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CHAPTER 10 Preserving the State of a Virtual Machine
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When you revert to the snapshot, you return all these items to the state they were in
at the time you took the snapshot.
Removing the Snapshot
You can remove the snapshot any time the virtual machine is powered off. Removing
the snapshot does not destroy any data in the virtual machine. You keep all changes
made since you took the snapshot. For example, changes made to data stored on the
virtual hard disk are written to the virtual disk files. You then permanently accumulate
additional changes as you run the virtual machine. You cannot revert to a previous
state because the snapshot no longer exists.
To remove the snapshot, shut down and power off the virtual machine. Then, on the
VMware ACE menu, choose Snapshot > Remove Snapshot.
Ways of Using the Snapshot
The following examples illustrate the most common ways you can use the snapshot.
These examples apply only when you are running the snapshot in VMware ACE
Manager.
No Snapshot
If you do not take a snapshot, your virtual machine runs the same way a physical
computer does. All changes you make while you are working with a virtual machine
are saved and you cannot return to an earlier state.
If you do not need to use the snapshot feature, it is best to run your virtual machine
with no snapshot. This provides best performance. To be sure a virtual machine has no
snapshot, choose Snapshot > Remove Snapshot. You can then disable the snapshot
functionality for the virtual machine. Choose VM > Settings > Options > Snapshot
and select Disable snapshots.
Making Risky Changes
If you plan to make risky changes in a virtual machine (for example, testing new
software or examining a virus), take a snapshot before you begin to make those
changes. If you encounter a problem, click Revert to return the virtual machine to its
state at the time you took the snapshot.
If the first action you take causes no problems and you want to protect the virtual
machine in its new state, you can take a new snapshot. You can have only one
snapshot at a given time. When you take the new snapshot, you replace your previous
snapshot. You do not lose any data. For example, changes made to data stored on the
virtual hard disk are written to the virtual disk files.