We're copying rather large files (~250MB) between guest and host. This avoids having to supply network credentials and worry about network connectivity of the virtual machine alltogether. Unfortunately it's rather slow, without doing scientific tests, I am looking at transfer rates 1/10th of a regular file copy. It doesn't seem to matter much whether the copy is against a local VMWare Workstation or a remote ESX server.

Is there something I can do about this in the short term? Or maybe the developers can note this for a future version?

Thx

dB.

I posted a CodeProject Article this morning with a VMWareTasks C# library on top of the VIX API. It exposes a better programming model for the 99% of those synchronous VMWare scenarios where you don't want to deal with jobs or other more complex constructs. I think we can all benefit from reimplementing the same thing less often!

http://www.codeproject.com/KB/library/VMWareTasks.aspx

http://code.dblock.org/ShowPost.aspx?id=25

I'd love to get more features/patches for the library, feel free to (re)use and contribute.

cheers

dB.

Update: I posted a new build 1.0.1604.0: http://code.dblock.org/ShowPost.aspx?id=29

Environment:

• VIX 1.6.2 installed on Windows XP SP2

• ESX 3.5u2

• VM is Windows XP SP2 and has latest VMware Tools installed

• Using Windows batch script at the moment

Got a few questions regarding "vmrun.exe" for the VIX gurus:

1) If I run the following, should I be able to get output back from the remote execution on the guestOS ?

vmrun.exe -T esx -h https://%ESX_IP%/sdk -u %ESX_USER_NAME% -p %ESX_PASSSWORD% -gu %VM_USER_NAME% -gp %VM_PASSWORD% runProgramInGuest "[http://himalaya-local-SAS.VMStorage|http://himalaya-local-SAS.VMStorage] Quentin/Quentin.vmx" "C:/WINDOWS/system32/ipconfig.exe"

2) Is there a way to enable any type of debugging? When executing any of the commands, the error messages coming back aren't too useful and I would like to see what's happening on the VM itself when I execute say a script or program. I only ask, because when I create a small bat script and run it on the VM, it works. When I executed using VIX, nothing happens.

e.g.

vmrun.exe -T esx -h https://%ESX_IP%/sdk -u %ESX_USER_NAME% -p %ESX_PASSSWORD% -gu %VM_USER_NAME% -gp %VM_PASSWORD% runScriptInGuest "[http://himalaya-local-SAS.VMStorage|http://himalaya-local-SAS.VMStorage] Quentin/Quentin.vmx" "C:/Documents and Settings/Administrator/Desktop/test.bat"

I'm trying to copy somewhat large files (256-500 GB) to my Windows XP SP2 VMs on my ESX 3.5 server using the VIX API and the CopyFileFromHostToGuest() function takes a long time to copy these files. The file that is going to be copied up to the VM will be different with every run of my program, so is there a way to speed up this function?

Hi,

I am using ReadVariable with the option VIX_GUEST_ENVIRONMENT_VARIABLE and I am getting blank values. I am logged in as the Administrator.

Note, the two environment variables I can retrieve with no problem are TEMP, and TEMP.

However, I can't retrieve variables like WINDIR, PATH, COMSPEC, and even SYSTEMDIR. I have tried to put the environment variables into section for this user in the advanced pane of my computer. Through the VIX inteface I only get blank values. I can retrieve them all on the command line within the VM with no problems

Is there a limitation of VIX?

Thanks,

Vinay

I'm trying to use VIX to open a VM on a Server 2.0.  If I set the user as an admin on the server I'm able to open the machine just fine.  However if I remove the user from the admin group I get the "Insufficient permissions in host operating system" error.  I have tried giving the user in question full access to the drive where the .vmx file is stored but to no avail.  Does anyone know the permissions needed to open a vm through VIX?  I would rather not give this user admin rights on the machine.

Matt

All,

Trying some VM automation Code using VIX API SDK. After Loading  libvixAllProducts.so, VM registers successfully.

But when I tried to PowerOn,  VM VixJob_Wait give me segmentation fault after executing VixVM_PowerOn.

Observation:

1. Even it gives me segmentation fault, VM got powered on ESX server.

2. If i remove wait API with some sleep function, still i will get some segmentation fault.

Any suggestion, comments will be appriciated.

thanks

-tej

Hey, I am trying to Copy files into a VMWare image hosted in ESX using VIX (C# Wrapper around the COM API), but I can't quite get it right.

Conceptual Something like:

IVMWareVirtualHost host = new VMWareVirtualHost();

host.ConnectToVMWareVIServer("172.18.19.69", "ESX Admin User", "ESX Admin Password");

IVMWareVirtualMachine virtualMachine = host.Open("[Storage1] Image/Image.vmx");

virtualMachine.PowerOn();

virtualMachine.WaitForToolsInGuest();

virtualMachine.LoginInGuest("Administrator", "ILoveOMSIS!1234");

virtualMachine.CopyFileFromHostToGuest("C:
temp
File.txt", "C:
package
File.txt");

And it fails at the last line with "INTERNAL ERROR: A file was not found"...

The File exists Locally, Casing is corrent and the "C:\package" folder exists in the Guest.

Host System: ESX 4.0

Guest System: Windows XP

Client System: Windows 2003 server

(Client System refers to the system where I try tu run the commands and vmrun.exe

After trying to find some help ect on the web, I went to "vmrun" and tested a command that used to work with the "VMWare Server"

vmrun -T server -h https://localhost:8333/sdk -u "Local Admin User" -p "Local Admin Password" -gu "Guest Admin account" -gp "Guest Admin password" CopyFileFromHostToGuest "[Standard] Image/Image.vmx" "C:\temp\file.txt" "C:\package\file.txt"

changed to:

vmrun -T server -h https://172.18.19.69/sdk -u "ESX Admin User" -p "ESX Admin Password" -gu "Guest Admin account" -gp "Guest Admin password" CopyFileFromHostToGuest "[Storage1] Image/Image.vmx" "C:\temp\file.txt" "C:\package\file.txt"

Both Works just fine...

So what am I'm doing wrong in the code?

Hello

In my previous thread http://communities.vmware.com/thread/270479 I wrote about a runntime error which occures if I call the methode ListDirectoryInGuest multiple times, there was no reply to this message. I use a explorer like tree and call this methode every time when I expand a node. About the third or fifth time the application is crashing.

After having this problem only on some systems, I examined what versions of the VIX API was installed. The VIX API Version 1.0 Beta is running fine. The Version  1.8.1.10141 is showing on three systems the same problem.

I tried to find a download  of the VIX API 1.0 (old version) to verify this problem on one of the "bad" Systems. I found a download page which should be the download for this version, but after downloading I recognized it is also the newest version. Where can I get the old VIX API Versions?

I would like to installe the right dependency files for the VIX API 1.0 with my setup. What files do I need to install?

Regards

Manfred

What's the "official" decree about which VMware Tools version is required for VIX.  Seems some VIX functions (such as VMLoginInGuest) will run only in VMware Tools version 4.0.  For instance, I had a Linux VM with VMware tools v3.5 installed.  Running a test (Perl) script got to the point where I called VMLoginInGuest -- I received the error:

Authentication failure or insufficient permissions in guest operating system(3015)

I upgrade the VMware tools version on the target VM and the above worked (as did the rest of my test script).

I read somewhere that there is a version 3.2 or something of VMware tools that supports VIX?  Is this true?  Is there a resource (web page) somewhere that explains the various versions of ESX, VMware tools, VIX, and/or perhaps a compatability matrix?  If not, someone there at VMware should make one...

Another thing, when I use the Perl vSphere API to get a VM View, if I look in the config.about section, I see a property "toolsVersion".  Some examples of values I see are:

7304 (vmware tools v3.5 )

8194 (this is the one where I installed vmware tools v4.0)

7299

How do these correlate to vmware tools versions?

Any and all information would be greatly appreciated.

Hi,

I installed vix api 1.8 in my machine and wrote some sample programs in C. Im using Visual Studio 2005 Microsoft Visual Studio 2005

"Version 8.0.50727.762  (SP.050727-7600) Microsoft .NET Framework Version 2.0.50727 nstalled Edition: Professional". I can able to compile the programs without wrapper library(using Vix.lib and vix.dll). The problem in this is i must copy lot of dll file in the excutable location. So i decided to compile with wrapper library(VixAllProducts.lib). But Its giving lot of link error like

===================================================================================================

Error    225    error LNK2019: unresolved external symbol __imp___localtime64 referenced in function _localtime    VixAllProducts.lib

Error    226    error LNK2001: unresolved external symbol __imp___localtime64    VixAllProducts.lib

Error    227    error LNK2019: unresolved external symbol __imp___fstat64i32 referenced in function _fstat    VixAllProducts.lib

Error    228    error LNK2001: unresolved external symbol __imp___fstat64i32    VixAllProducts.lib

Error    229    error LNK2019: unresolved external symbol __imp__write referenced in function _LogWriteTagString    VixAllProducts.lib

Error    230    error LNK2001: unresolved external symbol __imp__write    OLDNAMES.lib

Error    231    error LNK2019: unresolved external symbol __imp__getpid referenced in function _LogWriteTagString    VixAllProducts.lib

Error    232    error LNK2001: unresolved external symbol __imp__getpid    VixAllProducts.lib

:

:

:

Error    326    error LNK2019: unresolved external symbol __imp__feof referenced in function StdIOReadNextLine    VixAllProducts.lib

Error    327    error LNK2019: unresolved external symbol __imp__wcsdup referenced in function WMIGetWMIObjectAttributeAsStringArray    VixAllProducts.lib

Error    328    error LNK2001: unresolved external symbol __imp__wcsdup    OLDNAMES.lib

Error    329    error LNK2019: unresolved external symbol __imp___snwprintf referenced in function WMIQueryWMIObjectEnum    VixAllProducts.lib

Error    330    error LNK2001: unresolved external symbol __imp___getpid    OLDNAMES.lib

Error    331    error LNK2001: unresolved external symbol __imp___dup2    OLDNAMES.lib

Error    332    error LNK2001: unresolved external symbol __imp___wcsdup    OLDNAMES.lib

Error    333    fatal error LNK1120: 67 unresolved externals    E:\sampleVCproj\vmware\Debug\vmware.exe

=============================================================

I have added all the required librarys (wsock32.lib, shell32.lib, Ws2_32.lib  kernel32.lib user32.lib gdi32.lib winspool.lib comdlg32.lib advapi32.lib shell32.lib ole32.lib oleaut32.lib uuid.lib odbc32.lib odbccp32.lib) but no luck.

Can Any one give me the solution how to compile with wrapper library... or any document link.

Thanks in advance.

Hello:

I need to program some funtions with VIX API but I need do it in python. For this purpose I need to import dll, etc to python... and call vix functions from a python script...

someone can helps me??

thanks!

Hello,

calling Reset with the option VIX_VMPOWEROP_FROM_GUEST and then calling Wait hangs at some guests waiting forever for the operation to complete (even when the guest SO restarted ok). Currently I have one guest with XP that hangs and 2 guests with 2003 server that works fine.

I'm using 1.10.2. Any ideas?

Hello,

I'm automating several things on VMs located at a 3.5 ESX host and I've found that sometimes executing RunProgramInGuest just after rebooting the guest does not start the application nor returns error. If I call jobHandle.Wait() it just waits forever. The guest is a 2003 R2 Server, not sure if this matters.

Any hint?

PD: The code to execute the application is:

Hi,

I am using VIX for communicating with VM i.e. to start and run the apps inside VM. I am curious to know , is there any way to get the available VMNet info from Workstation. Usually VMnet0, Vmnet1 and VMNet8 for Bridge, host and NAT respectvely. I want to are rest of VMNet are free for use ?

The information is available in Virtual Network Editor ( i.e.Edit -> Virtual Network Editor ) but i want to access the same information through code.

Thanks in advance,,,,,

when use win7 64bit with vix 1.11.0-471780 this core dump, pls  help me find out the problem

the vm mirror  image is create at win7 32bit and anything is well!

I am at a loss on how to use the VIX api or vmrun.exe to run programs in the guest OS. I see proofs of concepts, but never have seen any signifcant, real-life, business case example of this working. I have been through every.VIX api.resource.available.

Here are my operations at a high level:

UAC is off on host and guest machine. my user is Administrator. The result of running this command is that I can use listProcessesInGuest and see some new processes running under this username:

pid=2984, owner=MYDOMAIN\test, cmd="C:\Windows\System32\cmd.exe"  "C:\Users\test\AppData\Local\Temp\vixScript0"

pid=2992, owner=MYDOMAIN\test, cmd=\??\C:\Windows\system32\conhost.exe "-262616372-801187394105077478520761067478199601-1762539247384719877-515260550

the above is the farthest I can get. runProgramInGuest doesn't even get me this far however...I wouldn't even see the process get kicked off.

I have accomplished this goald with virtual box in the past. I moved toward VMWare and find it a much much better product. However this API seems a little more difficult to work.

I also raised a similar version of this problem here: http://stackoverflow.com/questions/12335148/unable-to-use-vix-api-to-power-on-vm-install-software-with-msiexec-then-create

Hi,

I am trying to execute a vmrun command like below which is working fine.

vmrun -T esx -h https://test.eng.vmware.com/sdk -u root -p password -gu root -gp password runProgramInGuest "[datastore] test/test.vmx" /bin/rpm -i /root/expect-5.43.0-5.1.x86_64.rpm

But if I execute it like below (please note I've mentioned the programName in quotes)

vmrun -T esx -h https://test.eng.vmware.com/sdk -u root -p password -gu root -gp password runProgramInGuest "[datastore] test/test.vmx" "/bin/rpm -i /root/expect-5.43.0-5.1.x86_64.rpm"

then I am getting an error "Error: A file was not found"

Why is this difference..?

I need that command to be worked in the second format also. Because I am trying to execute it from java where I am passing all the details as strings. So it is getting executed with quotes and I am getting the same error "Error: A file was not found".

Any solution..?

Regards,

Badri.

Hi all,

I'm new in the VMWARE API World. I wish to create a web that let users check their VMMachine Info, status and also Reboot,Start or Shutdown.

I've been looking for some info but I'm becoming crazy because the official documentation is from 2004 and in Perl Language. I wish use PHP or Ptyhon if can be possible.

Anybody can help me? I want to know how to connect to my VMWare Host and check it out the information.

What language I have to use? How can i find information about connect and show info?

Lots of Thanks

Frame:

VMware Workstation 10.0

VS-Studio 2012

.NET 4.0

Windows 7 64bit

Vestris.VMwareLib.Dll [version 1.7] <-- wrapper for VIX API

Installed VMware-VIX-1.13.1-1379776.exe

-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

I have a small C#-program to "shutdown" and "poweron" VM's. If I start my console-pgm with parameters from local in a BAT-file, all works fine.

Now i tried to start my pgm from a remote pc via psexec. The poweroff option works fine, the poweron option fails with the following error:

Failed to power on virtual machine: powerOnOption=512 timeoutInSeconds=120

Does anyone have an idea why?

psexec command> psexec \\xxx.xxx.xxx.xxx -u "{domain}\{user}" -p "{password}"  -s "D:\Programme\VMoperations\VMstart_XXNNV.bat

ADDON {05.03.2014 15:59}: I  tried it with PAEXEC and REEXEC, they failed too. And I changed my BATCH-file to call the VMrun.exe, but failed too. I think, it's a bug of VMware ?!?!?!

----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

BAT-File VMstart_XXNNV.bat:

SET fwpath="D:\Programme\VMoperations"

%fwpath%\VMoperations.exe -location:{vmpath} -vmname:XXNNV -o:poweron

----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

C# source VMoperations.exe:

reference to Vestris.VMWareLIb

refernce to Interop.VixCOM

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

using Vestris.VMWareLib;  <-- version 1.7

...

private static void VMwork(string location, string vmName, string operationType)

        {

            try

            {

                using (VMWareVirtualHost virtualHost = new VMWareVirtualHost())

                {

                    virtualHost.ConnectToVMWareWorkstation();

                    vmxName = location + vmName + @"\" + vmName + @".vmx";

                    using (VMWareVirtualMachine virtualMachine = virtualHost.Open(vmxName))

                    {

                        vmPowerState = virtualMachine.PowerState;

                        switch (operationType)

                        {

                            case "shutdown":

                                if (vmPowerState == 1096)

                                {

                                    virtualMachine.ShutdownGuest();

                                }

                                break;

                            case "poweroff":

                                if (vmPowerState == 1096)

                                {

                                    virtualMachine.PowerOff();

                                }

                                break;

                            case "poweron":

                                if (vmPowerState == 2)

                                {

                                    virtualMachine.PowerOn(120);

                                }

                                break;

                        }

                        virtualMachine.Dispose();

                    }

                    virtualHost.Disconnect();

                    virtualHost.Dispose();

                }

                retCode = 0;

            }

            catch (Exception ex)

            {

                retCode = 1;

            }

        }

I tried everything, read dozends of internet pages, but found no info. Ever user on local and remote pc have full admin rights.

Best regards Hipp1010