VMware VirtualCenter 1.1 Support Documentation
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Introducing the VirtualCenter Client
Window
The default VirtualCenter client layout is a single window with a menu bar, a navigation bar, a toolbar, a status bar, a panel section, and popup menus.
VirtualCenter Client Layout
The VirtualCenter client areas are covered in the following sections:
Menu Bar
Menu Bar
The menu bar provides access to all commands and operates in a manner consistent with other Windows applications. The table below lists all the options available from these five menus. The menu bar options are:
File Menu — Similar to the File menu in most applications with two exceptions.
A Print option is not available on the File menu. To print use either the Print Screen mechanism in Windows to take a copy of the VirtualCenter window, or export the VirtualCenter data to another format and print from another application.
A Save option is not available. The VirtualCenter client is similar to a browser. Most user manipulations are persistent in the display of the VirtualCenter data.
Edit Menu — Displays options relevant to the selected object.
VM (Virtual Machine) Menu — Enabled only when a virtual machine is selected in the inventory panel.
View Menu — Controls which panels are visible.
Help Menu — Displays the online help options and the licensing option.
File Menu
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Edit Menu
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VM Menu
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View
Menu
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Help Menu
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New > Farm Group
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Remove
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Shut Down Guest
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Inventory
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Help Topics
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New > Farm
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Rename
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Suspend after running script
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Scheduled
Tasks
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User Manual
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New > Virtual Machine Group
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Delete From Disk
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Resume and run script
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Templates
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Guest Operating System Install
Guide
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New > Add Host
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Virtual Machine
Resources
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Power On and run script
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Events
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VMware on the Web > VMware,
Inc. Home Page
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New > Virtual Machine
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Host Configuration
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Restart Guest
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Toolbar
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VMware on the Web > Online
Support
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New > Deploy Virtual Machine
from Template
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Properties
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Power On
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Status Bar
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VMware on the Web > Register
Now
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New > Alarm
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Power Off
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Check for Updates on the Web
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New > Template
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Suspend
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Edit Licensing Information
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New > Scheduled Task
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Resume
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About VMware VirtualCenter
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New > Add Permission
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Reset
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Host Connect
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Send
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Host Disconnect
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Install VMware Tools
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Custom Attributes
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Migrate
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VMware VirtualCenter Settings
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Clone
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Export Events
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Open Console
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Exit
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Answer Question
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Popup Menus
Popup Menus
Popup menus provide direct access to many of the menu bar options. Popup menus are available from most objects in both the inventory panel and the information panel.
To view a popup menu: Right-click the selected object or press Shift+F10 keys.
Console Menu
Console Menu
The console of a powered-on virtual machine is available through VirtualCenter.
To view the virtual machine console: Select the Inventory Navigation button, select a powered on virtual machine in the inventory panel, then click the Console tab in the information panel.
To pop out the virtual machine console: Click the pop out icon in the navigation bar. A copy of the Console window separates from the VirtualCenter client. Additional menus appears.
Additional menu options are available from the pop out Console window.
The popout virtual machine Console has the following menu items. The embedded Console has similar, but not all of the external Console menu items.
File
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Edit
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VM
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Exit
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Properties
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Power On
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Preferences
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Power Off
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Suspend
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Resume
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Reset
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Send
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Install VMware Tools
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Navigation Bar
Navigation Bar
The navigation bar provides shortcut buttons that load the matching toolbar and panel into the VirtualCenter client window. Similar to the Outlook shortcut bar, the navigation bar combines and displays associated tasks and information. When a button has been selected, it remains depressed to indicate the current view. The buttons represent the VirtualCenter functional areas:
Inventory — Displays tasks and data related to viewing the status of and managing virtual machines, hosts, farms, and groups.
Tasks — Provides tasks and data related to scheduling tasks.
Templates — Provides tasks and data related to using templates.
Events — Provides tasks and data related to viewing current events.
To change the look of the navigation bar: Right-click in the navigation bar and select the appropriate option.
Navigation Bar and Associated Menu
Toolbar
Toolbar
The toolbar provides buttons for the most commonly used actions.
To view/hide a toolbar: Select View > Toolbars.
VirtualCenter Client Toolbar Icons and Associated Actions for the Inventory Option
The toolbar options that appear differ depending upon the navigation bar option selected. The toolbar options for each navigation bar option are listed in the table below, with the matching main menu option for each navigation bar option.
Navigation Bar
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File
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Edit
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VMs
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Inventory
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Add > VM
Add > Farm
Add > Host
Add > Task
Add > Template
Add > Alarm
Add Permission
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Power Off
Suspend
Power On
Restart
Migrate
Clone
Console
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Scheduled Tasks
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New Scheduled Task
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Properties
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Templates
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New Template
Deploy Template
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Clone Template
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Events
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Export Events
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Button
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Actions
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Back/Forward Arrows
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Back — moves the current inventory selection up or left in the hierarchy.
Forward — moves the current inventory selection right or down in the
hierarchy.
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Stop/Suspend/Start/
Reset Buttons
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Stop — Powers down the selected active virtual machine.
Suspend — Suspends the selected active virtual machine.
Start — Powers up the selected non-active virtual machine.
Reset — Reboots the selected active virtual machine.
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Task List Menu Button
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Create a New Virtual Machine — Launches a wizard to configure a new
virtual machine.
New Farm — Creates a new empty farm, used for arranging hosts or groups.
Add Virtual Machine Groups — Creates a new empty group for arranging
hosts.
Add Host — Launches a wizard to attaches an existing host to this
VirtualCenter inventory.
Create a Scheduled Task — Launches a wizard to perform an automated
activity at a particular time.
Import a Template — Imports a virtual machine to use as a template for
creating multiple identical new VMs.
Create an Alarm — Creates an email warning to be sent when an object
meets specified criteria.
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Migration Button
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This buttons launches the migration wizard. Migration is the act of moving a
virtual machine from one host to another. There are two types of migration.
Migrate a Virtual Machine — Moving a powered off virtual machine
between hosts on a farm.
Migrate a Virtual Machine with VMotion — Moving a powered on virtual
machine between hosts on a farm. This functionality requires activation of
VMotion on both the source and target host.
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Clone Button
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This buttons launches the clone wizard. A clone is a copy plus customization
of a virtual machine.
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Add Permission
Button
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This buttons opens a dialog in which you can add or change access
permissions.
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Pop Out Console
Button
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This button opens a window displaying the console for the selected virtual
machine. This console is also available in the VirtualCenter window from the
Console tab.
The console window allows you to access a running virtual machine directly.
It provides live access to the virtual machine console from within the
VirtualCenter client, and allows you to interact with the operations of the
virtual machine.
The VirtualCenter Client consoles are similar to the remote console provided
with the VMware platform products, such as ESX Server and GSX Server.
However, the VirtualCenter Client console does not allow you to access
selected functions (such as power or configuration operations) of the virtual
machine beyond the direct manipulation of the console. These tasks are
handled through the VirtualCenter Client.
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The following table describes the toolbar actions.
Status Bar
Status Bar
The status bar appears at the bottom of the window. It displays the status of the connection between the VirtualCenter client and the VirtualCenter server.
To hide or view the Status bar: Select View > Status bar.
Panel Sections
Panel Sections
The panel section is the primary information and action display area.
The content of this display area varies, depending upon the navigation bar selected. The content of the panel section for Tasks, Templates, and Events is a simple list. The content of the panel section for Inventory [of virtual machines, hosts, farms, and groups] is divided into two panels: the inventory panel and the information panel.
- Inventory panel — Displays a hierarchical list of VirtualCenter objects when the Inventory option is selected from the navigation bar. The displayed list includes Server Farms, farm groups, farms, hosts, virtual machine groups, and virtual machines.
- Information panels — Display lists and charts. There are various information panels. There is one panel each for the Tasks, Templates, and Events navigation bar options. There are multiple panels for the Inventory option, these are divided into tabbed elements that vary, depending upon the object selected in the inventory panel.
The table below lists the tabbed panel options available for each inventory panel object.
Inventory Object
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Farms
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Summary
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Virtual Machines
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Hosts
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Performance
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Events
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Alarms
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Console
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Permissions
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Server Farms
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X
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|
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X
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X
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X
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Farm Group
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X
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|
|
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X
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X
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X
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Farm
|
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X
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X
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X
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X
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X
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X
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X
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Host
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X
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X
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X
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X
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X
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VM Group
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X
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X
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X
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X
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X
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Virtual Machine
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X
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|
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X
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X
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X
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X
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X
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- Active tasks — Displays any currently running active tasks. Included is a progress bar indicating the percentage complete of each task. The active tasks panel displays across all four navigation button layouts, Inventory, Scheduled Tasks, Templates and Events.
To select an object: Single-click the appropriate object in either the Inventory option or on the information panel.
To view a popup menu: Right-click the appropriate object.
VirtualCenter Client Panel Adjustments
To close or open a panel: Click the arrow in the panel menu bar. When the panel is hidden, the panel menu bar is a strip along the side of the VirtualCenter client window.
While the inventory panel is hidden, you cannot change the selected object.
To resize a panel: Click on a resizing panel side, and drag it to an appropriate size.
Your choices for the panels are persistent across VirtualCenter client sessions. If you run multiple VirtualCenter client sessions using different usernames, the settings from the last session to quit determine the values for the next VirtualCenter client session.
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