For more information about the VMware Management Interface, go to www.vmware.com/support/gsx3/doc/.


Using the Status Monitor
Using the Status Monitor

The Status Monitor page contains a high-level view of the VMware GSX Server host including a host system summary and list of all registered virtual machines.

Viewing Summary Information about the GSX Server Host System
Viewing Summary Information about the GSX Server Host System

Under System Summary, you can view:

  • The number of processors on GSX Server, including the average percentage of CPU usage used by virtual machines, other processes on the host and the total being used by the whole system for the previous minute.

  • The amount of memory on GSX Server, including the average amount of memory used by virtual machines, other processes on the host and the total being used by the whole system for the previous minute.

    Viewing Summary Information about Virtual Machines on the Host
    Viewing Summary Information about Virtual Machines on the Host

    Under Virtual Machines, you can view a list of all registered virtual machines on the host. When a virtual machine is running, the Status Monitor page displays its ID number after the power status of the virtual machine.

    Activities you can perform include:

  • Connecting to a Virtual Machine with the VMware Virtual Machine Console

  • Using the Virtual Machine Menu

  • Changing the Power State of a Virtual Machine

  • Monitoring the Virtual Machine's Heartbeat

  • Viewing Information about Virtual Machines

  • Downloading VMware Virtual Machine Console Installers (Login and Status Monitor pages only)

  • Creating a New Virtual Machine from the Management Interface (Status Monitor page only)

  • Deleting a Virtual Machine Using the VMware Management Interface

  • Configuring the VMware GSX Server System (Options page only)

  • Using Common Controls

    Connecting to a Virtual Machine with the VMware Virtual Machine Console
    Connecting to a Virtual Machine with the VMware Virtual Machine Console

    If you need to view a particular virtual machine's desktop, you can attach the VMware Virtual Machine Console and connect to the virtual machine. Click the terminal icon (   ) to launch the console. For more information on connecting the console, see www.vmware.com/support/gsx3/doc/running_startvm_gsx.html.

    If you are connecting an older version of the console to the server host, you need to select the virtual machine after you connect to the server. VMware recommends you update the console on this client. Download the appropriate installer on the Login or Status Monitor page. See Downloading VMware Virtual Machine Console Installers.

    Netscape and Mozilla users must define a MIME type for the console first; Internet Explorer is automatically configured when the console is installed. For more information, see Setting a MIME Type to Launch the VMware Virtual Machine Console.

    The terminal icon appears slightly different, depending upon the guest operating system installed in the virtual machine. This visual cue helps to identify the virtual machine (for example, the display name may not indicate the guest operating system). The variations in the terminal icon are shown here.

    — indicates a Windows guest operating system.

    — indicates a Linux guest operating system.

    — indicates a FreeBSD guest operating system.

    — indicates a NetWare guest operating system.

    — indicates another guest operating system, such as MS-DOS.

    Using the Virtual Machine Menu
    Using the Virtual Machine Menu

    Click the arrow to the right of the terminal icon (   ) to display a menu of options for that virtual machine. The menu includes the following commands, most of which can be performed using the buttons and other visual elements of the management interface. Depending on your permissions and the state of the virtual machine, some options may not be available.

  • Attach Console — launches the VMware Virtual Machine Console, which connects to this virtual machine. Selecting this option is the same as clicking . You need to log in to the host. For more information, go to www.vmware.com/support/gsx3/doc/running_startvm_gsx.html.

    Note: Netscape and Mozilla users must define a MIME type for the console first; Internet Explorer is automatically configured when the console is installed. For information, see Setting a MIME Type to Launch the VMware Virtual Machine Console.

  • Properties — opens the Virtual Machine Overview page for this virtual machine in a new browser window. Selecting this option is the same as clicking the virtual machine name link in the Display Name column.

  • Configure Hardware — opens the Hardware page, where you can edit a virtual machine's hardware configuration. You can edit most configuration options only when the virtual machine is powered off. When the virtual machine is powered on, you can edit removable devices and the virtual network adapter.

    For more information, see Configuring a Virtual Machine's Hardware.

  • Configure Options — opens the Options page, where you can edit a virtual machine's standard information, such as guest operating system, display name, the location of the suspended state file, and the startup and shutdown options. With the exception of the display name, you can edit these options only when the virtual machine is powered off.

    For more information, see Setting Standard Virtual Machine Configuration Options.

  • Shut Down Guest — runs the script associated with this power state change, then shuts down the guest operating system and powers off the virtual machine. Selecting this option is the same as clicking in the power state popup.

  • Suspend after Running Script — runs the associated script then suspends a running virtual machine. Selecting this option is the same as clicking in the power state popup.

  • Power On/Resume and Run Script — powers on a stopped virtual machine or resumes a suspended virtual machine, then runs the script associated with this power state change. Selecting this option is the same as clicking in the power state popup.

  • Restart Guest — restarts the guest operating system and the virtual machine. This is the same as clicking in the power state popup.

  • Power Off — powers off the virtual machine immediately without running a script. This is the same as turning off the power to a physical computer.

  • Suspend — suspends a powered on virtual machine without running a script.

  • Power On/Resume — powers on a stopped virtual machine or resumes a suspended virtual machine without running a script.

  • Reset — resets the virtual machine immediately without running a script. This is the same as pressing the reset button on a physical computer.

  • Delete Virtual Machine — lets you delete a virtual machine, provided the virtual machine is powered off. See Deleting a Virtual Machine Using the VMware Management Interface.

    Changing the Power State of a Virtual Machine
    Changing the Power State of a Virtual Machine

    Depending upon your permissions, you can change the power state of the virtual machine in the management interface. Your permissions are listed in the Users and Events tab for the virtual machine. For more information, see Viewing a List of Connected Users.

    To change the virtual machine's power state, click the button that indicates the virtual machine's current power state. A popup menu appears, displaying the following buttons:
    Button
    Description
    Shuts down the guest operating system and powers off the virtual machine. Any open applications close, the guest operating system shuts down, then GSX Server powers off the virtual machine. VMware Tools executes any script associated with this power state change. When this icon is red, the virtual machine is powered off.
    Suspends a running virtual machine. VMware Tools executes any script associated with this power state change. When this icon is amber, the virtual machine is suspended.
    Powers on a stopped virtual machine or resumes a suspended virtual machine. VMware Tools executes any script associated with this power state change. When this icon is green, the virtual machine is running.
    Restarts a guest operating system. GSX Server closes any open applications and shuts down the guest operating system before restarting the guest operating system.

    Changing the power state executes any script associated with the power state change. For more information about running scripts, see www.vmware.com/support/gsx3/doc/tools_scripts_gsx.html.

    Monitoring the Virtual Machine's Heartbeat
    Monitoring the Virtual Machine's Heartbeat

    Under HB is a bar graph that represents the average percentage of heartbeats received by a virtual machine during the previous minute. The heartbeat represents the overall health of the guest operating system, based on whether applications running in the guest are consuming resources from other applications in the guest.

    The heartbeats are sent by the VMware guest operating system service to the virtual machine from its guest operating system; the percentage is relative to the number of heartbeats the virtual machine expects to receive for the minute before the page was last updated. Heavily loaded guest operating systems may not send 100% of the expected heartbeats, even though the system is otherwise operating normally; in general, only when the heartbeat percentage drops to zero should the virtual machine or guest operating system be considered abnormal.

    Note: If VMware Tools is not installed or is not running, the guest operating system does not send any heartbeats to its virtual machine and this meter is disabled.

    Viewing Information about Virtual Machines
    Viewing Information about Virtual Machines

    Important virtual machine information is readily available on the Status Monitor page.

  • The link in the Display Name column indicates the display name for the virtual machine; if one is not specified, then the path to the configuration file for the virtual machine appears here instead. column also contains the virtual machine's power state, its process ID and its virtual machine ID (if it is running); it also notes if VMware Tools is not installed.

    If the virtual machine is waiting for a response to a system message, a Waiting for input link appears here. Click the link to view the message and respond to it.

    Click the virtual machine name link for more details about the virtual machine. The Virtual Machine Overview page appears in a new browser window. For more information, see Configuring a Virtual Machine.

  • The value in the Up column indicates the length of time the virtual machine has been running.

  • The value in the % CPU column indicates the average percentage of host operating system processor capacity the virtual machine used during the final minute before the page was last updated. More detailed processor information is available on the virtual machine's Virtual Machine Overview page.

  • The value in the RAM column indicates the amount of memory allocated to the virtual machine. More detailed memory information is available on the Virtual Machine Overview page.

    Using Common Controls
    Using Common Controls

    The following links appear on most or all of the pages in the management interface.

    Refresh — This link refreshes or reloads the current page. To avoid conflicts with other users, click this button before you perform an operation in the management interface like shutting down, suspending, resuming or powering on a virtual machine — or after you perform such an operation in a remote console.

    Help — This link connects you to the online documentation for the current page in the management interface.

    Logout — This link logs you out of the management interface. You can log out from the Status Monitor and Options pages only. Click Logout to return to the Login page. See Logging Out of the VMware Management Interface.

    Close — This link closes the current management interface window.