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 Setting Startup and Shutdown Options for a Virtual Machine

Setting Startup and Shutdown Options for a Virtual Machine

You can configure what a virtual machine does when the system starts and how it shuts down when the system shuts down. You can enable these settings only if the startup and shutdown options are enabled for the server overall. See Configuring Startup and Shutdown Options for Virtual Machines.

Startup Options

Startup Options

The virtual machine startup options include:

  • At System Startup — whether or not this virtual machine should start when the server starts. By default, virtual machines do not start automatically when the system starts up.
  • Continue Starting Other Virtual Machines After — the amount of time to wait after starting the virtual machine before starting another virtual machine. Settings for starting virtual machines include: the system default, do not wait to start, wait for a certain number of minutes to start or start when VMware Tools starts.
Shutdown Options

Shutdown Options

The virtual machine startup options include:

  • At System Shutdown, Attempt to — sets the shutdown action for the virtual machine when the server is shut down. At system shutdown, settings for shutting down virtual machines include: power off the virtual machine, shut down the guest operating system or suspend the virtual machine. By default, all virtual machines are powered off when the system shuts down.
  • Continue Stopping Other Virtual Machines After — the amount of time to wait after stopping the virtual machine before stopping another virtual machine. Settings for stopping virtual machines include: the system default, no wait or wait for a certain number of minutes.
Configuring a Virtual Machine's Startup and Shutdown Options

Configuring a Virtual Machine's Startup and Shutdown Options

Complete the following steps.

  1. Power off the virtual machine and click Edit under System Startup Options or System Shutdown Options. The Options page appears.
  2. To allow the virtual machine to start up when the system starts up, check the Start Virtual Machine check box.
  3. Specify the period of time before the next virtual machine starts, in the Continue Starting Virtual Machines After list, choose the number of minutes or whether ESX Server should not wait before starting the next virtual machine. If you select Other, specify the number of minutes to wait in the prompt that appears.

    To specify that VMware Tools should start in a virtual machine before the next virtual machine starts, check the when VMware Tools starts check box. If VMware Tools does not start in the virtual machine before the time specified previously elapses, ESX Server starts the next virtual machine.

    Specify what happens to the virtual machine when the system shuts down. In the At System Shutdown, Attempt to list, select whether you want to power off the virtual machine, shut down the guest operating system or suspend the virtual machine.

    To configure when ESX Server should stop the next virtual machine after this virtual machine stops, in the Continue Stopping Other Virtual Machines After list, choose the number of minutes or whether ESX Server should not wait before starting the next virtual machine. If you want to choose a number of minutes other than what is displayed in the list, select Other and enter the number of minutes at the prompt.

  4. Click OK to save your settings.
  5. Click Close Window to return to the virtual machine's Options page.
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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