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About the VMware Tools Service About the VMware Tools Service
When you install VMware Tools in a virtual machine, the VMware Tools service is one of the primary components installed. The service does the following:
  • Synchronizes the time of the guest operating system with the time in the host operating system.
  • Runs scripts in a virtual machine when the power state changes. See Executing Scripts When the Virtual Machine's Power State Changes.
  • Executes commands in the virtual machine when you shut down or restart a Linux guest operating system.
  • Sends a heartbeat to GSX Server so that it knows the guest operating system is running. A gauge for this heartbeat appears in the VMware Management Interface. For more information, see Using the Status Monitor.
  • Passes messages from the host operating system to the guest operating system.
  • Passes information between the guest operating system and a VMware Scripting API script.
    • The service starts automatically when you boot the guest operating system.
    In a Windows guest, the VMware Tools service program file is called VMwareService.exe. Help is available by right-clicking the VMware Tools icon in the system tray and choosing Help.
    In a Linux guest, the VMware Tools service is called vmware-guestd. To display help about the service, including a list of all options, use the following command:
    /etc/vmware/vmware-guestd --help
    This section covers the following topics.
  • Synchronizing the Time in the Guest with the Host Operating System
  • Executing Commands After You Power Off or Reset a Virtual Machine
  • Passing a String from the Host Operating System to the Guest Operating System
  • Passing Information Between the Guest Operating System and a VMware Scripting API Script


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