You can configure a virtual machine to power on automatically when the GSX Server host starts. When the host shuts down, you can specify whether you want to power off the virtual machine or shut down the guest operating system.

You can enable these settings as long as the startup and shutdown options are not disabled for the server. See Configuring Startup and Shutdown Options for Virtual Machines.

In order for you to specify these options, the virtual machine must be configured to run as either the local system account or as a specific user. The virtual machine cannot be configured to run as the user that powers it on.

You must power off the virtual machine to change the startup and shutdown options.

To configure a virtual machine's startup and shutdown options from the console, complete the following steps.

1. In the VMware Virtual Machine Console, select the virtual machine, then choose VM > Settings. The virtual machine settings editor opens.

2. Click the Options tab, then click Startup/Shutdown.

3. Under Startup/Shutdown Options, choose whether you want this virtual machine to power on automatically when the GSX Server host starts up, and whether you want to power off the virtual machine or shut down the guest operating system when the host shuts down.

To power on the virtual machine when the host starts, select Power on the virtual machine in the On host startup list.

To power off the virtual machine — or shut down the guest — when the host shuts down, select the appropriate option in the On host shutdown list.

4. Click OK to save your changes and close the virtual machine settings editor.

You cannot configure a virtual machine to start up or shut down automatically when the host starts or shuts down until the host is configured accordingly. To configure the host, see Configuring Startup and Shutdown Options for Virtual Machines. You must log in to the management interface as an administrator to configure the GSX Server host.

To configure a virtual machine's startup and shutdown options from the management interface, complete the following steps.

1. On the Status Monitor page of the management interface, click arrow to the right of the terminal icon (   ), then choose Configure Options. The Options tab for the virtual machine appears.

2. Click Edit under System Startup Options or System Shutdown Options. The Options page appears.

3. 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 or whether GSX Server should not wait before starting 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.

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, GSX Server starts the next virtual machine.

4. 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 GSX 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 GSX 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.

5. Click OK to save your settings.

6. Click Close Window to return to the virtual machine's Options page.