VMware Workstation 5.0 User manual

User’s Manual

Powerful Virtual Machine Software for the Technical Professional

VMware, Inc.

3145 Porter Drive

Palo Alto, CA 94304

www.vmware.com

Please note that you can always find the most up-to-date technical documen-

tation on our Web site at http://www.vmware.com/support/.

The VMware Web site also provides the latest product updates.

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VMware, the VMware “boxes” logo and design, Virtual SMP and VMotion are registered trademarks or

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Revision: 20050916 Version: 5.0 Item: WS-ENG-Q205-062

Table of Contents

3

Introduction and System Requirements __________________________ 15

Product Overview ______________________________________________ 16

Powerful Virtual Machine Software for the Technical Professional _______ 16

Overview of This Manual ______________________________________ 18

About the Host and Guest Computers ____________________________ 18

What’s New in Version 5 _________________________________________ 19

Multiple Snapshots ___________________________________________ 19

Teams _____________________________________________________ 19

Clones_____________________________________________________ 19

Improved Performance for Virtual Machines Running Concurrently _____ 20

Improved Networking Performance______________________________ 20

Improved Suspend/Resume and Snapshot Operations _______________ 20

New Host Operating System Support_____________________________ 20

New Guest Operating System Support____________________________ 20

Improved 64-bit Host Support __________________________________ 21

Isochronous USB support ______________________________________ 21

Command Line Interface ______________________________________ 21

Movie Record and Playback ____________________________________ 21

Improved Linux User Interface __________________________________ 21

Easier Upgrades and VMware Tools Installation Improvements _________ 22

Support for NX bit____________________________________________ 22

Experimental Support for Direct3D_______________________________ 22

Experimental Support for Guest ACPI S1 Sleep______________________ 22

VMware Virtual Machine Importer _______________________________ 22

Host System Requirements _______________________________________ 23

PC Hardware________________________________________________ 23

Memory ___________________________________________________ 23

Display ____________________________________________________ 23

Disk Drives _________________________________________________ 24

Local Area Networking (Optional)________________________________ 24

Host Operating System________________________________________ 24

Virtual Machine Specifications_____________________________________ 27

Processor __________________________________________________ 27

Chip Set ___________________________________________________ 27

BIOS ______________________________________________________ 27

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Memory ___________________________________________________ 27

Graphics ___________________________________________________ 27

IDE Drives __________________________________________________ 27

SCSI Devices ________________________________________________ 28

Floppy Drives _______________________________________________ 28

Serial (COM) Ports ____________________________________________ 28

Parallel (LPT) Ports____________________________________________ 28

USB ports __________________________________________________ 28

Keyboard __________________________________________________ 28

Mouse and Drawing Tablets ____________________________________ 28

Ethernet Card _______________________________________________ 29

Sound _____________________________________________________ 29

Virtual Networking ___________________________________________ 29

Supported Guest Operating Systems _______________________________ 30

Microsoft Windows 32-bit______________________________________ 30

Microsoft MS-DOS ___________________________________________ 30

Linux______________________________________________________ 31

Novell Netware ______________________________________________ 31

FreeBSD ___________________________________________________ 31

Sun Solaris _________________________________________________ 31

Technical Support Resources______________________________________ 32

Documentation on the Web____________________________________ 32

VMware Knowledge Base ______________________________________ 32

VMware User Community______________________________________ 32

Reporting Problems __________________________________________ 32

Where to Go Next ______________________________________________ 34

Installing VMware Workstation __________________________________ 35

Selecting Your Host System_______________________________________ 36

Upgrading from Previous Versions _______________________________ 36

Workstation Cannot Share a Host with Other VMware Products ________ 36

Installing VMware Workstation 5 on a Windows Host ___________________ 37

Installing Workstation on a Windows Host _________________________ 38

Installing VMware Workstation Silently____________________________ 41

Uninstalling VMware Workstation 5 on a Windows Host ______________ 43

Installing VMware Workstation 5 on a Linux Host ______________________ 44

Before Installing on a Linux Host_________________________________ 45

Installing Workstation on a Linux Host ____________________________ 45

5

Configuring with vmware-config.pl ______________________________ 48

Web Browser Required ________________________________________ 48

Uninstalling VMware Workstation 5 on a Linux Host _________________ 49

Where to Go Next ______________________________________________ 50

Upgrading VMware Workstation ________________________________ 51

Preparing for the Upgrade________________________________________ 52

Before You Install VMware Workstation 5 __________________________ 52

Upgrading on a Windows Host ____________________________________ 55

Upgrading from Version 4 or an Earlier Version 5 Release______________ 55

Upgrading from Version 3 to Version 5 ____________________________ 55

Upgrading on a Linux Host _______________________________________ 56

Using Workstation 4 Virtual Machines in Workstation 5__________________ 57

Create Everything New from the Start ____________________________ 57

Use a Legacy Virtual Machine without Upgrading ___________________ 57

Use a Legacy Virtual Machine with Upgrade _______________________ 58

Where to Go Next ______________________________________________ 60

Learning VMware Workstation Basics ____________________________ 61

Launching VMware Workstation ___________________________________ 62

Launching VMware Workstation on a Windows Host_________________ 62

Launching VMware Workstation on a Linux Host ____________________ 63

Overview of the VMware Workstation Window________________________ 64

The Home Page, Summary View, and Console View__________________ 66

The Toolbar_________________________________________________ 69

The Favorites List_____________________________________________ 71

Checking for Product Updates_____________________________________ 75

Setting Preferences for VMware Workstation__________________________ 76

Workspace _________________________________________________ 77

Input ______________________________________________________ 78

Hot Keys ___________________________________________________ 78

Display ____________________________________________________ 79

Memory ___________________________________________________ 80

Priority ____________________________________________________ 81

Lockout (Windows Hosts Only)__________________________________ 82

Virtual Machine Settings _________________________________________ 83

Hardware __________________________________________________ 83

Options____________________________________________________ 84

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Command Line Reference ________________________________________ 91

Startup Options on a Linux Host_________________________________ 91

Startup Options on a Windows Host _____________________________ 92

Command Line Application ____________________________________ 93

Keyboard Shortcuts ____________________________________________ 95

What Files Make Up a Virtual Machine? ______________________________ 96

Where to Go Next ______________________________________________ 99

Creating a New Virtual Machine ________________________________ 101

Setting Up a New Virtual Machine_________________________________ 102

Steps to a New Virtual Machine ________________________________ 102

Converting a VirtualPC Virtual Machine_____________________________ 113

Installing a Guest Operating System and VMware Tools ________________ 117

Example: Installing Windows XP as a Guest Operating System ________ 117

Installing VMware Tools _________________________________________ 120

Upgrading VMware Tools _____________________________________ 120

VMware Tools for Windows Guests ______________________________ 120

VMware Tools for Linux Guests _________________________________ 122

VMware Tools for FreeBSD Guests_______________________________ 127

Installing VMware Tools in a NetWare Virtual Machine _______________ 129

VMware Tools Configuration Options ______________________________ 130

Using the Control Panel to Configure VMware Tools ________________ 130

Using the System Console to Configure VMware Tools in a NetWare Guest

Operating System___________________________________________ 135

Where to Go Next _____________________________________________ 137

_________________________________ Running VMware Workstation 139

Starting a Virtual Machine _______________________________________ 141

Virtual Machine Location _____________________________________ 141

Checking the Status of VMware Tools ______________________________ 142

Suspending and Resuming Virtual Machines ________________________ 143

Shutting Down a Virtual Machine _________________________________ 144

Power Off vs. Shut Down _____________________________________ 144

Resetting a Virtual Machine ______________________________________ 145

Reset vs. Restart ____________________________________________ 145

7

Taking and Reverting to a Snapshot _______________________________ 146

Cloning a Virtual Machine _______________________________________ 147

Deleting a Virtual Machine ______________________________________ 148

Using Virtual Machine Teams_____________________________________ 149

Controlling the Display _________________________________________ 150

Using Full Screen Mode ______________________________________ 150

Using Quick Switch Mode_____________________________________ 151

Taking Advantage of Multiple Monitors __________________________ 151

Fitting the Workstation Console to the Virtual Machine Display________ 152

Nonstandard Resolutions _____________________________________ 153

Simplifying the Screen Display _________________________________ 153

Installing New Software_________________________________________ 155

Cutting, Copying and Pasting Text_________________________________ 156

Using Shared Folders ___________________________________________ 157

Viewing a Shared Folder ______________________________________ 161

Using Drag and Drop___________________________________________ 163

Using Devices in a Virtual Machine ________________________________ 164

Adding, Configuring, and Removing Devices in a Virtual Machine______ 164

Connecting and Disconnecting Removable Devices ________________ 164

Creating a Screen Shot or a Movie of a Virtual Machine ________________ 165

Creating a Screen Shot of a Virtual Machine_______________________ 165

Creating a Movie of a Virtual Machine ___________________________ 165

Where to Go Next _____________________________________________ 167

Moving and Sharing Virtual Machines ___________________________ 169

Virtual Machine Identifier — UUID ________________________________ 170

The UUID Location and Format ________________________________ 170

The UUID and Moving Virtual Machines __________________________ 171

Specifying a UUID for a Virtual Machine __________________________ 172

Setting the UUID for a Virtual Machine that Is Being Moved___________ 172

Moving a VMware Workstation 5 Virtual Machine _____________________ 173

Hosts with Different Hardware _________________________________ 173

Virtual Machines Use Relative Paths _____________________________ 174

Preparing a Workstation 5 Virtual Machine for a Move _______________ 174

Moving a Workstation 5 Virtual Machine to a New Host______________ 175

Moving a VMware Workstation 4 Virtual Machine _____________________ 176

Preparing Your Workstation 4 Virtual Machine for the Move __________ 177

Moving a Workstation 4 Virtual Machine to a New Host Machine ______ 178

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Moving an Older Virtual Machine _________________________________ 179

Moving VMware Workstation 3.0 Virtual Machines__________________ 179

Moving VMware Workstation 2.x Virtual Machines __________________ 181

Considerations for Moving Workstation Disks in Undoable Mode ______ 182

Sharing Virtual Machines with Other Users __________________________ 184

Moving Linked Clones __________________________________________ 185

Using Disks _________________________________________________ 187

Configuring Hard Disk Storage in a Virtual Machine ___________________ 188

Disk Types: Virtual and Physical_________________________________ 188

Disk Files __________________________________________________ 191

Lock Files__________________________________________________ 192

Defragmenting Virtual Disks ___________________________________ 193

Shrinking Virtual Disks _______________________________________ 193

Adding Drives to a Virtual Machine ________________________________ 197

Adding a New Virtual Disk to a Virtual Machine ____________________ 197

Adding Physical Disks to a Virtual Machine________________________ 201

Adding DVD or CD Drives to a Virtual Machine ____________________ 204

Adding Floppy Drives to a Virtual Machine________________________ 206

Connecting a CD-ROM or Floppy Drive to an Image File _____________ 207

Using VMware Virtual Disk Manager _______________________________ 208

Running the VMware Virtual Disk Manager Utility __________________ 209

Shrinking Virtual Disks with VMware Virtual Disk Manager ____________ 212

Examples Using the VMware Virtual Disk Manager__________________ 213

Configuring a Dual-Boot Computer for Use with a Virtual Machine _______ 215

Using the Same Operating System in a Virtual Machine and on the Host

Computer _________________________________________________ 216

Before You Begin____________________________________________ 217

Configuring Dual- or Multiple-Boot Systems to Run with VMware Workstation

219

Setting Up Hardware Profiles in Virtual Machines___________________ 225

Running a Windows 2000, Windows XP or Windows Server 2003 Virtual

Machine from an Existing Multiple-Boot Installation ________________ 230

Setting Up the SVGA Video Driver for a Windows 95 Guest Operating System

Booted from a Raw Disk ______________________________________ 230

Setting Up the SVGA Video Driver for Use with a Windows 98 Guest Operating

System Booted from a Raw Disk ________________________________ 232

9

Do Not Use Windows 2000, Windows XP and Windows Server 2003 Dynamic

Disks as Raw Disks___________________________________________ 234

Configuring Dual- or Multiple-Boot SCSI Systems to Run with VMware

Workstation on a Linux Host ___________________________________ 235

Known Issues and Background Information on Using SCSI Raw Disks ___ 238

Installing an Operating System onto a Physical Partition from a Virtual Machine _

241

Configuring a Windows Host __________________________________ 242

Configuring a Linux Host _____________________________________ 244

Legacy Virtual Disks ____________________________________________ 246

Upgrading a Legacy Virtual Machine for New Features of Workstation 5 _ 247

Using a Legacy Virtual Machine without Upgrading ________________ 247

Creating a Legacy Virtual Machine with Workstation 5_______________ 247

Preserving the State of a Virtual Machine ________________________ 249

Using Suspend and Resume _____________________________________ 250

Using Snapshots ______________________________________________ 251

Understanding Snapshots ____________________________________ 252

Examples of Using Snapshots__________________________________ 254

What Is Captured by a Snapshot? _______________________________ 255

Taking a Snapshot___________________________________________ 256

The Snapshot Manager_______________________________________ 258

Restoring a Snapshot: Revert or Go To? __________________________ 263

Deleting a Snapshot _________________________________________ 264

Making a Clone from a Snapshot _______________________________ 264

Virtual Machine Settings for Snapshots __________________________ 265

Snapshots and Legacy Virtual Machines__________________________ 266

Cloning a Virtual Machine _____________________________________ 267

Understanding Clones _________________________________________ 268

Why Make a Clone?__________________________________________ 268

Full and Linked Clones _______________________________________ 269

Full Clones and Snapshots of the Parent__________________________ 269

Creating Clones _______________________________________________ 270

The Clone Virtual Machine Wizard ______________________________ 270

Working with Clones ___________________________________________ 273

Making a Linked Clone of a Linked Clone_________________________ 273

Making a Full Clone of a Linked Clone ___________________________ 273

Network Identity for a Clone___________________________________ 273

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The Linked Clone Snapshot ___________________________________ 274

Linked Clones and Access to the Parent Virtual Machine _____________ 274

Configuring Teams __________________________________________ 277

Teams Overview ______________________________________________ 278

Creating and Deleting Teams ____________________________________ 279

Making a New Team _________________________________________ 279

Opening a Team ____________________________________________ 284

Closing a Team _____________________________________________ 284

Deleting a Team ____________________________________________ 285

Adding and Removing Virtual Machines ____________________________ 286

Adding an Existing Virtual Machine to a Team _____________________ 286

Removing a Virtual Machine from a Team ________________________ 286

Cloning and Taking Snapshots of Team Members_____________________ 288

Cloning a Virtual Machine in a Team_____________________________ 288

Taking Snapshots of Individual Virtual Machines in a Team ___________ 288

Starting and Stopping Teams ____________________________________ 289

Powering On a Team_________________________________________ 289

Powering Off a Team ________________________________________ 289

Suspending a Team _________________________________________ 289

Resuming a Team ___________________________________________ 290

Power Operations for Individual Members of a Team ________________ 290

Working with Team Networks ____________________________________ 292

LAN Segment Requirements __________________________________ 292

Creating a Team LAN Segment_________________________________ 293

Connecting to or Changing a LAN Segment ______________________ 293

Renaming a LAN Segment ____________________________________ 294

Deleting a LAN Segment _____________________________________ 294

The Startup Sequence __________________________________________ 295

Understanding the Start-Up Sequence Delay______________________ 295

Working with the Team Console View______________________________ 296

Displaying Teams ___________________________________________ 296

The Active Virtual Machine ____________________________________ 297

Using Full Screen with Teams __________________________________ 297

Editing Team Settings __________________________________________ 298

Connections _______________________________________________ 298

Virtual Machines ____________________________________________ 299

LAN Segments _____________________________________________ 300

11

Options___________________________________________________ 302

Command Line for Teams _______________________________________ 303

Configuring a Virtual Network _________________________________ 305

Network Basics _______________________________________________ 306

Components of the Virtual Network _______________________________ 307

Virtual switch ______________________________________________ 307

Bridge ____________________________________________________ 307

Host Virtual Adapter _________________________________________ 308

NAT Device ________________________________________________ 308

DHCP Server _______________________________________________ 308

Network Adapter ___________________________________________ 308

Common Networking Configurations ______________________________ 309

Bridged Networking _________________________________________ 309

Network Address Translation (NAT) _____________________________ 310

Host-Only Networking _______________________________________ 312

Custom Networking Configurations _______________________________ 313

Changing the Networking Configuration ___________________________ 316

Adding and Modifying Virtual Network Adapters___________________ 316

Configuring Bridged Networking Options on a Windows Host ________ 318

Enabling, Disabling, Adding and Removing Host Virtual Adapters ______ 323

Advanced Networking Topics ____________________________________ 326

Selecting IP Addresses on a Host-only Network or NAT Configuration___ 327

Avoiding IP Packet Leakage in a Host-Only Network ________________ 330

Maintaining and Changing the MAC Address of a Virtual Machine _____ 332

Controlling Routing Information for a Host-only Network on a Linux Host 334

Other Potential Issues with Host-Only Networking on a Linux Host _____ 335

Setting Up a Second Bridged Network Interface on a Linux Host_______ 336

Setting Up Two Separate Host-Only Networks _____________________ 337

Routing between Two Host-Only Networks _______________________ 340

Using Virtual Ethernet Adapters in Promiscuous Mode on a Linux Host__ 344

Understanding NAT ___________________________________________ 345

Using NAT _________________________________________________ 346

The Host Computer and the NAT Network ________________________ 346

DHCP on the NAT Network____________________________________ 346

DNS on the NAT Network _____________________________________ 347

External Access from the NAT Network___________________________ 347

Advanced NAT Configuration __________________________________ 348

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Custom NAT and DHCP Configuration on a Windows Host ___________ 352

Considerations for Using NAT __________________________________ 353

Using NAT with NetLogon ____________________________________ 353

Sample Linux vmnetnat.conf File _______________________________ 355

Using Samba with Workstation ___________________________________ 358

Modifying Your Samba Configuration ___________________________ 358

Using a Samba Server for Both Bridged and Host-Only Networks ______ 358

Using Samba without Network Access___________________________ 358

Configuring Video and Sound _________________________________ 359

Setting Screen Color Depth______________________________________ 360

Changing Screen Color Depth on the Host _______________________ 360

Changing Screen Color Depth in the Virtual Machine _______________ 361

Using Full Screen Mode on a Linux Host ___________________________ 362

Experimental Support for Direct3D ________________________________ 363

Audience for Direct3D Experimental Support _____________________ 363

Accelerated 3-D Limitations ___________________________________ 364

Enabling Accelerated 3-D _____________________________________ 364

Known Issues ______________________________________________ 367

Helping VMware with Experimental Support ______________________ 368

Configuring Sound ____________________________________________ 369

Installing Sound Drivers in Windows 9x and Windows NT Guest Operating

Systems___________________________________________________ 369

Connecting Devices __________________________________________ 371

Using Parallel Ports ____________________________________________ 372

Parallel Ports _______________________________________________ 372

Installation in Guest Operating Systems __________________________ 372

Configuring a Parallel Port on a Linux Host________________________ 373

Special Notes for the Iomega Zip Drive __________________________ 376

Using Serial Ports______________________________________________ 377

Using a Serial Port on the Host Computer ________________________ 377

Using a File on the Host Computer______________________________ 378

Connecting an Application on the Host to a Virtual Machine _________ 380

Connecting Two Virtual Machines ______________________________ 382

Special Configuration Options for Advanced Users _________________ 385

Examples: Debugging over a Virtual Serial Port ____________________ 387

Keyboard Mapping on a Linux Host _______________________________ 389

Quick Answers _____________________________________________ 389

13

The Longer Story ___________________________________________ 389

V-Scan Code Table __________________________________________ 393

Using USB Devices in a Virtual Machine ____________________________ 397

Notes on USB Support in Version 5______________________________ 397

Enabling and Disabling the USB Controller________________________ 397

Connecting USB Devices _____________________________________ 398

Using USB with a Windows Host________________________________ 398

Replacing USB 2.0 Drivers on a Windows 2000 Host_________________ 399

Using USB with a Linux Host___________________________________ 399

What Has Control over a USB Device?____________________________ 400

Disconnecting USB Devices from a Virtual Machine _________________ 401

Human Interface Devices _____________________________________ 401

Connecting to a Generic SCSI Device ______________________________ 402

Generic SCSI on a Windows Host Operating System ________________ 402

Generic SCSI on a Linux Host Operating System ___________________ 404

Performance Tuning __________________________________________ 407

Configuring and Maintaining the Host Computer_____________________ 408

Location of the Working Directory ______________________________ 408

Defragmentation of Disk Drives ________________________________ 408

Adequate Free Disk Space ____________________________________ 409

NIC Interrupt Coalescing______________________________________ 409

Configuring VMware Workstation _________________________________ 410

General VMware Workstation Options ___________________________ 410

VMware Workstation on a Windows Host_________________________ 413

VMware Workstation on a Linux Host ____________________________ 415

Monitoring Virtual Machine Performance ___________________________ 416

Memory Usage Notes __________________________________________ 418

Virtual Machine Memory Size __________________________________ 418

Memory Use on the Host _____________________________________ 419

Using More Than 1GB of Memory on a Linux Host __________________ 422

Improving Performance for Guest Operating Systems _________________ 424

Windows 95 and Windows 98 Guest Operating System Performance Tips 424

Windows 2000, Windows XP and Windows Server 2003 Guest Operating

System Performance Tips _____________________________________ 426

Windows NT Disk Performance on Multiprocessor Hosts _____________ 427

Linux Guest Operating System Performance Tips___________________ 427

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Disk I/O Performance Tips _______________________________________ 429

Memory Trimming __________________________________________ 429

Page Sharing_______________________________________________ 429

Special-Purpose Configuration Options _________________________ 431

Locking Out Interface Features ___________________________________ 433

Removing a Forgotten Password _______________________________ 434

Restricting the User Interface ____________________________________ 435

Automatically Returning to a Snapshot with a Restricted User Interface _ 436

Using Full Screen Switch Mode ___________________________________ 438

Creating a Virtual Machine for Use in Full Screen Switch Mode ________ 438

Moving a Virtual Machine to the User’s Computer __________________ 439

Setting Configuration Options on the User’s Computer ______________ 439

Starting and Stopping Virtual Machines on the User’s Computer ______ 443

Guest ACPI S1 Sleep ___________________________________________ 446

Glossary ____________________________________________________ 447

Index ______________________________________________________ 453

CHAPTER 1

15

Introduction and System

Requirements

This chapter discusses the following topics:

• Product Overview on page 16

• What’s New in Version 5 on page 19

• Host System Requirements on page 23

• Virtual Machine Specifications on page 27

• Supported Guest Operating Systems on page 30

• Technical Support Resources on page 32

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VMware Workstation 5 User’s Manual

Product Overview

Thank you for choosing VMware® Workstation, the powerful virtual machine software

for enterprise IT professionals.

Run the operating systems and applications you need — all on a single desktop

Powerful Virtual Machine Software for the Technical

Professional

VMware Workstation is desktop software for developers and IT professionals that

allows you to run multiple x86-based desktop and server operating systems

simultaneously on a single PC, in fully networked, portable virtual machines — with

no rebooting or hard drive partitioning required.

With VMware Workstation, you spend less time procuring and configuring, and more

time testing and deploying. Over three million software development, quality

assurance, and IT professionals worldwide find VMware Workstation an indispensable

tool.

Key benefits include:

• Run multiple operating systems simultaneously on a single physical

machine — VMware Workstation is desktop software for software developers

CHAPTER 1 Introduction and System Requirements

17

and IT professionals that allows a single PC to simultaneously run multiple x86-

based operating systems, including Windows, Linux, and NetWare, and their

applications in fully networked, portable virtual machines - without rebooting or

hard drive partitioning. The result is reduced hardware expenditures and quicker

access to different computing environments. Additionally, VMware Workstation

lets users avoid platform lock-in and preserve the freedom and flexibility to

deploy the most appropriate platforms for their needs.

• Revolutionize software development and testing — VMware Workstation

streamlines software development and testing by letting users create multiple

development and testing environments as virtual machines on a single PC.

Developers can create a library of virtual machines and use them to easily

develop and test applications on multiple operating systems, or to quickly create

and test “real-world” multi-tier configurations or virtual networks. Developers

can also use the multiple snapshot capabilities of Workstation to capture and

manage point-in-time configurations to facilitate debugging and give a

developer the ability to easily revert back to stable configurations should an

error occur during testing. VMware Workstation enables developers to reduce

configuration and set-up time, and instead focus on development and testing.

• Enhance productivity of enterprise IT professionals — VMware Workstation

allows system administrators, system engineers, and other enterprise IT

professionals to create and test multiple computing environments as virtual

machines on a single PC prior to deploying these environments on physical PCs

or servers in a production environment. This dramatically reduces hardware

costs and the time and risk associated with IT tasks such as deploying new

applications, application updates, and operating system patches. Additionally, IT

help desk departments can create a virtual library of corporate desktop and

server configurations that they can quickly access and manipulate (and then

“undo” if necessary), thereby improving their responsiveness and effectiveness

when troubleshooting end-user problems.

• Facilitate team collaboration — VMware Workstation lets users easily

collaborate with their colleagues and share virtual machines. Once a computing

environment — OS, associated applications, disk images, memory, etc. — has

been turned into a virtual machine, it becomes a set of hardware-independent,

encapsulated files that are highly portable and can be shared with any other

Workstation user. A virtual machine can be placed on a shared drive where

others can quickly access and upload it. Features in Workstation such as linked

clones and video capture further facilitate team collaboration.

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VMware Workstation 5 User’s Manual

• Introduce Virtual Infrastructure to your enterprise — Virtual machines

created in Workstation can be deployed to the other desktop and server

virtualization platforms offered by VMware. Introducing VMware Workstation

virtualization to the desktop is an ideal first step to transforming your physical IT

infrastructure into virtual infrastructure.

Overview of This Manual

If you’re a veteran user of VMware products, take a few minutes to see What’s New in

Version 5 on page 19, and check out Upgrading VMware Workstation on page 51.

If you’re new to VMware Workstation, this is the place to start.

• The first chapters of this manual — through Running VMware Workstation on

page 139 — introduce you to some of the things you can do with VMware

Workstation and guide you through the key steps for installing the software and

putting it to work.

• Later chapters provide in-depth reference material for getting the most out of

the sophisticated features of VMware Workstation.

About the Host and Guest Computers

The terms host and guest describe your physical and virtual machines:

• The physical computer on which you install the VMware Workstation software is

called the host computer, and its operating system is called the host operating

system.

• The operating system running inside a virtual machine is called a guest

operating system.

• For definitions of these and other special terms, see Glossary on page 447.

CHAPTER 1 Introduction and System Requirements

19

What’s New in Version 5

Multiple Snapshots

VMware Workstation 5 greatly enhances the snapshot functionality available in

previous releases of the product by allowing you to take a series of point-in-time,

saved-to-disk snapshots of running virtual machines. This makes it easier to capture

and switch between multiple configurations and accelerates testing and debugging.

Should a problem arise during testing, you can easily revert to a prior, stable snapshot.

The new snapshot manager displays thumbnails of all your snapshots on a single

screen, making it easy for you to track and revert to a previously saved snapshot. Also,

when reverting to a previously saved snapshot, Workstation creates a new branch

automatically, so other snapshots continue to be available. See Using Snapshots on

page 251.

Teams

Teams functionality makes it easier to manage connected virtual machines and

simulate “real-world” multitier configurations. A team is your designated group of

virtual machines and the private networks that connect them.

Teams allow you to configure power operations, such as powering on and off and

suspending or resuming virtual machines, in the exact sequence you desire. You

determine network characteristics between the virtual machines in a team, including

network bandwidth and packet loss percentages. The console view displays active

thumbnails of all the virtual machines in a team, allowing you to easily identify and

switch between any of the virtual machines on your team. See Configuring Teams on

page 277.

Clones

Clones simplify the process of copying a virtual machine. Clones facilitate

collaborative testing and debugging, and let colleagues share virtual machines more

easily. You can duplicate a virtual machine as a linked clone or a full clone.

• Linked clones make it easy to set up a library of baseline virtual machines on a

shared drive, to be accessed and shared by you and others, without using

unnecessary disk space on local machines.

• A full clone — a complete copy — is also available when you need an identical

virtual machine without the need to locate files within the host file system or to

tediously install everything required to duplicate an existing guest configuration.

See Cloning a Virtual Machine on page 267.

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VMware Workstation 5 User’s Manual

Improved Performance for Virtual Machines Running

Concurrently

Workstation 5 includes significant improvements in memory utilization when virtual

machines are used concurrently. This allows you to efficiently run multiple virtual

machines with much less total memory.

Improved Networking Performance

Workstation 5 offers optional, enhanced networking performance by leveraging

VMware's custom network driver. Once you install the updated VMware Tools, the

necessary network drivers integrate seamlessly to offer significantly improved

network performance.

Improved Suspend/Resume and Snapshot Operations

Workstation 5 performs significantly faster suspend/resume and snapshot operations,

enabling you to spend more time testing and less time waiting for power operations

to execute.

New Host Operating System Support

• SUSE Linux Pro 9.2

• SUSE Linux Enterprise Server 9.0

• Mandrake Linux 10

• Windows Server 2003 SP1

• Red Hat Enterprise Linux 4.0

New Guest Operating System Support

• Windows Small Business Server 2000

• Red Hat Linux Advanced Server 3.0

• SUSE Linux Pro 9.2

• SUSE Linux Enterprise Server 9.0

• Mandrake Linux 10

• Novell NetWare 6.5 SP3

• Novell NetWare 5.1 SP8

• Novell Linux Desktop 9

• Sun Java Desktop System

• Windows Server 2003 SP1

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VMware Workstation 5.0 User manual

VMware Workstation 5.0 User manual

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