A virtual machine is a software computer that, like a physical computer, runs an operating system and applications. The virtual machine consists of a set of specification and configuration files, and is backed by the physical resources of a host. Every virtual machine has virtual devices that provide the same functionality as physical hardware but are more portable, more secure, and easier to manage.
In addition to the operations that you can run on a physical machine, vCloud Director virtual machines support virtual infrastructure operations, such as taking a snapshot of virtual machine state, and moving a virtual machine from one host to another.
Starting with vCloud Director 9.5, virtual machines support IPv6 connectivity. You can assign IPv6 addresses to virtual machines connected to IPv6 networks.
Important: All steps for working with virtual machines are documented from the card view, assuming that you have more than one virtual data center. Completing the same procedures from the grid view is also possible, but the steps might slightly vary.
- Virtual Machine Architecture
A virtual machine can exist as a standalone machine or it can exist within a vApp. [Read more] - View and Edit Virtual Machines
You can view virtual machines that are standalone or part of a vApp. You can view virtual machines in a grid view or in a card view. [Read more] - Create a New Standalone Virtual Machine
You can create a new standalone virtual machine. [Read more] - Opening a Virtual Machine Console
Accessing your virtual machine console allows you to view information about the virtual machine, work with the guest operating system, and perform operations that affect the guest operating system. [Read more] - Performing Power Operations on Virtual Machines
You can perform power operations on virtual machines, such as power on or off a virtual machine, suspending or resetting a virtual machine or shutting down the guest Operating System of a virtual machine. [Read more] - Install VMware Tools in a Virtual Machine
vCloud Director depends on VMware Tools to customize the guest OS. [Read more] - Upgrade the Virtual Hardware Version for a Virtual Machine
You can upgrade the virtual hardware version for a virtual machine. Later virtual hardware versions support more features. [Read more] - Edit Virtual Machine Properties
You can edit the properties of a virtual machine, including the virtual machine name and description, hardware and network settings, guest OS settings, and so on. [Read more] - Insert Media
You can insert media such as CD/DVD images from catalogs to use in a virtual machine guest operating system. You can use these media files to install an operating system in the virtual machine, various applications, drivers, and so on. [Read more] - Eject Media
After you have finished using a CD or a DVD in your virtual machine, you can eject the media file. [Read more] - Copy a Virtual Machine to a Different vApp
You can copy a virtual machine to another vApp. When you copy a virtual machine, the original virtual machine remains in the source vApp. [Read more] - Move a Virtual Machine to a Different vApp
You can move a virtual machine to another vApp. When you move a virtual machine, the original virtual machine is removed from the source vApp. [Read more] - Virtual Machine Affinity and Anti-Affinity
Affinity and anti-affinity rules allow you to spread a group of virtual machines across different ESXi hosts or keep a group of virtual machines on a particular ESXi host. [Read more] - Monitor Virtual Machines
If your vCloud Director administrator has enabled the feature for monitoring virtual machines, you can view the monitoring chart from the tenant portal. [Read more] - Working with Snapshots
Snapshots preserve the state and data of a virtual machine at the time you take the snapshot. When you take a snapshot of a virtual machine, the virtual machine is not affected and only an image of the virtual machine in a given state is copied and stored. Snapshots are useful when you must revert repeatedly to the same virtual machine state, but you do not want to create multiple virtual machines. [Read more] - Renew a Virtual Machine Lease
You can renew a virtual machine lease if the lease is expiring soon. [Read more] - Delete a Virtual Machine
You can delete a virtual machine from your organization. [Read more]