Specifications

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VMware GSX Server Virtual Machine Guide
About the VMware Tools Service
When you install VMware Tools in a virtual machine, the VMware Tools service is one
of the primary components installed. The service does the following:
• Synchronizes the time of the guest operating system with the time in the host
operating system.
• Runs scripts in a virtual machine when the power state changes. See Executing
Scripts When the Virtual Machine’s Power State Changes on page 76.
• Executes commands in the virtual machine when you shut down or restart a
Linux guest operating system.
• Sends a heartbeat to GSX Server so that it knows the guest operating system is
running. A gauge for this heartbeat appears in the VMware Management
Interface. For more information, see Using the Status Monitor in the VMware GSX
Server Administration Guide.
• Passes messages from the host operating system to the guest operating system.
• Passes information between the guest operating system and a VMware Scripting
API script.
The service starts automatically when you boot the guest operating system.
In a Windows guest, the VMware Tools service program file is called
VMwareService.exe. Help is available by right-clicking the VMware Tools icon in
the system tray and choosing Help.
In a Linux guest, the VMware Tools service is called vmware-guestd. To display
help about the service, including a list of all options, use the following command:
/etc/vmware/vmware-guestd --help
This section covers the following topics.
• Synchronizing the Time in the Guest with the Host Operating System on
page 91
• Executing Commands After You Power Off or Reset a Virtual Machine on page 92
• Passing a String from the Host Operating System to the Guest Operating System
on page 92
• Passing Information Between the Guest Operating System and a VMware
Scripting API Script on page 94