Start virtual host via commandline

[Yardyy]

Hi, Could anyone please point in the right direction on how to startup a virtual windows2000 machine on a 3.5 esxi server, via commandline..

I have two users who shutdown the windows200 machine when they have finsihed their tasks, i then i have to manually resart it again.

I would like to give them a script that would allow them to restart it from their desktops when it was shutdown.

I was able to do this fine with vmware server, but not esxi.

Regards

Many Thanks
Yurov Ardyy

 

[ArizonaGeek]

You can find your answers on the VMWare website:

http://www.vmware.com/support/esx21/doc/vmware-cmd.html

Essentially: vmware-cmd /vmfs/volumes/rest of path/vm.vmx start

Cheers
Rob

The answer is always "PEBKAC!

 

[ArizonaGeek]

Now that I re-read your post, you can't do it in VI3. In VI3, you don't have a command line option. You would need the Enterprise version of ESX.

Anyone else know how he can do it?

Cheers
Rob

The answer is always "PEBKAC!

 

[Yardyy]

Hi, I have a vmware server running also, the script i have is pretty simliar to that, but on the esxi it does not seem to work.

am sure it will be possible.. just a matter of time i guess.

Many Thanks
Yurov Ardyy

 

[ITJohn3]

Have you ever thought of just removing the shutdown option from the windows guest all together. Thats assuming they are working on the guest and not the host itself.

If its necassary to actually reboot the the guest via esx command then create a cron job to reboot the server every night at a specified time.

John Sorensen
Network/Systems Admin

http://it-john.com

 

[Yardyy]

ITJohn3, I havent remvoed the shutdown button, but have setup a cron job that reboots or starts the workstation it its off each morning at 6am.

this seems to be working pretty well at the moment. though i was looking into some form of scrpting that would allow the user to set of a script to start the workstation if its not on at any given time. how i was going to do that, well, again, setup the script on the intranet, and let usr intiate it from there.. thats the theory .. i guess theres gonna be a lot of security issues with that though..

Many Thanks
Yurov Ardyy