6.0

Creating Virtual Machines 3
You create a new virtual machine in Player by using the New Virtual Machine wizard and import third-
party and Open Virtualization Format (OVF) virtual machines.
This chapter includes the following topics:
n
“Understanding Virtual Machines,” on page 17
n
“Preparing to Create a Virtual Machine,” on page 17
n
“Create a Virtual Machine,” on page 21
n
“Use Easy Install to Install a Guest Operating System,” on page 22
n
“Install a Guest Operating System Manually,” on page 22
n
“Importing Virtual Machines,” on page 24
n
“Installing and Upgrading VMware Tools,” on page 25
n
“Virtual Machine Files,” on page 35
Understanding Virtual Machines
A virtual machine is a software computer that, like a physical machine, runs an operating system and
applications. A virtual machine uses the physical resources of the physical machine on which it runs, which
is called the host system. Virtual machines have virtual devices that provide the same functionality as
physical hardware, but with the additional benefits of portability, manageability, and security.
A virtual machine has an operating system and virtual resources that you manage in much the same way
that you manage a physical computer. For example, you install an operating system in a virtual machine in
the same way that you install an operating system on a physical computer. You must have a CD-ROM,
DVD, or ISO image that contains the installation files from an operating system vendor.
Preparing to Create a Virtual Machine
When you create a virtual machine, you specify or accept defaults for a few basic virtual machine settings.
n
How you want to install the guest operating system.
n
A name for the virtual machine and a location for the virtual machine files.
n
The size of the virtual disk and whether to split the disk into multiple virtual disk files.
n
Whether to customize hardware settings, including memory allocation, number of virtual processors,
and network connection type.
VMware, Inc.
17