Contents

Resuming Virtual Machines Repeatedly from the Same Point

Repeatable resume makes it easy to start a virtual machine again and again in the exact same state. This is useful, for example, to have a hot–standby virtual machine in a particular state so that it is ready to take over for a failed server.

When you suspend a virtual machine, a file with a .vmss extension is created. This file contains the entire state of the virtual machine. When the virtual machine is resumed, its state is restored from the .vmss file. This means that, in normal operation, the .vmss file cannot be used to resume a virtual machine again from the original suspended state.

However, repeatable resume lets you resume a virtual machine in the same state repeatedly. Every time you resume the virtual machine, it starts from the same point at which it was suspended using the same .vmss file.

Repeatable resume only works with virtual disks in nonpersistent mode.

Once you set a repeatable resume point for the virtual machine, you cannot suspend it; you can only power it off. After you power it off, you resume the virtual machine to start it up again. The virtual machine starts at the point at which it was suspended.

If you need to reset a virtual machine that is set up to use repeatable resume, you should restart the guest operating system (using Start > Shut Down > Restart for Windows guests, shutdown -r now for Linux guests). Do not click the Reset button on the virtual machine’s toolbar. Otherwise, any files you created or other changes made to the guest operating system are lost.

Restarting or resetting the guest operating system does not affect the suspended state. To return to your repeatable resume point, just power off the virtual machine, then resume it.

To enable repeatable resume in your virtual machine, complete the following steps.

  1. Shut down and power off the virtual machine.
  2. Be sure all virtual disks used by the virtual machine are set to nonpersistent mode.
  3. On the main page of the VMWare Management Interface, move the mouse pointer above the terminal icon for the virtual machine you want to set for repeatable resume mode. A context menu appears. Choose Edit Configuration to go to the Configure VM page, where you can set the disk mode. You have access to this page only when the virtual machine is powered off.
  4. After making your changes, click Save Changes. ESX Server saves your changes and takes you to the details page for the virtual machine.
  5. Next to Repeatable Resume, click On to enable the repeatable resume feature.
  6. Power on the virtual machine.
  7. Using the remote console, take the steps necessary to reach the state in which you want to suspend the virtual machine.
  8. Click Suspend to activate repeatable resume.
  9. After you do this, each time you resume the virtual machine, it will resume from the suspend point you have set. When you click Power Off, the virtual machine will power off, ready to resume at the suspend point you have set.

After you suspend then resume the virtual machine, the .vmss file is not removed. When you power off the resumed virtual machine, you can again resume its operation in the same state using the same .vmss file.

Repeatable resume makes it easy to start a virtual machine again and again in the exact same state. However you cannot suspend this virtual machine; you can only power it off. After you power it off, you can resume the virtual machine to start it up again. The virtual machine starts at the point at which it was suspended.

You can reset a virtual machine that is set up to use repeatable resume. This restarts the guest operating system but does not affect the suspended state. You cannot suspend the virtual machine again, however. To return to your repeatable resume point, just power off the virtual machine, then resume it.

Disabling Repeatable Resume

If you no longer want to resume the virtual machine from this repeatable resume point, do the following:

  1. On the main page of the VMware Management Interface, click the name of the virtual machine you want to take out of repeatable resume mode.
  2. On the details page for the virtual machine, next to Repeatable Resume, click Off to disable and deactivate the repeatable resume feature.

With the virtual machine powered off, you can enable the feature again so that the next time you power on, you can set the virtual machine into a different state and save that as a new repeatable resume point.

Related topics:

Back to top

© 2001-2002 VMware, Inc. All rights reserved.