Setting Startup and Shutdown Options for a Virtual Machine
Setting Startup and Shutdown Options for a Virtual Machine

You can configure how a virtual machine starts up 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. 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: start when the server starts, 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.

      Specify the period of time before the next virtual machine starts, in the Continue Starting Virtual Machines After list. Choose the number of minutes, if any, that VMware Server should wait before starting the next virtual machine. If you select Other, a prompt appears; specify in the prompt the number of minutes to wait.

      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 specified time elapses, VMware Server starts the next virtual machine. If VMware Tools does start before the specified time elapses, VMware Server starts the next virtual machine and does not wait for the time to elapse.

    3. 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.

      Configure when VMware 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, if any, that VMware Server should wait before stopping the next virtual machine. If you select Other, a prompt appears; specify in the prompt the number of minutes to wait. The System Default is specified in Configuring Startup and Shutdown Options for Virtual Machines.

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