VMware GSX Server 2.5.2

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GSX Server for Windows gives you the option to set the priority that the Windows process scheduler gives to your virtual machines when mouse and keyboard input are going to a particular virtual machine and when input is not going to that virtual machine. The priority settings here are used by all virtual machines unless a virtual machine configuration overrides the global setting with a local setting.

You can adjust these settings to improve overall system performance based on the relative priority of work you are doing in various virtual machines and on the host computer.

There is no corresponding setting on a Linux host.

To set priority preferences, in the Preferences dialog box, click the Priority tab.

There are three possible process scheduling priorities: low, normal and high. The typical process on the host runs at normal priority. If you set the priority of the virtual machine to low, the virtual machine has lower priority than other processes on the host. If you set the priority of the virtual machine to normal, the virtual machine contends with all the processes on the host. If you set the virtual machine priority to high, the virtual machine gets priority over other processes on the host.

GSX Server gives you the option to automatically change the process scheduling priority that applies when the virtual machine grabs and ungrabs keyboard and mouse input. For more information on grabbing and ungrabbing input, see Setting Input Preferences.

The four possible process priorities are

• High - Normal: When input is grabbed, GSX Server gets priority over other processes on the host. When input is not grabbed, GSX Server contends with all the processes on the host.

• High - Low: When input is grabbed, GSX Server gets priority over other processes on the host. When input is not grabbed, GSX Server has lower priority than other processes on the host.

• Normal - Normal: When input is grabbed, GSX Server contends with all the processes on the host. When input is not grabbed, GSX Server contends with all the processes on the host.

• Normal - Low: When input is grabbed, GSX Server contends with all the processes on the host. When input is not grabbed, GSX Server has lower priority than other processes on the host.

GSX Server defaults to process priority Normal - Normal.

Process priority changes made under Local Setting affect this virtual machine and take effect immediately. Process priority changes made under Global Preference affect this virtual machine immediately (if there is not a local setting). Other running virtual machines, which do not override the global priority settings with a local setting, pick up the new global settings the next time input is grabbed or ungrabbed.