Specifications

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VMware GSX Server Virtual Machine Guide
The most common use of a physical disk is to convert a dual-boot or multiple-boot
machine so one or more of the existing operating systems can be run inside a virtual
machine.
Physical disks may be set up on both IDE and SCSI devices. Physical disks can be as
large as 128GB when configured as IDE or 256GB when configured as SCSI.
Caution: You cannot use a physical disk that is stored on a SAN. You must use a disk or
a partition on the GSX Server host.
Caution: If you run an operating system natively on the host computer, then switch
to running it inside a virtual machine, the change is like pulling the hard drive out of
one computer and installing it in a second computer with a different motherboard
and other hardware. You need to prepare carefully for such a switch. The specific steps
you need to take depend on the operating system you want to use inside the virtual
machine.
You can create a new virtual machine that uses a physical disk instead of a virtual disk.
For details, see Installing an Operating System onto a Physical Partition from a Virtual
Machine on page 220. In most cases, however, it is better to use a virtual disk.
Only advanced users should attempt physical disk configurations.
Note: You should not use a physical disk to share files between host and guest
operating systems. It is not safe to make the same partition visible to both host and
guest. You can cause data corruption if you do this.
In older VMware products, physical disks were called raw disks.
Independent Disks
Independent disks add a layer of control and complexity to your virtual disks. You
configure virtual disks in independent mode for certain special purpose
configurations.
For example, you may want to run a virtual machine that uses a virtual disk stored on
DVD-ROM or CD-ROM. For more information, see Running Virtual Machines from
DVD-ROM or CD-ROM Discs on page 130.
Or, you may want to exclude one or more virtual disks from a virtual machine’s
snapshot. For more information about snapshots, see Taking Snapshots on page 153.
To configure a disk as an independent disk, choose VM > Settings, select the virtual
disk in question, then click Advanced. On the advanced settings screen, select
Independent, then the mode for the disk. You have the following options for an
independent disk: