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VMware ESX Server 2.0

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 Setting Standard Virtual Machine Configuration Options

Setting Standard Virtual Machine Configuration Options

To review and modify basic information about a virtual machine, or to access the configuration file directly, click the Options tab. The Options page appears.

The Options page shows standard virtual machine information:

  • Display Name — identifies the virtual machine in a more descriptive way.
  • Guest Operating System — the guest operating system installed on the virtual disk.
  • Suspend File Location — the location of the suspended state file (a VMFS volume); this file is created when you suspend a virtual machine and contains the information about the virtual machine's state at the time at which it was suspended. ESX Server automatically adds a suffix to the name of the suspended state file to ensure that one virtual machine does not overwrite the suspended state file of another.

    Note: Unlike earlier versions of ESX Server, the suspended state file can only reside on a VMFS volume; it cannot be located in the directory with the virtual machine's configuration file in the service console.

  • Enable Logging — whether logging is enabled.
  • Run with Debugging Information — whether the virtual machine is running with debugging information, which is useful to have enabled when you are experiencing problems with this virtual machine, as you can provide this information to VMware support to help troubleshoot any problems you are experiencing.
Changing Configuration Options

Changing Configuration Options

To change any of these options:

  1. Power off the virtual machine and click Edit. The Options Configuration page appears.

Note: You can change the display name when the virtual machine is powered on.

  1. Make your changes, then click OK to save them.
  2. Close the window.
Modifying the Configuration File Directly (Advanced Users Only)

Modifying the Configuration File Directly (Advanced Users Only)

If you need to add or change a configuration option for a virtual machine that cannot be accessed from elsewhere in the management interface, you can edit the virtual machine's configuration file (the file with the .vmx extension) from the Options tab. For example, if you want to enable repeatable resume in the virtual machine, you would add the option to the configuration file in the manner described below.

Caution: You should not add or change any options in your configuration file unless you have been given a specific option to add to the file in another part of the user documentation or if you are working with VMware support to solve an issue with your virtual machine.

To add an option to the configuration file (.vmx), make sure you are logged into the management interface as the virtual machine user or a user with the proper permissions to modify this virtual machine (such as the root user), then complete the following steps.

  1. Under Verbose Options, click the link. The Options window appears.

  2. Click Add.
  3. A prompt appears. Enter a name for the option, then click OK.

    For example, if you want to enable repeatable resume in the virtual machine, create an option called resume.repeatable.

  4. Another prompt appears. Enter a value for option you specified, then click OK.

    For example, set the value of resume.repeatable to TRUE.

  5. Click OK in the Options window to save the change to the configuration file.

To change an option in the configuration file (.vmx), complete the following steps.

  1. Under Verbose Options, click the link. The Options window appears.

  2. Locate the option, then change the value for the option in the entry field to the right of the option.
  3. Click OK to save your change and close the Options window.

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