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CHAPTER 2 Learning the Basics of VMware ACE Manager
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4. Install guest operating systems, VMware Tools and other software in the virtual
machines. For information on installing VMware Tools, see Installing an
Operating System and Applications in the Virtual Machine on page 112. For
notes on installing particular guest operating systems, see the VMware Guest
Operating System Installation Guide, available from the VMware Web site or from
the Help menu.
5. Create packages to deploy to your users. The VMware ACE Manager guides you
through the process and, for large packages, prepares the package so it spans
multiple CDs or DVDs. For more information, see Creating Packages to Deploy to
Users on page 131.
6. Give the packages to your users. You may distribute the packages on CD or DVD,
or you may make them available on a network. The package includes an installer
that installs the full package — VMware ACE and the virtual machines, along
with the policies that control their use. For more information, see Deploying and
Maintaining Packages on page 137.
Keeping Users Up-to-Date
VMware ACE Manager gives you tools you can use to ensure that your end users are
running up-to-date virtual machines.
You may need to provide updates to users’ packages. You may need to update the
guest operating system or provide an update to a program running inside the virtual
machine. Or you may need to update either the virtual machine itself or policies set
for the package — or add a new virtual machine to the package. There are two basic
approaches to updates.
• Deliver updates to the guest operating system or to programs running inside the
virtual machine as you would with any other software updates — for example,
using a patch management system.
• Provide a new package — to replace the virtual machine, to distribute an
additional virtual machine or to change the policies applied to the VMware ACE
application or the virtual machine. If you replace an existing virtual machine by
supplying a new package, your end users lose any data or custom settings
stored in that virtual machine.
If your users connect to your network, you can set network quarantine policies so out-
of-date virtual machines have restricted access or no access to the network. You may,
for example, give users with out-of-date virtual machines access only to the server
where an update is available.