesfailoversupportfortwotofournode
clustersforapplicationssuchasdatabases,fileservers,andmailservers.InWindows
Server2003,MicrosoftClusteringServiceprovidesfailoversupportfortwoto
eightnodeclusters.
NOTEVMwaredoesnotsupportclusteringinWindowsServer2008guestsystems.
Applications That Can Use Clustering

Totakeadvantageofclusteringservices,applicationsmustbeclusteraware.Such
applicationscanbestateless,suchasWebserversandVPNservers.Clusteraware
applicationstypicallyincludebuiltinrecoveryfeatures,likethoseindatabaseservers,
mailservers,fileservers,andprintservers.
Using SCSI Reservation to Share Virtual SCSI Disks

YoucansharepreallocatedvirtualSCSIdisksamongmultiplevirtualmachines
runningonthesamehost.Whenavirtualdiskisshared,allvirtualmachinesusingthe
diskmustusetheSCSIreservationprotocolsothattheycanwritetothedisk
concurrently.
NOTEOnlyuseSCSIreservationifyouarefamiliarwithSCSI,ingeneral,andtheSCSI
reservationprotocol,inparticular.
YoumustinstallclusteringsoftwareoneachvirtualmachinethatsharesaSCSIdisk.
EnablingSCSIreservationdoesnotautomaticallymakethevirtualmachinea
participantintheSCSIreservationprotocol.
ThefollowingsectionsdescribehowtouseSCSIreservationtosharevirtualdisks
amongmultiplevirtualmachines.
288 VMware, Inc.

Chapter 13 Configuring Clustering on Windows Hosts
SCSI Reservation Prerequisites and Restrictions

TheuseofSCSIreservationisrestrictedasfollows:
YoucanenableSCSIreservationonlyforvirtualSCSIdisks.Youcannotenable
SCSIreservationforadiskthatisconfiguredasapassthrough(generic)SCSI
device.
VMwareServersupportsSCSIreservationonlywithpreallocatedvirtualdisks.
Whenyoucreateanewvirtualmachine,oraddanewvirtualdisktoanexisting
virtualmachine,configureapreallocatedvirtualdiskwhenusingSCSI
reservation.SupportforSCSIreservationwithgrowablevirtualdisksisnot
supported.
DisksusingSCSIreservationcanbesharedonlyamongvirtualmachinesrunning
onthesameVMwareServerhost.Ifyoutrytoshareadiskamongvirtualmachines
locatedondifferenthosts,datalossorcorruptionislikely.Theshareddiskordisks
canbelocatedinanyvaliddatastore.
Donotshareadiskonthebootdisk,typicallySCSIbus0.Instead,useSCSI
reservationonadatadisklocatedonadifferentbus.Ifyousharethebootdisk,you
runtheriskofcorruptingit,becausethebootprogramisnotawarethatthediskis
beingsharedandcanwritetothediskregardlessofwhetherornotitisbeing
shared.
AvirtualSCSIdiskcanbestoredonanytypeofphysicalharddisk,includingIDE,
SCSI,andSATAphysicaldisks.
IfonevirtualmachinedoesnothaveSCSIreservationenabledforitsvirtualdisk,
butanothervirtualmachinedoeshaveSCSIreservationenabledforthesame
virtualdisk,VMwareServerstillallowsthedisktobeshared.However,thevirtual
machinethatisnotconfiguredforSCSIreservationcanaccesstheshareddisk
concurrently,potentiallycausingdatalossorcorruption.
VMwareServervirtualmachinescurrentlysupportonlytheSCSI2disk
reservationprotocol,andnotapplicationsusingSCSI3diskreservations.
Enabling SCSI Reservation

SCSIreservationmustbeenabledineachvirtualmachinebeforeyoucansharevirtual
disks.
VMwarerecommendsthatyouconfiguresharedvirtualdisksonthesameSCSIbus,
whichmustbeadifferentbusfromtheonethattheguestoperatingsystemuses.For
example,ifyourguestoperatingsystemisonthescsi0bus,configuretheshareddisks
onthenextavailablebus,typicallythescsi1bus.
VMware, Inc. 289

To enable SCSI reservation in a virtual machine
2 Setthescsi<x>.sharedBus parameter(where<x>isthenumberoftheSCSIbus
beingshared)tovirtualinthevirtualmachineconfigurationfile,asdescribedin
ChangingVirtualMachineAdvancedSettingsonpage 127.
Forexample,toenableSCSIreservationfordevicesonthescsi1bus,set
scsi1.sharedBustovirtual.Thisallowsthewholebustobeshared.
Ifyoudonotwanttosharethewholebus,youcanselectivelyallowSCSI
reservationforaspecificSCSIdiskonthesharedbus.Forexample,ifyouwantto
shareaSCSIdisklocatedatscsi1:1,setscsi1:1.sharedtotrue.Youmust
specifythesameSCSItarget(inthisexample,scsi1:1)intheconfigurationfilefor
eachvirtualmachinethatsharesthedisk.IfSCSIreservationisenabledforthe
wholebus(thatis,scsi1.sharedBusissettovirtual),thissettingisignored.
NOTEDonotshareresourcesusingtwoseparatebuses(forexample,dataon
SCSI1:0andquorumonSCSI2:0).Thiscausestheconfigurationfiletobecome
invalid.Iftheconfigurationfileisnotvalid,youcannotbootthevirtualmachine.
3 Setthedisk.lockingparametertofalseinthevirtualmachineconfiguration
file.
NOTEThissettingappliestoalldisksinthevirtualmachine.
Becausedisklockingisdisabled,multiplevirtualmachinescanaccesstheshared
diskconcurrently.
CAUTIONIfanyvirtualmachinethatisnotconfiguredforSCSIreservationattemptsto
accessthediskconcurrently,theshareddiskisvulnerabletodatalossorcorruption.
Naming Reservation Lock Files

WhenSCSIreservationisenabled,VMwareServercreatesareservationlockfilethat
containsthesharedstateofthereservationforthegivendisk.Thenameofthisfile
consistsoftheSCSIdiskfilenameappendedwiththe.RESLCKextension.
Forexample,ifthediskscsi1:0.filenameisdefinedintheconfigurationfileas
/<path_to_config>/vmSCSI.vmdk,thereservationlockfileforthisdiskhasthe
defaultname/<path_to_config>/vmSCSI.vmdk.RESLCK.
290 VMware, Inc.

Youcanprovideyourownlockfilenamebysettingscsi1:0.reslcknameinthe
configurationfile.Forexample,ifyousetscsi1:0.reslcknameto
/tmp/scsi1-0.reslockintheconfigurationfile,thisnameoverridesthedefaultlock
filename.
CAUTIONYoumustusethesamelockfilename(forexample,
/tmp/scsi1-0.reslock)foreachvirtualmachineinthecluster.Youmustalsousethe
sameSCSItargetforeachvirtualmachinewhenyoudefinescsi1:0.reslckname.
However,theSCSIbus(scsi1inthiscase)doesnotneedtobethesame.
AfterSCSIreservationisenabledforadisk,youmustconfigureeachvirtualmachine
tousethisdisk.SeeConfiguringHardDisksonpage 141.
Event Logging When Virtual Disks Are Shared

SomediskerrorsarerecordedintheWindowseventloginthenormaloperationofa
Windowsvirtualmachine.Anexampleerrormessageis:
The driver detected a controller error on \Device\Scsi\BusLogic3
Theerrorsmightappearinthelogperiodicallyonthepassivenodeofthecluster,and
whenthepassivenodeistakingoverduringafailover.Theerrorsareloggedbecause
theactivenodeoftheclusterhasreservedthesharedvirtualdisk.Thepassivenode
periodicallyprobestheshareddiskandreceivesaSCSIreservationconflicterror.
Creating a Cluster in a Box

WithVMwareServer,youcancreateasimpleclusterinaboxtoprovidehigh
availability.
NOTETheabilitytotakesnapshotsisdisabledinaclusteringconfiguration.
Theclusterinaboxconfigurationhasthefollowingfeatures:
Consistsofmultiplevirtualmachines(nodes)onasinglephysicalmachine.
SupportsshareddiskswithoutsharedSCSIhardware.
Supportsaheartbeatnetworkwithoutanextraphysicalnetworkadapter.
VMware, Inc. 291

Figure 13-1. Two-Node Cluster on a Single Physical Machine
Thefollowingsectionsdescribehowtoconfigureaclusterinabox.
Configuring Virtual Machines for Cluster in a Box

Tocreateasetofclusteredvirtualmachines(aclusterinabox),configureeachofthem
withthefollowing:
AprimaryvirtualSCSIhostadapterwithonevirtualSCSIdisk.
Twovirtualnetworkadapters:
ApublicnetworkadapterbridgedtoaphysicaladapterusingeitherVMnet0
orVMnet2throughVMnet8.
AprivatenetworkadapterconnectedtoVMnet1(hostonly)oranother
physicaladapter(VMnet2throughVMnet8).Thisisthenetworkadapterthat
theclusteringserviceusestomonitortheheartbeatbetweennodes.
Thenetworkselectionmustmatchinallvirtualmachinesinacluster.
Anyotherrequiredvirtualmachinehardware.
292 VMware, Inc.

Inaddition,thefollowingarerequiredtosharedisks:
AsecondaryvirtualSCSIhostadapter.
Oneormorepreallocatedvirtualdisksthataresharedandareattachedtothe
secondarySCSIhostadapter.
NotethefollowingaboutvirtualPCIslotsinthevirtualmachines:
EachvirtualmachinebydefaulthassixPCIslotsavailable.
Thisclusterconfiguration(twonetworkadaptersandtwoSCSIhostbusadapters)
usesfouroftheseslots.
OnemorePCIslotisavailableforathirdnetworkadapterifneeded.(Thesixthslot
isusedbythevirtualdisplayadapter.)
IfthevirtualmachinesbootpartitionisonanIDEvirtualdisk,thepartition
occupiesoneofthePCIslots.
Creating a Two-Node Cluster with Microsoft Clustering Services

ThissectiondescribeshowtocreateatwonodeclusterusingMicrosoftClustering
ServicesonasingleVMwareServerhostusingthefollowing:
SQL1=hostnameofnode1ofthecluster
SQL2=hostnameofnode2ofthecluster
SQLCLUSTER=publichostnameofthecluster
Theprocedurestocreateatwonodeclusterincludesthefollowinghighlevelsteps:
Createthebasevirtualmachinewithtwovirtualdisksthataresharedbetweenthe
virtualmachinesinthecluster.Thisvirtualmachineservesasatemplateforthe
secondnode.
Clonethebasenodeanduseitcreatethesecondnode.
Installclusteringsoftwareonbothnodes.
NOTEThevirtualdisksusedtostoretheoperatingsystemandclusteringsoftwarefor
thevirtualmachines(nodes)intheclusterdonothavetobepreallocatedvirtualdisks.
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To create the base virtual machine that serves as the first node in the cluster
1 LogintoyourVMwareServerhostasanAdministratoruser.
2 Createanewvirtualmachine.Choosethesettingsyouwant,suchasthesizeofthe
virtualdiskandthevirtualmemorylimit,butmakesurethatyouspecify:
Windows2000AdvancedServerorWindowsServer2003EnterpriseEdition
astheguestoperatingsystem.
SQL1asthevirtualmachinename.
Thecorrectdatastore.
Bridgednetworkingforthevirtualmachine.
3 Addanewnetworkadapterthatuseseitheranotherexternaladapterorthe
VMnet1hostonlyadapter.(Forcompleteisolationfromthehost,youcanalsouse
anyunusedvirtualEthernetswitch,typicallyVMnet2throughVMnet7.)For
information,seeAddingaNetworkAdaptertoaVirtualMachineonpage 223.
ThisadapterisusedasthevirtualprivateEthernetconnectionforheartbeat
monitoring.
4 Addthetwosharedvirtualdisks:
Ashareddatadisk,forexample,data.vmdk
Asharedquorumdisktostoretransactionsbeforetheyarecommittedtothe
datadisk,forexample,quorum.vmdk
Forinformation,seeAddingaHardDisktoaVirtualMachineonpage 144.
5 Addthefollowingparameterstothevirtualmachineconfigurationfile
(SQL1.vmx)asdescribedinChangingVirtualMachineAdvancedSettingson
page 127:
Setscsi1.sharedBustovirtual
Setdisk.lockingtofalse
ThisenablesSCSIreservation,whichisdescribedinmoredetailinthesection
UsingSCSIReservationtoShareVirtualSCSIDisksonpage 288.
Youarefinishedcreatingthevirtualmachineforthefirstnodeinyourcluster.
Thenextstepistoinstallaguestoperatingsysteminthevirtualmachine.
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6 InstalltheWindows2000AdvancedServerorWindowsServer2003Enterprise
EditionguestoperatingsystemasdescribedinInstallingtheGuestOperating
Systemonpage 68.
NOTEDonotinstalltheclusteringservicesduringtheinstallationoftheguest
operatingsystem.
7 InstallVMwareToolsintheguestoperatingsystem.SeeInstallingVMware
Toolsonpage 76.
To clone the first virtual machine node
1 Runsysprep.exe,whichisavailableontheWindowsCDinthefile
\support\tools\deploy.caborfromtheMicrosoftWebsite.
Thesysprep.exeutilityremovesthesecurityIDassignedtotheguestoperating
system,resetsthemachineinformation,andresetstheTCP/IPnetwork
configuration.
2 Shutdowntheguestoperatingsystemandpoweroffthevirtualmachine.
3 CreateavirtualmachinedirectorynamedSQL2inthesamedatastoreasSQL1.
4 CopytheSQL1*.vmdkfilestothisdirectory.
5 UsetheVMwareVirtualDiskManagertochangethenameofthevirtualdiskto
SQL2*.vmdk.Atacommandprompt,type:
vmware-vdiskmanager -n SQL1.vmdk SQL2.vmdk
SeetheVMwaretechnicalnoteaboutusingVirtualDiskManager.
Youarefinishedcloningthefirstnode.
Next,createthesecondnodeintheclusterusingtheclone.
To create the second node in the cluster from the clone of the first node
1 LogintoyourVMwareServerhostasanAdministratoruser.
2 Createanewvirtualmachine.Choosethesettingsyouwant,suchasthesizeofthe
virtualdiskandthevirtualmemorylimit,butmakesurethatyouspecify:
Windows2000AdvancedServerorWindowsServer2003EnterpriseEdition
astheguestoperatingsystem.
SQL2asthevirtualmachinename.
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Thecorrectdatastore.
Tousetheexistingvirtualdisk,clickBrowseandselectSQL2.vmdk.
Bridgednetworkingforthevirtualmachine.
3 Addanewnetworkadapterthatuseseitheranotherexternaladapterorthe
VMnet1hostonlyadapter.SeeAddingaNetworkAdaptertoaVirtualMachine
onpage 223.
4 Addthetwovirtualdisks(quorum.vmdkanddata.vmdk)youpreviouslycreated.
SeeAddingaHardDisktoaVirtualMachineonpage 144.
YoumustselectUseanExistingVirtualDiskandbrowsetoquorum.vmdkand
data.vmdk.
5 Addthefollowingparameterstothevirtualmachineconfigurationfile
(SQL2.vmx)asdescribedinChangingVirtualMachineAdvancedSettingson
page 127:
Setscsi1.sharedBustovirtual
Setdisk.lockingtofalse
ThisenablesSCSIreservation,whichisdescribedinmoredetailinUsingSCSI
ReservationtoShareVirtualSCSIDisksonpage 288.
Youarefinishedcreatingthesecondnode.
Nowthatyouhavevirtualmachinesforbothnodesinyourtwonodecluster,youcan
installtheclusteringservicessoftware.
To install Microsoft Clustering Services on the first node
1 Poweronthenode1virtualmachine.
2 AttheWindowssetupprompts,enterthefollowing:
Windowsserialnumber
Hostname(SQL1)
IPaddressesofthepublicandprivatenetworkadapters
NOTEForthepublicnetworkadapter,enteranIPaddressthatbelongstothe
physicalnetwork.FortheprivateIPaddress,youcanuseanaddresslike
192.168.x.xwithaclassCsubnetmask(255.255.255.0).
Attheendoftheprocess,Windowsreboots.
3 StarttheDiskManagementutilityandchangebothshareddiskstoBasicdisks.
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4 FormatbothsharedvirtualdiskswithNTFSiftheyarenotalreadyformatted.
5 AssignthefirstshareddisktoQ:(quorum)andtheseconddisktoR:(data).
IfyouhavejoinedthisvirtualmachinetoanexistingActiveDirectorydomain,skip
toStep 10.
6 Rundcpromo.exefromthecommandprompttostarttheActiveDirectorywizard.
7 Setupthecurrentmachineasadomaincontroller.Forthedomainname,use
somethingsimilarto<vmcluster>.<domain.com>where<domain.com>isyour
DNSdomainand<vmcluster>isyourActiveDirectorydomain.
Youcansetupthisnodeasanewdomaintreeoranewdomainforest,orjoinitto
anexistingdomaintreeorforest.
8 MakesurethattheDNSserverisinstalled.
9 Setthedomainpermissionsasmixedmodeunlessyouhaveotherrequirements.
10 Toaddaclusterservicesaccountinthedomain,choosePrograms>
AdministrativeTools>ActiveDirectoryUsersandComputers.
11 Addaclusterserviceaccountnamedcluster,andspecifythefollowing:
Userpassword
SelectUsercannotchangepassword
SelectPasswordneverexpires
12 InserttheWindowsCDintheCDROMdrive.
13 ChooseControlPanel>Add/RemovePrograms.
14 SelectAdd/RemoveWindowsComponents.
15 SelecttheClusterServicecomponent.
16 ClickNextandfollowthepromptstoinstalltheservice.
17 Toconfiguretheclusterservice,chooseFormaNewClusterandspecifythe
following:
SQLCLUSTERastheclustername.
TheclusterserviceaccountcreatedinStep 11.
Bothshareddisksaremanagedbytheclusterservice.
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Theshareddisk(Q:)isthequorumdisk.
Indicatewhichnetworkadapterispublicandwhichisprivate.
TheclusterIPaddress.Thisistheaddressthatrepresentsthecluster.Itmust
beonthesamenetworkasthephysicalEthernetdevice.
18 Tostoptheclusterserviceonthelocalnode(node1)sothatthesecondvirtual
machine(node2)canaccesstheshareddisks,rightclickthenodenamefrom
ClusterManager,andselectStopClusterService.
YouarefinishedinstallingMicrosoftClusteringServicesonthefirstnode.
To install Microsoft Clustering Services on the second node
1 Startthenode2virtualmachine.
2 RepeatStep 2andStep 3intheprocedureforthefirstnode.
3 StarttheDiskManagementtoolandassignthefirstshareddisktoQ:(quorum)
andtheseconddisktoR:(data).
4 Startdcpromo.exeandaddthisvirtualmachineasadomaincontrollerinthe
samedomaincreatedinStep 7forthefirstnode,oraddittoanexistingdomain.
NOTEThesetupinnode2mustmatchthesetupinnode1,whichyouspecifiedin
Step 7fornode1.
5 Tostarttheclusterserviceinthenode1virtualmachine,rightclickthenodename
fromClusterManager,andselectStartClusterService.
6 Inthenode2virtualmachine,repeatStep 13throughStep 17inToinstall

MicrosoftClusteringServicesonthefirstnodeonpage 296,withoneexception:
inStep 17,selectJoinaCluster.
Youarenowfinishedconfiguringthecluster.
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A
Defined Privileges A
Thefollowingtableslistthedefaultprivilegesthat,whenselectedforarole,canbe
pairedwithauserandassignedtoanobject.Inthetables,VCindicatesaVirtualCenter
ServerandHCindicatesahostclient,standaloneESX/ESXi,orVMwareServerhost.
Whensettingpermissions,verifythatalltheobjecttypesaresetwithappropriate
privilegesforeachparticularaction.Someoperationsrequireaccesspermissionatthe
rootfolderorparentfolderinadditiontoaccesstotheobjectbeingmanipulated.Some
operationsrequireaccessorperformancepermissionataparentfolderandarelated
object.SeeChapter 10,ManagingRolesandPermissions,onpage 201forinformation
aboutapplyingrolestoinventoryobjects.
SeeTable 101,SystemRoles,onpage 204foralistofpredefinedgroupedprivileges.

Thisappendixincludesthefollowingtopics:
Alarmsonpage 300
Datacenteronpage 301
Datastoreonpage 301
Extensionsonpage 302
Foldersonpage 303
Globalonpage 303
HostCIMonpage 305
HostConfigurationonpage 306
HostInventoryonpage 308
HostLocalOperationsonpage 309
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Networkonpage 310
Performanceonpage 310
Permissionsonpage 311
Resourceonpage 311
ScheduledTaskonpage 313
Sessionsonpage 313
Tasksonpage 314
VirtualMachineConfigurationonpage 314
VirtualMachineInteractiononpage 317
VirtualMachineInventoryonpage 319
VirtualMachineProvisioningonpage 319
VirtualMachineStateonpage 321
Alarms
Table A-1. Alarms Privileges
Privilege Pair with Effective on
Name Description Used Object Object
CreateAlarm1 Createsanewalarm. VConly Alarm All

UserinterfaceelementAlarmstab object inventory
contextmenu,File>New>Alarm parent objects
DeleteAlarm Deletesanexistingalarm. VConly Alarm All

UserinterfaceelementAlarmstab object inventory
contextmenu parent objects
ModifyAlarm Changesthepropertiesofanexisting VConly Alarm All

alarm. object inventory
UserinterfaceelementAlarmstab parent objects
contextmenu
1. Whencreatingalarmswithacustomaction,privilegetoperformtheactionisverifiedwhentheusercreates
thealarm.
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Appendix A Defined Privileges
Datacenter
Table A-2. Datacenter Privileges
Name Description Affects Object Object
Create Createsanewdatacenter. VConly Datacenter Datacenter

Datacenter UserinterfaceelementInventory folders
contextmenu,toolbarbutton,andFile>
NewDatacenter
Delete Removesadatacenter. VConly Datacenter Datacenters
Datacenter UserinterfaceelementInventory plusparent
contextmenu,Inventory>Datacenter> object
Remove,Edit>Remove
Move Movesadatacenter. VConly Datacenter, Datacenters,
Datacenter Privilegemustbepresentatboththe sourceand Datacenter
sourceanddestination. destination folders
UserinterfaceelementInventory
draganddrop
Rename Changesthenameofadatacenter. VConly Datacenter Datacenters

Datacenter UserinterfaceelementInventory
object,Inventorycontextmenu,Edit>
Rename,Inventory>Datacenter>
Rename
Datastore
Table A-3. Datastore Privileges
Browse Browsesfilesonadatastore. HCandVC Datastores Datastores,

Datastore UserinterfaceelementAddexisting Datastore
disk,browseforCDROMorFloppy folders
media,serialorparallelportfiles
Delete Removesadatastore. HCandVC Datastores Datastores,

Datastore UserinterfaceelementInventory Datastore
datastorecontextmenu,Inventory> folders
Datastore>Remove
Delete Deletesafileinthedatastore. HCandVC Datastores Datastores

DatastoreFile UserinterfaceelementDatastore
BrowsertoolbarbuttonandDatastore
contextmenu
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Table A-3. Datastore Privileges (Continued)

Move Movesadatastorebetweenfolders. VConly Datastore, Datastores,

Datastore Privilegesmustbepresentatboththe sourceand Datastore
sourceanddestination. destination folders
draganddrop
Rename Renamesadatastore. HCandVC Datastores Datastores
Datastore UserinterfaceelementDatastore
PropertiesdialogChangebutton,host
Summarytabcontextmenu
File Carriesoutfileoperationsinthe HCandVC Datastores Datastores

Management datastorebrowser.
AllocateSpace Allocatesspaceonadatastorefora HCandVC Datastores Datastores

virtualmachine,snapshot,orclone.
Extensions
Table A-4. Extensions Privileges
Register Registersanextension(plugin). VConly Rootfolder Rootfolder

Extension
Unregister Unregistersanextension(plugin). VConly Rootfolder Rootfolder

Extension
Update Updatesanextension(plugin). VConly Rootfolder Rootfolder

Extension
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Folders
Table A-5. Folder Privileges
CreateFolder Createsanewfolder. VConly Folders Folders

UserinterfaceelementTaskbar
button,Filemenu,contextmenu
DeleteFolder Deletesafolder. VConly Foldersplus Folders

UserinterfaceelementFilemenu, parentobject
contextmenu
MoveFolder Movesafolder. VConly Folders, Folders

Privilegemustbepresentatboththe sourceand
sourceanddestination. destination
draganddrop
RenameFolder Changesthenameofafolder. VConly Folders Folders
paneobjecttextfield,contextmenu,
Filemenu
Global
Table A-6. Global Privileges
CancelTask Cancelsarunningorqueuedtask. HCandVC Anyobject Inventory

UserinterfaceelementRecenttasks object
panecontextmenu,Tasks&Events relatedtothe
contextmenu.Cancurrentlycancel task
cloneandclonetotemplate.
Capacity Enablestheuseofcapacityplanningfor VConly Anyobject Rootfolder

Planning planningconsolidationofphysical
machinestovirtualmachines.
UserinterfaceelementConsolidation
buttonintoolbar.
Diagnostics Getslistofdiagnosticfiles,logheader, VConly Anyobject Rootfolder

binaryfiles,ordiagnosticbundle.
UserinterfaceelementFile>Export>
ExportDiagnosticData,Admin
SystemLogstab
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Table A-6. Global Privileges (Continued)

Disable AllowsserversforVirtualCenter VConly Anyobject Rootfolder

Methods extensionstodisablecertainoperations
onobjectsmanagedbyVirtualCenter.
NouserVIClientinterfaceelementsare
associatedwiththisprivilege.
Enable AllowsserversforVirtualCenter VConly Anyobject Rootfolder

Methods extensionstoenablecertainoperations
onobjectsmanagedbyVirtualCenter.
Licenses Seeswhatlicensesareinstalledand HCandVC Anyobject Rootfolder

addsorremoveslicenses.
UserinterfaceelementLicensestab,
Configuration>LicensedFeatures
LogEvent Logsauserdefinedeventagainsta HCandVC Allobjects All

particularmanagedentity. inventory
UserinterfaceelementShouldaskfor objects
areasonwhenshuttingdownor
rebootingahost.
Manage Adds,removes,renamescustom VConly Allobjects Rootfolder

Custom attributesforamanagedentity.
Attributes Userinterfaceelement
Administration>CustomAttributes
Proxy Allowsaccesstoaninternalinterface VConly Allobjects Rootfolder

foraddingorremovingendpointstoor
fromtheproxy.
ScriptAction Schedulesascriptedactionin VConly All All

conjunctionwithanalarm. inventory inventory
UserinterfaceelementAlarm objects objects
Settingsdialogbox
Service Allowsuseoftheresxtopcommandin HCandVC Hosts Hosts
Managers theRemoteCLI.
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Table A-6. Global Privileges (Continued)

SetCustom Views,creates,andremovescustom VConly Allobjects All

Attributes attributefields. inventory
UserinterfaceelementAnylistview objects
showsthefieldsdefinedandallows
settingthem
Settings ReadsandmodifiesruntimeVC VConly Allobjects Rootfolder

configurationsettings.
Userinterfaceelement
Administration>VirtualCenter
ManagementServerConfiguration
VCServer PreparesorinitiatesaVMotionsend VConly Allobjects Rootfolder

operationoraVMotionreceive
operation.
Host CIM
Table A-7. Host CIM Privileges
CIM Allowsaclienttoobtainatickettouse HCandVC Hosts Hosts

Interaction forCIMservices.
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Host Configuration
Table A-8. Host Configuration Privileges
Advanced Setsadvancedoptionsinhost HCandVC Hosts Hosts

Configuration configuration.
UserinterfaceelementHost
Configurationtab>Advanced
Settings,Inventoryhierarchycontext
menu
ChangeDate Setstimeanddatesettingsonthehost. HCandVC Hosts Hosts

TimeSettings UserinterfaceelementHost
Configurationtab>Time
Configuration
Change Allowsenablinganddisablingof HCandVC Hosts Hosts

Settings backgroundsnapshotsandsettingof
lockdownmode.
Configurationtab>SecurityProfile>
LockdownMode>Edit
ChangeSNMP Edits,restarts,andstopsSNMPagent. HCandVC Hosts Hosts
Settings NouserVIClientinterfaceelementsare
Connection Changestheconnectionstatusofahost VConly Hosts Hosts

(connectedordisconnected).
UserinterfaceelementRightclick
Host
Firmware Allowsupdatestothehostfirmwareon HCandVC Hosts Hosts(ESXi

ESXihosts. only)
Hyper Enablesanddisableshyperthreadingin HCandVC Hosts Hosts

Threading thehostCPUscheduler.
Configurationtab>Processors
Maintenance Putsthehostinandoutofmaintenance HCandVC Hosts Hosts

mode,shutsdownandrestartsthehost.
UserinterfaceelementHostcontext
menu,Inventory>Host>Enter
MaintenanceMode
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Table A-8. Host Configuration Privileges (Continued)

Memory Setsconfiguredserviceconsolememory HCandVC Hosts Hosts

Configuration reservation.Thissettingisapplicable
onlyonESXhosts.
Configurationtab>Memory
Network Configuresnetwork,firewall,and HCandVC Hosts Hosts

Configuration VMotionnetwork.
Configurationtab>Networking,
NetworkAdapter,DNSandRouting
QueryPatch Allowsqueryingforinstallablepatches HCandVC Hosts Hosts

andinstallationofpatchesonthehost.
Security ConfiguresInternetservices,suchas HCandVC Hosts Hosts

Profileand SSH,Telnet,SNMP,andhostfirewall.
Firewall UserinterfaceelementHost
Configurationtab>SecurityProfile
System Allowsextensionstomanipulatethefile HCandVC Hosts Hosts
Management systemonthehost.
System Updatestheconfigurationofthesystem HCandVC Hosts Hosts
Resource resourcehierarchy.
Settings UserinterfaceelementHost
Configurationtab>SystemResource
Allocation
Storage ManagesVMFSdatastoreand HCandVC Hosts Hosts

Partition diagnosticpartitions.Scansfornew
Configuration storagedevices.ManagesiSCSI.
Configurationtab>Storage,Storage
Adapters,HostConfigurationtab
datastorecontextmenu
Virtual Changesautostartandautostoporder HCandVC Hosts Hosts

Machine ofvirtualmachinesonasinglehost.
Autostart UserinterfaceelementHost
Configuration Configurationtab>VirtualMachine
StartuporShutdown
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Host Inventory
Table A-9. Host Inventory Privileges
AddHostTo Addsahosttoanexistingcluster. VConly Hosts Clusters

Cluster UserinterfaceelementInventory
contextmenu,File>New>AddHost
Add Addsastandalonehost. VConly Hosts Datacenters,

Standalone UserinterfaceelementToolbar Hostfolders
Host button,Inventorycontextmenu,
Inventory>Datacenter>AddHost,
File>New>AddHost,Hoststab
contextmenu
CreateCluster Createsanewcluster. VConly Clusters Datacenters,

UserinterfaceelementsToolbar Hostfolders
button,inventorycontextmenu,
Inventory>Datacenter>NewCluster,
File>New>Cluster
Modify Changesthepropertiesofacluster. VConly Clusters Clusters

contextmenu,Inventory>Cluster>
EditSettings,Summarytab
MoveCluster/ Movesaclusterorstandalonehost VConly Clusters, Clusters,

Standalone betweenfolders. sourceand Hostfolders
Host Privilegemustbepresentatboththe destination
sourceanddestination.
hierarchy
MoveHost Movesasetofexistinghostsintoa VConly Hosts,source Clusters,

cluster. and Hostfolders
Privilegemustbepresentatboththe destination
sourceanddestination.
hierarchydraganddrop
Remove Deletesaclusterorstandalonehost. VConly Clustersplus Clusters,
Cluster UserinterfaceelementInventory parentobject Hosts
contextmenu,Edit>Remove,
Inventory>Cluster>Remove
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Table A-9. Host Inventory Privileges (Continued)

RemoveHost Removesahostinaclusteror VConly Clustersplus Clusters,

FromCluster standalonehost. parentobject Hostfolders
draganddropoutofcluster,context
menu,Inventory>Host>Remove
Rename Renamesacluster. VConly Clusters Clusters

singleclick,inventoryhierarchycontext
menu,Inventory>Cluster>Rename
Host Local Operations

Table A-10. Host Local Operations Privileges
AddHostto Installsanduninstallsvariousagentson HConly Rootfolder Rootfolder

VirtualCenter ahost,forexample,vpxaandaam.
CreateVirtual Createsanewvirtualmachinefrom HConly Rootfolder Rootfolder

Machine scratchonadiskwithoutregisteringit
onthehost.
DeleteVirtual Deletesavirtualmachineondisk, HConly Rootfolder Rootfolder

Machine whetherregisteredornot.
ManageUser Manageslocalaccountsonahost. HConly Rootfolder Rootfolder

Groups UserinterfaceelementUsers&
Groupstab(onlypresentiftheVIClient
logsontothehostdirectly)
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Network
Table A-11. Network Privileges
Assign Assignsanetworktoavirtualmachine. VConly Virtual Networks,

Network machine Virtual
machines
MoveNetwork Movesanetworkbetweenfolders. HCandVC Network, Networks
Privilegemustbepresentatboththe sourceand
sourceanddestination. destination
draganddrop
Delete Removesanetwork. HCandVC Datacenter Datacenters
Network UserinterfaceelementInventory
networkcontextmenu,Edit>Remove,
Inventory>Network>Remove
Performance
Table A-12. Performance Privileges
Privilege Pair with Effective
Name Description Affects Object on Object
Modify Creates,removes,andupdates VConly Rootfolder Rootfolder

Intervals performancedatacollectionintervals.
Userinterfaceelement
Administration>VirtualCenter
ManagementServerConfiguration>
Statistics
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Permissions
Table A-13. Permissions Privileges
Privilege Pair with Effective
Name Description Used Object on Object
Modify Definesoneormorepermissionruleson HCandVC Anyobject All

Permission anentity,orupdatesrulesifalready plusparent inventory
presentforthegivenuserorgroupon object items
theentity.
UserinterfaceelementPermissions
tabcontextmenu,Inventory>
Permissionsmenu
ModifyRole Updatesarolesnameandthe HCandVC Anyobject Rootfolder

privileges.
UserinterfaceelementRolestab
contextmenu,toolbarbutton,Filemenu
ReassignRole Reassignsallpermissionsofaroleto HCandVC Anyobject Rootfolder

Permissions anotherrole.
UserinterfaceelementDeleteRole
dialogboxradiobuttonandassociated
menu
Resource
Table A-14. Resource Privileges
Pair with Effective
Privilege Name Description Affects Object on Object
Apply Askstheservertogoaheadwitha VConly Clusters Clusters

Recommendation suggestedVMotion.
UserinterfaceelementClusterDRS
tab
AssignVirtual Assignsvirtualmachinestoaresource HCandVC Resource Resource

MachineToPool pool. pools pools
UserinterfaceelementNewVirtual
Machinewizard
CreatePool Createsanewresourcepool. HCandVC Resource Resource

UserinterfaceelementFilemenu, pools, pools,
contextmenu,Summarytab,Resources clusters clusters
tab
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Table A-14. Resource Privileges (Continued)

Pair with Effective
Privilege Name Description Affects Object on Object
Migrate Migratesavirtualmachinesexecution VConly Virtual Virtual
toaspecificresourcepoolorhost. machines machines
contextmenu,VirtualMachine
Summarytab,Inventory>Virtual
Machine>Migrate,draganddrop
ModifyPool Changestheallocationsofaresource HCandVC Resource Resource

pool. poolsplus pools
UserinterfaceelementInventory> parent
ResourcePool>Remove,Resources object
tab
MovePool Movesaresourcepool. HCandVC Resource Resource
Privilegemustbepresentatboththe pools, pools
sourceanddestination. sourceand
Userinterfaceelement destination
Draganddrop
QueryVMotion InvestigatesthegeneralVMotion VConly Rootfolder Root

compatibilityofavirtualmachinewith folder
asetofhosts.
UserinterfaceelementRequired
whendisplayingthemigrationwizard
forapoweredonvirtualmachine,to
checkcompatibility
Relocate Coldmigratesavirtualmachines VConly Virtual Virtual

executiontoaspecificresourcepoolor machines machines
host.
contextmenu,VirtualMachine
Summarytab,Inventory>Virtual
Machine>Migrate,draganddrop
RemovePool Deletesaresourcepool. HCandVC Resource Resource

UserinterfaceelementEdit> poolsplus pools
Remove,Inventory>ResourcePool> parent
Remove,inventorycontextmenu, object
Resourcestab
RenamePool Renamesaresourcepool. HCandVC Resource Resource
UserinterfaceelementEdit> pools pools
Rename,Inventory>ResourcePool>
Rename,contextmenu
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Scheduled Task
Table A-15. Scheduled Task Privileges
CreateTasks1 Schedulesatask.Requiresthe VConly Allinventory Allinventory

privilegestoperformthescheduled objects objects
actionatthetimeofscheduling.
UserinterfaceelementScheduled
Taskstoolbarbuttonandcontextmenu
ModifyTask Reconfiguresthescheduledtask VConly Allinventory Allinventory

properties. objects objects
UserinterfaceelementInventory>
ScheduledTasks>Edit,Scheduled
Taskstabcontextmenu
RemoveTask Removesascheduledtaskfromthe VConly Allinventory Allinventory

queue. objects objects
UserinterfaceelementScheduled
Taskscontextmenu,Inventory>
ScheduledTask>Remove,Edit>
Remove
RunTask Runsthescheduledtaskimmediately. VConly Allinventory Allinventory
UserinterfaceelementScheduled objects objects
Taskscontextmenu,Inventory>
ScheduledTask>Run
1. Creatingandrunningatask(ondemand)requirespermissiontoinvoketheassociatedaction.
Sessions
Table A-16. Session Privileges
Global Setsthegloballoginmessage. VConly Rootfolder Rootfolder

Message UserinterfaceelementSessionstab,
Administration>EditMessageofthe
Day
Impersonate Impersonatesanotheruser.This VConly Rootfolder Rootfolder

User capabilityisusedbyextensions.
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Table A-16. Session Privileges (Continued)

Validate Verifiessessionvalidity. VConly Rootfolder Rootfolder

Session
Viewand Allowsviewingofsession.Forceslog VConly Rootfolder Rootfolder

Terminate outofoneormoreloggedonusers.
Sessions UserinterfaceelementSessionstab
Tasks
Table A-17. Tasks Privileges
Create Allowsanextensiontocreatea VConly Rootfolder Rootfolder

userdefinedtask.
Update Allowsanextensiontoupdatea VConly Rootfolder Rootfolder

userdefinedtask.
Virtual Machine Configuration

Table A-18. Virtual Machine Privileges
AddExisting Addsavirtualdiskthatreferstoan HCandVC Virtual Virtual

Disk existingvirtualdisk. machines machines
UserinterfaceelementVirtual
MachinePropertiesdialogbox
AddNewDisk Addsavirtualdiskthatcreatesanew HCandVC Virtual Virtual

virtualdisk. machines machines
Addor Addsorremovesanynondiskdevice. HCandVC Virtual Virtual

Remove UserinterfaceelementVirtual machines machines
Device MachinePropertiesdialogbox
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Table A-18. Virtual Machine Privileges (Continued)

Advanced ChangesvaluesinextraConfig. HCandVC Virtual Virtual

UserinterfaceelementVirtual machines machines
MachinePropertiesdialogbox>
Optionstab>AdvancedGeneral
option>ConfigurationParameters
button
ChangeCPU ChangesthenumberofvirtualCPUs. HCandVC Virtual Virtual

Count UserinterfaceelementVirtual machines machines
Change Changesresourceconfigurationofaset HCandVC Virtual Virtual

Resource ofvirtualmachinenodesinagiven machines machines
resourcepool.
DiskExtend Expandsthesizeofavirtualdisk. HCandVC Virtual Virtual

machines machines
DiskLease LeasesdisksforVMwareConsolidated HCandVC Virtual Virtual

Backup. machines machines
HostUSB AttachesahostbasedUSBdevicetoa HCandVC Virtual Virtual

Device virtualmachine. machines machines
Userinterfaceelement>Virtual
Memory Changestheamountofmemory HCandVC Virtual Virtual

allocatedtothevirtualmachine. machines machines
Memory
ModifyDevice Changesthepropertiesofanexisting HCandVC Virtual Virtual

Settings device. machines machines
SCSI/IDEnodeselection
RawDevice1 Addsorremovesarawdiskmapping HCandVC Virtual Virtual

orSCSIpassthroughdevice. machines machines
MachineProperties>Add/Removeraw
diskmapping
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Table A-18. Virtual Machine Privileges (Continued)

RemoveDisk Removesavirtualdiskdevice. HCandVC Virtual Virtual

UserinterfaceelementVirtual machines machines
MachinePropertiesdialogbox>Hard
Disk(butnotarawdiskmapping)
Rename Renamesavirtualmachineormodifies HCandVC Virtual Virtual

theassociatednotesofavirtual machines machines
machine.
MachinePropertiesdialogbox,
inventory,inventorycontextmenu,File
menu,Inventorymenu
ResetGuest Clearsguestinfovariables. HCandVC Virtual Virtual
Information NouserVIClientinterfaceelementsare machines machines
Settings Changesgeneralvirtualmachine HCandVC Virtual Virtual

settings. machines machines
Optionstab
Swap Changestheswapfileplacementpolicy HCandVC Virtual Virtual

Placement foravirtualmachine. machines machines
Upgrade Upgradesthevirtualmachinesvirtual HCandVC Virtual Virtual

Virtual hardwareversionfromaprevious machines machines
Hardware versionofVMware.
Userinterfaceelementcontextmenu,
Filemenu(appearsonlyifthe.vmxfile
showsalowerconfigurationnumber)
1. Settingthisparameteroverridesanyotherprivilegeformodifyingrawdevices,includingconnectionstates.
316 VMware, Inc.

Virtual Machine Interaction

Table A-19. Virtual Machine Interaction
Answer Resolvesissueswithvirtualmachine HCandVC Virtual Virtual

Question statetransitionsorruntimeerrors. machines machines
UserinterfaceelementSummarytab,
Inventorymenu,contextmenu
ConfigureCD ChangesthebackingofaCDROM HCandVC Virtual Virtual

Media device. machines machines
DVD/CDROM
Configure Changesthebackingofafloppydevice. HCandVC Virtual Virtual

FloppyMedia UserinterfaceelementVirtual machines machines
SummarytabEditSettings
Console Interactswiththevirtualmachines HCandVC Virtual Virtual

Interaction virtualmouse,keyboard,andscreen; machines machines
getsscreenshotinformation.
UserinterfaceelementConsoletab,
toolbarbutton,Inventory>Virtual
Machine>OpenConsole,inventory
contextmenu
Defragment Defragmentsalldisksonthevirtual HCandVC Virtual Virtual
AllDisks machine. machines machines
Device Changestheconnectedstateofavirtual HCandVC Virtual Virtual

Connection machinesdisconnectablevirtual machines machines
devices.
SummarytabEditSettings
PowerOff Powersoffapoweredonvirtual HCandVC Virtual Virtual

machine,shutsdownguest. machines machines
VirtualMachine>Power>PowerOff,
Summarytab,toolbarbutton,virtual
machinecontextmenu
VMware, Inc. 317

Table A-19. Virtual Machine Interaction (Continued)

PowerOn Powersonapoweredoffvirtual HCandVC Virtual Virtual

machine,resumesasuspendedvirtual machines machines
machine.
VirtualMachine>Power>PowerOn,
machinecontextmenu
Reset Resetsvirtualmachineandrebootsthe HCandVC Virtual Virtual
guestoperatingsystem. machines machines
VirtualMachine>Power>Reset,
machinecontextmenu
Suspend Suspendsapoweredonvirtual HCandVC Virtual Virtual

machine,putsguestinstandbymode. machines machines
VirtualMachine>Power>Suspend,
machinecontextmenu
ToolsInstall Mountsandunmountsthe HCandVC Virtual Virtual

VMware ToolsCDinstallerasa machines machines
CDROMfortheguestoperating
system.
VirtualMachine>Guest>
Install/UpgradeVMwareTools,virtual
machinecontextmenu
318 VMware, Inc.

Virtual Machine Inventory

Table A-20. Virtual Machine Inventory Privileges
Create Createsanewvirtualmachineand HCandVC Parent Virtual

allocatesresourcesforitsexecution. folders machine
UserinterfaceelementFilemenu, folders
contextmenu,SummarytabNew
VirtualMachinelinks
Move Relocatesavirtualmachineinthe VConly Virtual Virtual

hierarchy. machines, machines,
Privilegemustbepresentatboththe parent virtual
sourceanddestination. folders machine
UserinterfaceelementInventory folders
hierarchydraganddropinVirtual
Machines&Templatesview
Remove Deletesavirtualmachine,optionally HCandVC Virtual Virtual

removesunderlyingfilesfromdisk. machines machines
UserinterfaceelementFilemenu, plusparent
contextmenu,Summarytab folders
Virtual Machine Provisioning

Table A-21. Virtual Machine Provisioning Privileges
Pair with Effective on
Privilege Name Description Affects Object Object
AllowDisk Opensadiskonavirtualmachinefor n/a Virtual Virtual

Access randomreadandwriteaccess.Used machines machines
mostlyforremotediskmounting.
AllowReadOnly Opensadiskonavirtualmachinefor n/a Virtual Virtual
DiskAccess randomreadaccess.Usedmostlyfor machines machines
remotediskmounting.
AllowVirtual Readsfilesassociatedwithavirtual HCand Virtual Rootfolders

Machine machine,includingvmx,disks,logs, VC machines
Download andnvram.
VMware, Inc. 319

Table A-21. Virtual Machine Provisioning Privileges (Continued)

AllowVirtual Writesfilesassociatedwithavirtual HCand Virtual Rootfolders
MachineFiles machine,includingvmx,disks,logs, VC machines
Upload andnvram.
Clone Clonesanexistingvirtualmachineand VConly Virtual Virtual

allocatesresources. machines machines
VirtualMachine>Clone,context
menu,Summarytab
CloneTemplate Clonesatemplate. VConly Virtual Virtual

UserinterfaceelementInventory> machines machines
VirtualMachine>Template>Clone,
contextmenu,VirtualMachinestab
CreateTemplate Createsanewtemplatefromavirtual VConly Virtual Virtual

FromVirtual machine. machines machines
Machine UserinterfaceelementInventory>
VirtualMachine>Template>Cloneto
Template,contextmenu,Summarytab
items
Customize Customizesavirtualmachinesguest VConly Virtual Virtual
operatingsystemwithoutmovingthe machines machines
virtualmachine.
UserinterfaceelementCloneVirtual
Machinewizard:GuestCustomization
DeployTemplate Createsanewvirtualmachinefroma VConly Virtual Virtual

template. machines machines
UserinterfaceelementDeployto
templateFilemenu,contextmenu
items,VirtualMachinestab
MarkAs Marksanexisting,poweredoffvirtual VConly Virtual Virtual

Template machineasatemplate. machines machines
VirtualMachine>Template>Convert
toTemplate,contextmenuitems,
VirtualMachinestab,Summarytab
320 VMware, Inc.

Table A-21. Virtual Machine Provisioning Privileges (Continued)

MarkAsVirtual Marksanexistingtemplateasavirtual VConly Virtual Virtual
Machine machine. machines machines
UserinterfaceelementConvertto
VirtualMachine...contextmenuitems,
VirtualMachinestab
Modify Creates,modifies,ordeletes VConly Rootfolder Rootfolder

Customization customizationspecifications.
Specs Userinterfaceelement
CustomizationSpecificationsManager
Read Viewsthecustomizationspecifications VConly Rootfolder Rootfolder

Customization definedonthesystem.
Specs UserinterfaceelementEdit>
CustomizationSpecifications
Virtual Machine State

Table A-22. Virtual Machine State Privileges
TakeSnapshot Createsanewsnapshotfromthevirtual HCandVC Virtual Virtual

machinescurrentstate. machines machines
Userinterfaceelementvirtual
machinecontextmenu,toolbarbutton,
Inventory>VirtualMachine>
Snapshot>TakeSnapshot
Remove Removesasnapshotfromthesnapshot HCandVC Virtual Virtual

Snapshot history. machines machines
Inventorymenu
VMware, Inc. 321

Table A-22. Virtual Machine State Privileges (Continued)

Rename Renamesthissnapshotwitheithera HCandVC Virtual Virtual

Snapshot newnameoranewdescriptionorboth. machines machines
RevertTo Setsthevirtualmachinetothestateit HCandVC Virtual Virtual

Snapshot wasinatagivensnapshot. machines machines
Inventory>VirtualMachine>
Snapshot>ReverttoSnapshot,Virtual
Machinestab
322 VMware, Inc.

B
Files That Make Up a Virtual

Machine B
Thisappendixcontainsreferenceinformationaboutvirtualmachinefilemanagement.
Becausevirtualmachinefilemanagementisperformedautomaticallyby
VMware Server,youmightneverneedtoknowthenamesorlocationsofyourvirtual
machinefiles.
Thisappendixincludesthefollowingtopic:
FilesThatMakeUpaVirtualMachineonpage 323
Files That Make Up a Virtual Machine

Avirtualmachineistypicallystoredonthehostcomputerinasetoffiles,intheworking
directorycreatedbyVMwareServerforthatspecificvirtualmachine.TheGeneraltabof
theConfigureVMdialogboxinthevirtualmachineSummarytabdisplaysthelocation
ofthevirtualmachineworkingdirectoryandthevirtualmachineconfigurationfile.
Table B1listsvirtualmachinefiletypes,byfileextension.Intheseexamples,
<vm_name>isthenameofthevirtualmachine.
Table B-1. Virtual Machine Files

Extension File Name Description
.log vmware.log Logfilescontaindetailedinformationaboutactions

vmware-<#>.log performedinthevirtualmachine.Logfilesareuseful
fortroubleshooting.
.nvram <vm_name>.nvram TheNVRAMfilestoresthevirtualmachinesBIOS

settings.
VMware, Inc. 323

Table B-1. Virtual Machine Files (Continued)

.vmdk Virtualdiskfilesstoretheinformationwrittentoa
virtualmachinesharddisk,includingtheoperating
system,programfiles,anddatafiles.Avirtualdiskis
madeupofoneormore.vmdkfiles.
Ifyoucreatemorethanonevirtualdisk,the
correspondingdiskfilesincludeanumberinthe
filenamefollowingthevirtualmachinename.
<vm_name>.vmdk Growabledisksincreaseinsizeasdataisadded.
Growablediskfilesuseasmallamountofspaceat
<vm_name>_<#>.vmdk thebeginningofthefileforvirtualmachine
overhead.
<vm_name>.vmdk Preallocateddisksarecreatedattheirmaximumsize
<vm_name>-flat.vmdk anddonotgrow.
Twofilesarecreatedforeachpreallocatedvirtual
disk.Thefilewithoutflatinthenamecontains
<vm_name>_<#>.vmdk
metadataaboutthecorrespondingdiskfile.
<vm_name>_<#>-flat.vmdk
<vm_name>.vmdk Preallocatedvirtualdiskfilessplitinto2GBchunks.
<vm_name>-f<###>.vmdk Thenumberoffilesdependsonthetotalsizeofthe
virtualdisk.Asdataisaddedtoavirtualdisk,the
.vmdk filesgrow,toamaximumof2GBeach.
<vm_name>_<#>.vmdk
<vm_name>_<#>-f<###>.vmdk
<vm_name>.vmdk Growablevirtualdiskfilessplitinto2GBchunks.
<vm_name>-s<###>.vmdk Thenumberoffilesdependsonthetotalsizeofthe
virtualdisk.Asdataisaddedtoavirtualdisk,the
.vmdk filesgrow,toamaximumof2GBeach.
<vm_name>_<#>.vmdk
<vm_name>_<#>-s<###>.vmdk
<vm_name>-<######>.vmdk Redologfilesstorechangestodisksthatare
includedinsnapshots.Theseredofilesaresaved
whenthevirtualmachineispoweredofforreset.
<vm_name>_<#>-<######>.vmdk
Whenyoureverttothesnapshot,thecontentsofthe
redologarediscarded.Anyadditionalchangesare,
onceagain,accumulatedinanewredolog.
Redologfilesthatstorechangestononpersistent
disksarepresentwhilethevirtualmachineis
running,andarediscardedwhenthevirtual
machineispoweredofforreset.
324 VMware, Inc.

Appendix B Files That Make Up a Virtual Machine
Table B-1. Virtual Machine Files (Continued)

.vmem <vm_name>.vmem Thevirtualmemorypagingfilebacksuptheguest

mainmemoryonthehostfilesystem.(Thevirtual
machineusesthephysicalmemoryonthehost.)The
pagingfileispresentwhileavirtualmachineis
running,andisdeletedwhenavirtualmachineis
poweredoffnormally.
<vm_name>-Snapshot<#>.vmem Thesnapshotmemoryfilestoresthestateofthe
virtualmachinesmemoryforasnapshottakenwhen
avirtualmachineispoweredon.
.vmsd <vm_name>.vmsd Storesmetadataandinformationaboutsnapshots.
.vmsn <vm_name>-Snapshot<#>.vmsn Storesthestateofavirtualmachineatthetimeyou

takethesnapshot.
.vmss <vm_name>.vmss Storesthestateofasuspendedvirtualmachine.
.vmx <vm_name>.vmx Theprimaryvirtualmachineconfigurationfile

storessettingschosenintheNewVirtualMachine
wizardandtheConfigureVMdialogbox.
Donoteditthevirtualmachineconfigurationfile
directly.Instead,usetheAdvancedtabofthe
ConfigureVMdialogbox.SeeChangingVirtual
MachineAdvancedSettingsonpage 127.
.vmxf <vm_name>.vmxf Supplementaryvirtualmachineconfigurationfile.
.lck <paging_file>.vmem.lck Lockfilespreventdataconsistencyproblemson

<redo_file>.vmdk.lck virtualdisks.Lockfilesarepresentwhileavirtual
<disk_file>.vmdk.lck machineisrunning,andaredeletedwhenavirtual
machineispoweredoffnormally.
Ifthehostsystemcrasheswhileavirtualmachineis
running,astalelockoftenremains.Whenthevirtual
machineisstartedagain,itattemptstoremovethe
stalelock.Toverifythatthelockfileisstale,
VMware Serverconfirmsthat:
Thelockwascreatedonthesamehostwherethe
virtualmachineisrunning.
Theprocessthatcreatedthelockisnotrunning.
Ifeitherofthoseconditionsisnottrue,awarning
messageappears,indicatingthatthevirtualmachine
cannotbepoweredon.Ifyouaresureitissafetodo
so,youcandeletethelockfilesmanually.
VMware, Inc. 325

326 VMware, Inc.

Glossary
A alarm
Anentitythatmonitorsoneormorepropertiesofavirtualmachine,suchasCPU
load.Alarmsissuenotificationsasdirectedbytheconfigurablealarmdefinition.
authorizationrole
Asetofprivilegesgroupedforconvenientidentificationundernamessuchas
Administrator.
B BIOS(basicinput/outputsystem)
Firmwarethatcontrolsmachinestartupandmanagescommunicationbetweenthe
CPUandotherdevices,suchasthekeyboard,monitor,printers,anddiskdrives.
bridgednetworking
Inhostedproducts,atypeofnetworkconnectionbetweenavirtualmachineand
thehostsphysicalnetwork.Withbridgednetworking,avirtualmachineappears
tobeanadditionalcomputeronthesamephysicalEthernetnetworkasthehost.
Seealsocustomnetworking,hostonlynetworking,NAT(networkaddress
translation).
C child
Amanagedentitygroupedbyafolderobjectoranothermanagedentity.Seealso
folder.
cluster
Aservergroupinthevirtualenvironment.Clustersenableahighavailability
solution.
VMware, Inc. 327

customnetworking
Anytypeofnetworkconnectionbetweenvirtualmachinesandthehostthatdoes
notusethedefaultbridged,hostonly,ornetworkaddresstranslation(NAT)
configurations.Forinstance,differentvirtualmachinescanbeconnectedtothe
hostbyseparatenetworksorconnectedtoeachotherandnottothehost.Any
networktopologyispossible.Seealsobridgednetworking,hostonlynetworking,
NAT(networkaddresstranslation).
DE datastore
Virtualrepresentationsofcombinationsofunderlyingphysicalstorageresources.
Adatastoreisthestoragelocationforvirtualmachinefiles.Thestoragelocation
canbethelocalfilesystem,aCIFSstore(Windowsonly),oranNFSmountedfile
system(Linuxonly).
diskmode
Apropertyofavirtualdiskthatdefinesitsexternalbehavior(howthe
virtualizationlayertreatsitsdata)butiscompletelyinvisibletotheguestoperating
system.Availablemodesvarybyproductandincludepersistentmode(changesto
thediskarealwayspreservedacrosssessions)andnonpersistentmode(changes
areneverpreserved).
F folder
Amanagedentityusedtogroupothermanagedentities.Foldertypesare
determinedbythekindsofchildentitiestheycontain.Seealsochild.
FQDN(fullyqualifieddomainname)
Thenameofahost,includingboththehostnameandthedomainname.For
example,theFQDNofahostnamedesx1inthedomainvmware.comis
esx1.vmware.com.
fullscreenmode
Adisplaymodeinwhichthevirtualmachinesdisplayfillstheentirescreen.
G group
Asetofusersassignedacommonsetofprivileges.Agroupmaycontainother
groups.
growabledisk
Atypeofvirtualdiskinwhichthediskspaceisnotpreallocatedtoitsfullsize.Its
filesstartoutsmallinsizeandgrowasdataiswrittentothedisk.Seealso
preallocateddisk.
328 VMware, Inc.

Glossary
guestoperatingsystem
Anoperatingsystemthatrunsinsideavirtualmachine.Seealsohostoperating
system.
H host
ThephysicalcomputeronwhichtheVMwareServersoftwareisinstalled.
hostagent
Softwarethat,wheninstalledonavirtualmachinehost,performsactionsonbehalf
ofaremoteclient.
hostedproducts
VMwareproducts(includingWorkstation,VMwarePlayer,VMwareServer,
VMwareACE,andLabManager)thatrunasapplicationsonphysicalmachines
withoperatingsystemssuchasMicrosoftWindowsorLinux.Bycomparison,ESX
isabaremetalproduct,whichprovidesathinsoftwarelayer(thehypervisor)
thatenablesittorundirectlyonthephysicalmachine.
hostonlynetworking
Atypeofnetworkconnectionbetweenavirtualmachineandthehost.With
hostonlynetworking,avirtualmachineisconnectedtothehostonaprivate
network,whichnormallyisnotvisibleoutsidethehost.Multiplevirtualmachines
configuredwithhostonlynetworkingonthesamehostareonthesamenetwork.
Seealsobridgednetworking,customnetworking,NAT(networkaddress
translation).
hostoperatingsystem
Anoperatingsystemthatrunsonthehostmachine.Seealsoguestoperating
system.
I-L IDE
Acronymforintegrateddriveelectronics,astandardelectronicinterfaceusedto
connectmassstoragedevicestoacomputer.TheANSInameforIDEisAdvanced
TechnologyAttachment(ATA).
independentdisk
Atypeofvirtualdiskthatisnotaffectedbysnapshots.Youcanconfigure
independentdisksinpersistentandnonpersistentmodes.Seealsononpersistent
mode,persistentmode,snapshot.
VMware, Inc. 329

inventory
AhierarchicalstructureusedbyVMwareServertoorganizemanagedentities.
Thishierarchyispresentedasalistthatprovidesaviewofallthemonitored
objects.
M managedentity
Amanagedobjectthatispresentintheinventory.Seealsoinventory.
MKS(mouse,keyboard,screen)
Asetofbasicinputoutputservicesforuserinteractionwithavirtualmachine.
MSCS(MicrosoftClusterService)
Softwarethatdistributesdataamongthenodesofthecluster.Ifonenodefails,
othernodesprovidefailoversupportforapplicationssuchasdatabases,file
servers,andmailservers.
N-O NAT(networkaddresstranslation)
In hosted networking, a type of network connection that enables you to connect
your virtual machines to an external network when you have only one IP network
address and the host computer uses that address. The VMware NAT device passes
network data between one or more virtual machines and the external network. It
identifies incoming data packets intended for each virtual machine and sends them
to the correct destination.
NetBIOS(networkbasicinput/outputsystem)
AnAPIthatenablesapplicationsondifferentcomputerstocommunicateacrossa
LAN.NetBIOSprovidesthenameserviceandofferstwocommunicationmodes:
sessionserviceforconnectionorientedcommunicationanddatagramdistribution
serviceforconnectionlesscommunication.
NIC(networkinterfacecard)
Anexpansionboardthatprovidesadedicatedconnectionbetweenacomputer
andanetwork.Alsocalledanetworkadapter.
nonpersistentmode
Adiskmodeinwhichalldiskwritesissuedbysoftwarerunninginsideavirtual
machineappeartobewrittentotheindependentdiskbutareinfactdiscarded
afterthevirtualmachineispoweredoff.Asaresult,avirtualdiskorphysicaldisk
inindependentnonpersistentmodeisnotmodifiedbyactivityinthevirtual
machine.Seealsodiskmode,persistentmode.
330 VMware, Inc.

Glossary
P-Q permission
Adataobjectconsistingofanauthorizationrole,auserorgroupname,anda
managedentityreference.Apermissionallowsaspecifiedusertoaccesstheentity
(suchasavirtualmachine)withanyoftheprivilegespertainingtotherole.
persistentmode
Adiskmodeinwhichalldiskwritesissuedbysoftwarerunninginsideavirtual
machineareimmediatelyandpermanentlywrittentoavirtualdiskthathasbeen
configuredasanindependentdisk.Asaresult,avirtualdiskorphysicaldiskin
independentpersistentmodebehaveslikeaconventionaldiskdriveonaphysical
computer.Seealsodiskmode,nonpersistentmode.
preallocateddisk
Atypeofvirtualdiskwherealldiskspaceforthevirtualmachineisallocatedat
thetimethediskiscreated.Seealsogrowabledisk.
privilege
Authorizationtoperformaspecificactionorsetofactionsonamanagedobjector
groupofmanagedobjects.
R readonlyuser
Aroleinwhichtheuserisallowedtoviewtheinventorybutnotallowedto
performanytasks.
resume
Toreturnavirtualmachinetooperationfromitssuspendedstate.Whenyou
resumeasuspendedvirtualmachine,allapplicationsareinthesamestatethey
werewhenthevirtualmachinewassuspended.Seealsosuspend.
role
Adefinedsetofprivilegesthatcanbeassignedtousersandgroupstocontrol
accesstoVMwareServerobjects.
S-T shrink
Toreclaimunusedspaceinavirtualdisk.Ifadiskhasemptyspace,shrinking
reducestheamountofspacethevirtualdiskoccupiesonthehostdrive.Youcannot
shrinkpreallocatedvirtualdisks.
VMware, Inc. 331

snapshot
Areproductionofthevirtualmachinejustasitwaswhenyoutookthesnapshot,
includingthevirtualmachinespowerstate(on,off,orsuspended).Ifthevirtual
harddisksarenotsettoindependentmode,asnapshotalsoincludesthestateof
thedataonallthevirtualmachinesdisks.Youcantakeasnapshotwhenavirtual
machineispoweredon,poweredoff,orsuspended.Seealsoindependentdisk.
suspend
Tosavethecurrentstateofarunningvirtualmachine.Toreturnasuspended
virtualmachinetooperation,usetheresumefeature.Seealsoresume.
U user
Auserisaprincipalknowntothesystem.
VZ virtualdisk
Afileorsetoffilesthatappearsasaphysicaldiskdrivetoaguestoperating
system.Thesefilescanbeonthehostmachineoronaremotefilesystem.Seealso
growabledisk,preallocateddisk.
virtualhardware
Thedevicesthatmakeupavirtualmachine.Thevirtualhardwareincludesthe
virtualdisk,removabledevicessuchastheCD/DVDandfloppydrives,andthe
virtualEthernetadapter.
virtualmachine
Avirtualizedx86PCenvironmentinwhichaguestoperatingsystemand
associatedapplicationsoftwarecanrun.Multiplevirtualmachinescanoperateon
thesamehostmachineconcurrently.
virtualmachineadministrator
Aroleinwhichtheuserisallowedtoperformallthevirtualmachinemanagement
functions.
virtualmachineconfiguration
Thespecificationofwhichvirtualdevices,suchasdisksandmemory,arepresent
inavirtualmachineandhowtheyaremappedtohostfilesanddevices.
virtualmachineconfigurationfile
Afilecontainingavirtualmachineconfiguration.This.vmxfileiscreatedwhen
youcreatethevirtualmachine.Itisusedtoidentifyandrunaspecificvirtual
machine.
332 VMware, Inc.

Glossary
virtualmachineuser
Aroleinwhichtheuserisallowedtoperformpoweroperationsonvirtual
machines.
virtualnetwork
Anetworkconnectingvirtualmachinesthatdoesnotdependonphysical
hardwareconnections.Forexample,youcancreateavirtualnetworkbetweena
virtualmachineandahostthathasnoexternalnetworkconnections.
virtualnetworkeditor
Aneditorthatrunsonthehostandisusedtoviewandmodifythenetworking
settingsforthevirtualnetworkscreatedbyVMwareServer.
VMwareauthorizationservice
TheservicethatVMwareServeremploystoauthenticateusers.Theprocessis
calledvmwareauthdonLinuxhosts.
VMware, Inc. 333

334 VMware, Inc.

Index
A adding
About menu option CD/DVD drives 151
VI Web Access 54 datastores 110
About tab floppy drives 154
VMware Tools 95 generic SCSI devices 157
acceleration hard disks 144
enabling and disabling in guest 128, host virtual adapters 227
280 network adapters 223
hardware in Windows Server parallel ports 177
2003 282 passthrough SCSI devices 157
access permissions 206
inventory objects 201 roles 204
permissions 206 serial ports 166
privileges 299 sound adapters 165
rules for inheritance 208 USB controllers 159
rules for propagation 208 virtual machine to inventory 108
Add Hardware wizard add-on
adding CD/DVD drives 151 VMware Remote Console 52
adding floppy drives 154 addresses
adding generic SCSI devices 157 assigning IP 231
adding hard disks 144 assigning MAC 234
adding network adapters 223 assigning MAC manually 235
adding parallel ports 177 IP on virtual network 230
adding passthrough SCSI network address translation 248
devices 157 using DHCP to assign on virtual
adding serial ports 166 network 230
adding sound adapters 165 Advanced tab
adding USB controllers 159 VI Web Access 127
using the wizard 137 alarms
virtual machine power state 137 privileges 300
VMware, Inc. 335

assigning SCSI system requirements 29

IP addresses 230 using ATAPI emulation 150
MAC addresses 234 CIFS datastores 110
ATAPI emulation 150 client devices
audio in virtual machines 31, 165 connecting and disconnecting 132
AudioPCI sound adapter 165 clock
automatic bridging 226, 268 real-time on Linux host 41
synchronize guest and host 93, 126
B clustering
background snapshots applications 288
enabling and disabling 115 cluster in a box 291
backups configuring virtual machines 292
restoring from snapshot 120 overview 287
restoring quiesced 120 software requirements 288
taking quiesced 118 two-node cluster 293
taking using VSS 118 command-line interface
BIOS for VIX API 139
NVRAM file in virtual machine 323 for VMware Tools 104
provided in virtual machine 28 configuring
setup when virtual machine advanced virtual machine
boots 125 options 127
bridged networking automatic bridging 226, 268
configuring 225 bridged networking 225
explained 212 CD/DVD drives 150
Bridging tab custom virtual networks 219
in virtual network editor 268 DHCP on Linux host 231
BusLogic SCSI driver 29, 63, 159 DHCP on Windows host 231
DHCP settings 227, 269
C floppy drives 154
CD/DVD drives groups 203
accessing directly 151 hard disks 141
adding 151 host virtual network mapping 226
autorun polling in virtual memory size in virtual
machines 281 machines 277
connecting and disconnecting 132 NAT 251
editing 152 NAT on Linux host 257
IDE system requirements 29 NAT settings 270
removing 153 network adapters 222
parallel ports 177
336 VMware, Inc.

Index
processors in virtual machines 279 roles 204

SCSI controllers 159 serial ports 166
SCSI devices 156 sound adapters 165
second bridged network on a Linux USB controllers 159
host 237 virtual machines 59
serial ports 166 VMware Remote Console
sound adapters 164 shortcuts 134
USB controllers 159 Web shortcuts for virtual
users 203 machines 133
virtual machine file settings 129 Creative Labs 31, 165
virtual network subnet settings 227
virtual networking settings 267
D
virtual networks 211, 215, 222 datacenters
VMware Tools scripts 125 privileges 301
connecting datastores
CD/DVD drives 132 adding 110
floppy drives 132 managing 110
floppy image files 132 removing 112
ISO image files 132 renaming 111
USB devices 160 DDNS 236
Console tab debugging
VI Web Access 52 effect on performance 281
console, virtual machine 52, 53 enabling and disabling virtual
machine 127
core files 16
default scripts for VMware Tools 97
CPU
defragmenting
host requirement 24
physical host disks 274
provided in virtual machines 28
virtual disks 147, 280
See also processors 279
deleting
creating
CD/DVD drives 153
CD/DVD drives 151
datastores 112
datastores 110
floppy drives 156
floppy drives 154
hard disks 146
generic SCSI devices 157
network adapters 225
hard disks 144
parallel ports 179
permissions 208
parallel ports 177
roles 205
passthrough SCSI devices 157
serial ports 170
permissions 206
sound adapters 166
VMware, Inc. 337

USB controllers 160 disconnecting

virtual machines 108, 130 CD/DVD drives 132
desktop shortcut for VMware Server 38 floppy drives 132
device drivers floppy image files 132
BusLogic SCSI 63 ISO image files 132
LSI Logic SCSI 63 USB devices 164
VMware Tools 74 disk space
devices required on host computer 24
configuring SCSI in virtual disks
machines 156 defragmenting 147
connecting and disconnecting in DMA and performance 283
VMware Remote growable 62, 142
Console 132
IDE drives in virtual machines 29
connecting and disconnecting in
IDE drives supported in host 24
VMware Tools 94
preallocated 62, 142
disconnecting USB 164
SCSI drives in virtual machines 29
using USB in virtual machines 161
SCSI drives supported in host 24
Devices menu
shrinking 147
VMware Remote Console 132
types supported in host 24
Devices tab
DMA and disk performance 283, 284
VMware Tools 94
DNS 249
DHCP
drivers
assigning IP addresses on a virtual
network 230 BusLogic SCSI 63
changing settings 227 LSI Logic SCSI 63
configuring in virtual network video, in older versions of
editor 269 Windows 77
configuring on a Linux host 231 DVD drives
configuring on a Windows host 231 optical drives supported in host 25
on a virtual network with NAT 249 supported in virtual machines 150
server on virtual network 217, 218 See also CD/DVD drives
servers 214 dynamic domain name service 236
troubleshooting on a Linux host 236
E
DHCP tab
editing
in virtual network editor 269
CD/DVD drives 152
dhcpd 236
floppy drives 155
dial-up connections 233
generic SCSI devices 158
direct memory access
hard disks 145
See DMA
338 VMware, Inc.

Index
parallel ports 178 floppy drives

passthrough SCSI devices 158 adding 154
permissions 207 connecting and disconnecting 132
roles 205 editing 155
SCSI controllers 159 removing 156
serial ports 169 supported in virtual machines 30
sound adapters 165 floppy images
Ethernet adapters adding 154
See network adapters connecting and disconnecting 132
events editing 155
virtual machine 57 removing 156
VMware Server 57 supported in virtual machines 30
Events tab folders
VI Web Access 57 privileges 303
exiting VMware Remote Console 133 FreeBSD
extensions VMware Tools for 86
privileges 302 FTP 250
full screen mode
F entering 131
fault tolerance in networks 225 leaving 131
files
BIOS in virtual machines 323 G
redo log 324 gated server processes 235
sharing on a Linux host using General tab
Samba 258 VI Web Access 124
snapshot 325 generating
suspended state 325 VMware Remote Console
used by a virtual machine 323 shortcuts 134
virtual disk 324 Web shortcuts for virtual
virtual machine configuration 325 machines 133
virtual machine locking 325 generic SCSI devices 156
virtual machine log 323 adding 157
Firefox editing 158
requirements for VI Web Access 27 removing 158
requirements for VMware Remote global privileges 303
Console 27 graphics
using VMware Remote Console 52 support in virtual machine 29
firewall 255 groups 201
managing 203
VMware, Inc. 339

growable virtual disks 62, 142 hosts

guest operating system CIM privileges 305
defined 23 configuration privileges 306
installing 68 inventory privileges 308
interacting with 131 local operations privileges 309
pressing Ctrl+Alt+Del 131 host-wide settings 113, 115
supported 31
upgrading 71 I
ICMP 250
H IDE
hard disks drives in virtual machines 29
adding 144 drives supported in host 24
editing 145 importing virtual machines 108
removing 146 independent virtual disks 63
hardware version of virtual machines 61, installing
72 disk space requirements 24
heartbeat guest operating system 68
and clustering virtual machines 292 Linux guests in text mode 279
host computer on Linux host 41
disk space required 24 on Windows host 37
system requirements 23 software in a virtual machine 138
host operating system VMware Remote Console add-
defined 23 on 52
supported Linux 26 VMware Server 35
supported Windows 25 VMware Server silently on Windows
host virtual adapters hosts 39
adding 227 VMware Tools 76
disabling 227 VMware Tools silently on Windows
enabling 227 guests 78
removing 227 Internet Explorer
Host Virtual Adapters tab requirements for VI Web Access 27
in virtual network editor 269 requirements for VMware Remote
Console 27
Host Virtual Mapping tab
using VMware Remote Console 52
inventory
host virtual network mapping 226, 268
access to objects 201
host-only networking
inventory panel
basic configuration 218
VI Web Access 48
selecting IP addresses 230
Iomega zip drives and parallel ports 184
340 VMware, Inc.

Index
IP address VI Web Access 17

assigning 231 virtual machine 16
IP forwarding 233 VMware Authorization Service 16
ISO images VMware host agent 16
connecting and disconnecting 132 VMware Remote Console 17
logging
K enabling and disabling 127
kernel upgrades and VMware Server 42 logging in
key code mappings 187 access permissions 201
keyboards to VI Web Access 48
mapping on a Linux host 184 logging out
keysym VI Web Access 57
defined 185 LSI Logic SCSI devices 29
mapping 187 LSI Logic SCSI driver 63, 159
L M
leaking MAC addresses 234, 235
IP packets in host-only network 232 managing
IP packets in virtual machine 233 datastores 110
licensing, serial number and 39 groups 203
Linux guests users 203
performance 279 mappings
VMware Tools for 80, 82 key code 187
Linux hosts keyboard 184
installing VMware Server 41 keysym 187
performance 274 memory
supported operating systems 26 amount required on host 24
uninstalling VMware Server on 43 available in virtual machine 29
location choosing for best performance 277
virtual machine configuration configuring 277
file 124, 323 editing 277
working directory 124, 323 host-wide settings 113, 275
.lck file 325 reserving for virtual machines 113
locking setting when creating virtual
snapshots 126 machine 61
.log file 323 swapping in host 114
log files virtual machine memory size 277
authorization service 16
host agent 16
VMware, Inc. 341

menu options nat.conf 252, 257

VI Web Access 54 NetWare, Novell 96
virtual machine 54 network adapters
message log adding virtual 223
viewing VMware Remote editing virtual 224
Console 133 removing virtual 225
MIDI 164 teaming 226, 238
MMU 128 networks
modifying automatic bridging 226
CD/DVD drives 152 changing DHCP settings 227
floppy drives 155 changing subnet settings 227
hard disks 145 changing the configuration 222
network adapters 224 common configurations 215
parallel ports 178 components 213
permissions 207 configuring 211
SCSI controllers 159 configuring automatic bridging 268
serial ports 169 configuring bridged 225
sound adapters 165 configuring DHCP 269
mouse driver configuring NAT 270
installed by VMware Tools 74 configuring options 267
MP3 164 custom configurations 219
Mylex SCSI adapter 29 DHCP 230
DHCP server 214
N dial-up connections 233
named pipe 168, 171, 172, 173, 175 dynamic domain name service 236
NAT fault tolerance 225
advanced configuration 251 hardware addresses 234
and DHCP 249 host virtual network mapping 226
and DNS 249 host-only 218
and the host computer 249 host-only subnet 230
configuring 270 IP forwarding 233
external access from a NAT IP packet leaks 232, 233
network 250
MAC addresses 234
on virtual networks 216, 248
managing host virtual adapters 269
sample configuration file for Linux
mapping bridged adapters 268
host 257
NAT 216, 248
selecting IP addresses 230
NAT as firewall 255
NAT tab
NAT subnet 230
342 VMware, Inc.

Index
overview of virtual network overview

options 212 VI Web Access 48
packet filtering 233
privileges 310 P
promiscuous mode on a Linux packets
host 247 filtering 233
refreshing virtual 223 leaks in host-only network 232
routing between two host-only leaks in virtual machine 233
networks 243 parallel ports
routing on a Linux host 235 adding 177
Samba 258 and Iomega zip drives 184
second bridged network on a Linux and the Linux kernel 180
host 237
configuring on a Linux host 180
switches 213
editing 178
teamed NICs 226, 238
in a virtual machine 179
token ring 217
removing 179
troubleshooting DHCP on a Linux
paravirtualization 128
host 236
two host-only networks 240
adding 157
virtual adapters 214
editing 158
virtual DHCP server 217, 218
removing 158
Virtual Network Editor 231
passwords in Samba password file 263
virtual switches 213
PCI slots
NFS datastores 110
in virtual machine 29
NFS root squash option 110
limits 29
NICS
performance
See network adapters
CD/DVD drive autorun polling 281
nonpersistent virtual disks 63
debugging mode 281
NTBackup 118
disk options 283
NVRAM file for BIOS settings 323
DMA and disks 283
O eliminating snapshots 280
operating system installing applications in a guest 280
installing guest 68 Linux guests 279
supported guest 31 memory settings 277
supported Linux host 26 memory usage 275, 277
supported Windows host 25 privileges 310
Options tab remote disk access 280
VMware Tools 93
VMware, Inc. 343

Windows 2000 guest 282 resource 311

Windows 95 and Windows 98 scheduled tasks 313
guests 283 sessions 313
permissions 201, 206 tasks 314
access 206 virtual machine 319
creating 206 virtual machine configuration 314
editing 207 virtual machine interaction 317
hierarchy of 208 virtual machine provisioning 319
privileges 311 virtual machine state 321
removing 208 processor count
settings, multiple 208 configuring 279
persistent virtual disks 63 maximum in virtual machine 279
physical disks setting when creating virtual
storing virtual disks on 64, 143 machine 62
ping 250 processors
pipe, named 168, 171, 172, 173, 175 host requirement 24
plug-in provided in virtual machines 28
VMware Remote Console 52 product compatibility 61
power off product registration 15
snapshot options 127, 199 promiscuous mode 247
power state PXE image file 36, 62
changing virtual machine 122
current virtual machine 51 Q
Power tab quiesced backups 118
VI Web Access 125 quiet mode, install VMware Tools 78
preallocated virtual disks 62, 142 quitting VMware Remote Console 133
privileges 201, 299
alarms 300
R
configuration 306 RAM
datacenter 301 amount required on host 24
extension 302 available in virtual machine 29
folders 303 Real Media 164
global 303 real-time clock requirement on Linux
host 41
host CIM 305
redo-log files 324
host inventory 308
refreshing
host local operations 309
virtual network 223
network 310
registration 15
performance 310
permission 311
344 VMware, Inc.

Index
Remote Console routed server processes 235

See VMware Remote Console routing
removing between two host-only
CD/DVD drives 153 networks 243
datastores 112 for a host-only network on a Linux
floppy drives 156 host 235
generic SCSI devices 158 RPM installer
hard disks 146 for VMware Server 42
host virtual adapters 227 for VMware Tools 80, 82
network adapters 225 running
parallel ports 179 suspended virtual machines 193
S
permissions 208
Samba
roles 205
already running on a Linux host 264
serial ports 170
and file sharing on a Linux host 258
sound adapters 166
and printer sharing 259
USB controllers 160
CIFS datastores 110
USB devices 164
on both bridged and host-only
virtual machines from
networks 265
inventory 108, 130
password file 263
renaming
running two Samba servers 265
datastores 111
sample configuration file 259, 261,
roles 205
265
repairing
saving virtual machine state 193, 195
VMware Tools installations 91
scan code 185
reporting problems 15
scheduled tasks
resources
privileges 313
privileges 311
scripts
resuming
creating custom VMware Tools 99
virtual machines 193
enabling, disabling, and running 94
roles 201
running and disabling 100
configuring 203
running during power state
creating 204 changes 97
default 204 VMware Tools 125
editing 205 Scripts tab
managing 203 VMware Tools 94
privileges, lists of 299 SCSI controller 159
removing 205
renaming 205
VMware, Inc. 345

SCSI devices Shared Folders tab

adding 157 VMware Tools 95
editing 158 sharing
generic 156 files on a Linux host with
host requirement 24 Samba 258
in virtual machine 29 shortcut, desktop, for VMware Server 38
passthrough 156 Shrink tab
removing 158 VMware Tools 95
SCSI reservation shrinking
and clustering 288 virtual disks 95, 147
enabling 289 virtual disks in Netware 96
issues to consider 291 shutting down
preallocated virtual disks 288 host-wide virtual machine
sharing SCSI disks 288 settings 115
support 289 order of virtual machines 117
serial connections smb.conf file 259, 261, 265
between host application and virtual Snapshot tab
machine 170 VI Web Access 126
between two virtual machines 172 snapshots
changing input speed 176 as background activity 115, 197
to a serial port on the host 170 eliminating for performance 280
yielding CPU on poll 176 excluding virtual disks from 198
serial number 15, 36, 39, 54 files for storing 325
serial ports host-wide settings 115
adding 166 locking 126
configuring 170 power-off options 127, 199
editing 169 removing 199
example usage 170 reverting to 199
removing 170 taking 198
using 170 using with VSS backups 119
servers virtual machine 195
DHCP 214, 227, 231, 236, 249, 256 Solaris
DNS 236, 249, 252, 271 VMware Tools for 84
Samba 258 sound
WINS 250, 255 configuring in virtual machines 164
service Sound Blaster 165
VSS Writer 118 support in guest 31
sessions
privileges 313
346 VMware, Inc.

Index
sound adapters SVGA drivers

adding 165 installing in Windows guests 77
device compatibility 164 SVGA graphics support 29
drivers for Windows guests 165 swap space on a Linux host 274
editing 165 switches
removing 166 virtual networks 213
sound drivers 165 system requirements 23
specifications for virtual machines 28 memory 24
starting processors 24
suspended virtual machines 193 remote client 27
virtual machines automatically 116 VI Web Access 27
startup VMware Remote Console 27
host-wide virtual machine
settings 115 T
order of virtual machines 117 tabs
startup commands in VI Web Access 49
used by VMware Tools 102 in VMware Tools control panel 91
startup scripts tar installer
using VMware Tools 101 for VMware Server 41
statistics for VMware Tools 82
enabling and disabling 128 tasks
stopping privileges 314
order of virtual machines 117 virtual machine 56
subnet VMware Server 56
changing settings 227 Tasks tab
in NAT configuration 230 VI Web Access 56
on host-only networks 230 teamed network interface cards 226,
Summary tab 51 238
in virtual network editor 267 telnet 250
VI Web Access 51 time synchronization, between guest and
supported guest operating systems 31 host 93, 126
supported host operating systems time.synchronize options for VMware
Tools 93
Linux 26
token ring networks 217
Windows 25
toolbar
suspending
power operations 122
virtual machine files storing
state 325 USB controller 160
virtual machines 193 tools
See VMware Tools
VMware, Inc. 347

U V
uninstalling VGA graphics support 29
host virtual adapters 227 VI Web Access
VMware Server on Linux host 43 changing guest operating
VMware Server on Windows system 124
host 41 changing virtual machine name 124
VMware Tools 91 changing virtual machine power
unplugging USB devices 164 settings 109, 125
updating configuring VMware Tools
guest operating system 71 scripts 125
virtual machine hardware Events tab 57
version 72 General tab 124
upgrading inventory panel 48
guest operating system 71 log files 17
Linux kernel, reconfiguring VMware logging in 48
Server after 42 logging out 57
virtual machine hardware managing virtual machine
version 72 inventory 108
USB menu options 54
connecting devices 160 overview 48
control of devices by host and Power tab 125
guest 163 setting guest operating system 124
devices in a virtual machine 161 setting snapshot options 126
disconnecting devices 164 setting virtual machine name 124
enabling and disabling the setting virtual machine power
controller 159 options 125
on a Linux host 163 Snapshot tab 126
on a Windows host 162 Summary tab 51
port specifications 30 Tasks tab 56
supported device types 161 Virtual Machines tab 109
USB 1.1 161 workspace 48
USB 2.0 161 Virtual Appliance Marketplace 36, 54
USB controllers Virtual Disk Manager 149
adding 159 virtual disks
removing 160 adding 144
users allocating space 142
configuring 203 caching 64
managing 203 constituent files 324
defragmenting 147, 280
348 VMware, Inc.

Index
editing 145 configuring sound 165

growable 62, 142 configuring sound adapters 164
independent mode 63 console to interact with guest 52, 53
nonpersistent 63 constituent files 323
persistent 63 creating 59
preallocated 62, 142 creating virtual disks 62
removing 146 creating VMware Remote Console
SCSI drivers 63 shortcuts 134
setting maximum size 142 creating Web shortcuts 133
shrinking 95, 147 default location 59
shrinking in Netware 96 deleting 108, 130
size 29 deleting floppy drives 156
storing on physical disks 64, 143 editing CD/DVD drives 152
Virtual Disk Manager 149 editing floppy drives 155
Virtual Machine Communication editing hard disks 145
Interface (VMCI) 74 editing parallel ports 178
virtual machines editing serial ports 169
adding CD/DVD drives 151 editing sound adapters 165
adding floppy drives 154 entering BIOS setup at boot 125
adding hard disks 144 events 57
adding parallel ports 177 generating VMware Remote
adding serial ports 166 Console shortcuts 134
adding sound adapters 165 generating Web shortcuts 133
adding to inventory 108 hardware specifications 28
adding USB controllers 159 hardware version 61, 72
and SMP 278 host-wide settings 115
changing guest operating IDE drives in 29
system 124 importing 108
changing power settings 109, 125 installing software in 138
changing snapshot settings 126 interaction privileges 317
changing the name of 124 inventory of 108
choosing datastore location 59 inventory privileges 319
configuration file 325 location 59
configuration file location 124, 323 log files 323
configuration file parameters 129 managing inventory 108
configuration privileges 314 memory settings 61
configuring memory 277 menu options 54
configuring processor count 279 performing disk maintenance 147
configuring SCSI controllers 159 platform specifications 28
VMware, Inc. 349

power operations 122 editing adapters 224

processor settings 62 refreshing 223
product compatibility 61 removing adapters 225
provisioning privileges 319 teamed NICs 226
removing CD/DVD drives 153 Virtual SMP 278
removing floppy drives 156 virtual switches 213
removing from inventory 108, 130 VIX API 23, 139
removing hard disks 146 VMCI Sockets interface 139
removing parallel ports 179 .vmdk file 324
removing serial ports 170 .vmem file 325
removing sound adapters 166 VMI (Virtual Machine Interface) 128
removing USB controllers 160 vmnet1.conf 237
resuming 193 VMnet8 248
setting guest operating system 124 vmrun 139
setting power options 125 .vmsd file 325
setting shutdown order 117 .vmsn file 325
setting snapshot options 126 .vmss file 325
setting startup order 117 vmvsswriter.cfg file 119
setting the name of 124 VMware Authorization Service
starting automatically 116 default port 43
state privileges 321 log 16
status information 51 vmware-config.pl 42
summary information 51 VMware host agent
summary view 51 log 16
suspending 193 VMware Remote Console 17
tasks 56 desktop shortcuts 134
working directory location 124, 323 full screen mode 131
Virtual Machines tab installing Web browser add-on 52
VI Web Access 109 interacting with guest 131
virtual network adapters 214 powering off 132
Virtual Network Editor 267 quitting 133
virtual networks resetting 132
adding adapters 223 shortcuts 134
changing the configuration 222 starting 53
components 213 viewing message log 133
configuring 211 VMware Remote Console shortcuts 134
configuring in virtual network VMware Server
editor 267 host-wide settings 113
DHCP server 218 logging in 48
350 VMware, Inc.

Index
logging out 57 VMware Tools service

serial number for 39 executing commands on halt or
VMware Tools 126 reboot 101
About tab 95 overview of 74
automated install 78 passing strings from the host 101
command-line interface 104 VMware user process, in VMware
configuring 91 Tools 75
configuring in a Netware virtual vmware-user, starting manually 89
machine 96 vmware-config.pl file 42
control panel 91 vmwtool program 96
device drivers 74 .vmx file 325
Devices tab 94 .vmxf file 325
for FreeBSD guests 86 Volume Shadow Copy Service 118
for Linux guests 80, 82 v-scan code
for Solaris guests 84 defined 185
installing 76 table of codes 188
installing from the command line VSS 118
with the RPM installer 82
installing from the command line W
with the tar installer 82 .wav file 164
installing in Windows guests 76 Web shortcuts
interacting with VSS 118 creating 133
modifying installation 91 generating 133
Options tab 93 Windows Backup 118
repairing installation 91 Windows credential manager 111
running 122 Windows hosts
running scripts during power state installing VMware Server 37
changes 97 uninstalling VMware Server 41
Scripts tab 94 working directory 124, 323
Shared Folders tab 95 workspace in VI Web Access 48
Shrink tab 95
silent install 78 X
taskbar icon, displaying 92 X server and keyboard mapping 184
uninstalling 91 xFree86 and keyboard mapping 184
using from command line 96
VMware user process 75 Z
vmwtool commands 96 zip drives
VMware Tools scripts 125 on a parallel port 184
VMware, Inc. 351

352 VMware, Inc.

Vmware Server User'S Guide

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VMware Server Users Guide

VMware Server 2.0

VMware Server Users Guide

Table 1. Revision History

Technical Support and Education Resources

Online and Telephone Support

VMware Professional Services

To run the support script on a Linux host

To run the support script on a Windows host

Virtual Machine Log File

VMware Host Agent Log File

VMware Authorization Service Log File

To enable logging for the VMware Authorization Service

VI Web Access Log Files

VMware Remote Console Log Files

Introduction and System

VMware Server Product Benefits

New Features of VMware Server 2.0

VMware Remote Console

VMware Remote ConsolealsoallowsyoutoconnectanddisconnectclientCD/DVD

Increased Memory Support

Increase in Number of Network Adapters Supported

Quiesced Backups of Virtual Machines on Windows

Support for High-Speed USB 2.0 Devices

Additional Host Operating System Support

Additional Guest Operating System Support

Improved 64-Bit Guest Support

64-Bit Sound Driver

Native 64-Bit Host Support on Linux

Updated VIX API

VMCI Sockets Interface

About the Host and Guest Computers

Host System Requirements

Optical CD/DVD Drive

Local Area Networking

Windows Host Operating Systems

Linux Host Operating System Requirements

VI Web Access and VMware Remote Console Client

Virtual Machine Specifications

Serial (COM) Ports

Parallel (LPT) Ports

Mouse and Drawing Tablets

Supported Guest Operating Systems

Windows 64-Bit Operating Systems

Windows 32-Bit Guest Operating Systems

Linux 64-Bit Guest Operating Systems

Linux 32-Bit Guest Operating Systems

Sun Solaris 64-Bit Guest Operating Systems

Sun Solaris 32-Bit Guest Operating Systems

Novell NetWare 32-Bit Guest Operating System

Processor Support for 64-Bit Guest Operating Systems

Installing VMware Server 2

Preparing to Install VMware Server

Sharing a VMware Server Host with Other VMware Products

Installing VMware Server on a Windows Host

To install VMware Server on a Windows host

Installing VMware Server Silently

To install VMware Server silently

Table 2-1. Values for the REMOVE Setting

Table 2-2. PROPERTY Values

Property Effect of the Property Default

Uninstalling VMware Server on a Windows Host

Installing VMware Server on a Linux Host