To find the physical machine name hosting your VM do the following:

Start –> Run –> Regedt32

Then navigate to:

HKLM\Software\Microsoft\Virtual Machine\Guest\Parameters\PhysicalHostName

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You can do this using VMware Converter which will convert your physical machine into the VMware format which can then be run on VMware Server. Both of these products are free.

VMware Server

Begin enjoying the benefits of server virtualization with the free VMware Server. VMware Server is a hosted virtualization platform that installs like an application on any existing server hardware and partitions a physical server into multiple virtual machines. This next-generation version introduces an intuitive web-based management interface to provide a consistent management experience for Windows or Linux users.

- Provision a new server in minutes without investing in new hardware

- Simplify IT testing of patches, new applications and operating systems

- Run Windows, Linux, Solaris and Netware operating systems and applications concurrently on the same physical server

VMware Converter

Use the intuitive wizard-driven interface of VMware Converter to convert your physical machines to virtual machines. VMware Converter quickly converts Microsoft Windows based physical machines and third party image formats to VMware virtual machines. It also converts virtual machines between VMware platforms. Automate and simplify physical to virtual machine conversions as well as conversions between virtual machine formats with VMware Converter.

- Convert Microsoft Windows based physical machines and third party
image formats to VMware virtual machines

- Complete multiple conversions simultaneously with a centralized management console

- Easy to use wizards to minimize the number of steps to conversion

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Q:
What is a computing appliance?

A:
According to various sources on the Internet, a ‘computing appliance’ is a class of computer product which is designed with a specific function in mind and has limits on the ability to be configured beyond that specific function.

There are three forms of computer appliances currently in common use:

ASIC (Application-Specific Integrated Circuit) based devices with no separate operating system. The device has a limited user interface (usually available via web browser or serial connection) that allows basic configuration of the device. Devices in this class of appliance can include items like DSL Routers, Cable Modems, Music Players (iPod, etc.). Often, devices in this class are solid-state devices and may or may not have disks for storage.

General purpose computer with a custom operating system that integrates an application directly into the OS. Because of the custom nature of the operating system, vendors tend to lock these devices down to a minimal set of configuration options and may completely restrict access to the device. Cisco’s IOS-based routers and Azul Systems Network Attached Processing Appliance are examples of devices in this class.

General purpose computer with a standard operating system that is used to host a specific application. This class of device generally locks down the operating system to only allow use of the specific application that the device was built to support. Devices in this category generally use open-source operating systems like Linux to host their applications. Examples of devices in this class include the Google Search Appliance, the Barracuda Anti-SPAM Appliance, and the Cast Iron Application Router.
Generally, the reason devices are called appliances is that they share some characteristics with more traditional household appliances. In that regard, computing appliances tend to be:

Designed to provide a specific set of functionality
Limited to specific vendor provided configurations
Closed and sealed devices
Not repairable or upgradable by the owner
Simple with a limited user interface
Intended for plug-and-play installation and setup

Q:
What is a virtual appliance?

A:
A virtual appliance is similar to a ‘traditional’ computing appliance and is designed with a specific function in mind. The major difference is that instead of being built on a physical computing device, a virtual appliance is built using virtual machine and can be run on VMware Player, VMware Workstation, VMware Server, or VMware ESX Server. A virtual appliance starts with a pre-installed and pre-configured operating system. In addition to the base operating system, a virtual appliance contains a pre-installed and pre-configured application. The application may have multiple components and services to provide the required functionality.

The key benefit to building virtual appliances is that developers/vendors no longer need to build, test, and ship physical hardware devices while they still maintain the benefits of providing a ‘sealed’, purpose-built solution.

The key benefits to users of virtual appliances focus around simplicity. Virtual appliances can be deployed in a user’s environment quickly and easily with very little interaction. Virtual appliances can be used with VMware virtualization products that can run on the standard x86 hardware already in the user’s environment (thus simplifying or eliminating hardware procurement issues).

Q:
What is the difference between a virtual appliance and a virtual machine?

A:
A virtual appliance is a type of virtual machine. A virtual machine can be as simple as the base install of an operating system that is intended to be used as a general purpose desktop or server environment. Generally, to use such a virtual machine, users need to install whatever software they need to get their jobs done. On the other hand, a virtual appliance contains all the pre-configured components (OS, services, applications, etc) to solve a specific problem. A virtual appliance is intended to give the user the ability to jump start their efforts around a specific task as the appliance would typically take minimal effort to configure for any specific environment (network configuration, initial tool configuration, etc.). Virtual appliances are not general purpose Virtual Machines. They are designed to solve a specific problem and are intended to simplify the installation and management of the solution.

Q:
Are there different types of virtual appliances?

A:
In a general, there are two classes of virtual appliance:

Purpose-Built Virtual Appliance: This type of virtual appliance locks down access to the operating system to only allow use of the specific application that the virtual appliance was built to support. Configuration options are limited and are typically controlled through a limited command-line interface or through a browser interface that is exposed by the virtual appliance.
Reference Implementation Virtual Appliance: This type of virtual appliance is similar to the Purpose-Built Virtual Appliance in that it is built to serve the needs of a specific application or class of application. Unlike the Purpose-Built Virtual Appliance, this type of appliance allows the user to modify the reference configuration to suit their needs. An example of this class of virtual appliance would be an appliance built to serve J2EE applications. Such an appliance would include a pre-installed and pre-configured operating system, J2EE application server, and optionally a basic install of a database server. This class of appliance would allow the user to tweak the underlying OS, the J2EE application server, and the database server to meet their needs. The user of this class of appliance would be free to add additional components as necessary to serve the requirements of their specific application.

Q:
How do I build a virtual appliance?

A:
Best practices for building a virtual appliance are available on our VMware Technology Network (VMTN). Please review the best practices before you build your virtual appliance

Q:
Why build a virtual appliance?

A:
Building a virtual appliance is a compelling new approach to software distribution. Deploying software as a virtual appliance eliminates many of the stumbling blocks associated with traditional software distribution. With a virtual appliance, you can now ship pre-installed, pre-configured, and tested standard configurations that enable the end-users of your software to literally plug your solutions into their environments with minimal effort. Not only does this decrease the time it takes to get your software up and running in your users environments; but it also decreases potential support issues related to incorrectly configured software or hardware. Users can simply download your virtual appliance and run it with VMware virtualization software. Learn more about the benefits of building virtual appliances.

Q:
How can virtual appliances be deployed to new VMware users? How do virtual appliances work in existing VMware environments?

A:
With the release of the VMware Player and VMware Server, it is now free for virtual appliance users to get started with this kind of approach to solving their problems. As a customer’s needs evolve, they can adopt other VMware technologies like VMware Workstation, VMware ACE, and VMware ESX Server. Virtual appliances can be run on current releases of all these products. Virtual appliances can easily share the same infrastructure as other virtual machines within the customer’s infrastructure.

For users with existing VMware infrastructure, adding a virtual appliance is as simple as deploying any other VM within their environment. In fact, virtual appliances can take advantage of the benefits provided by high-end VMware configurations and features like VMotion™ and can be centrally managed by the VMware VirtualCenter. Virtual appliances can co-exist along side existing virtual machines already running within a host machine.

Q:
Can I use a Microsoft Windows operating system for my virtual appliance?

A:
Unfortunately, due to licensing restrictions on the redistribution of the Windows family of operating systems, you cannot create a virtual appliance with Windows. While there is nothing that would preclude you technically from building a virtual appliance with any of the Windows operating systems (in fact VMware even works with the beta releases of Windows Vista), licensing and distribution restrictions make it all but impossible to do so. The key to your use of any operating system within a virtual appliance is ensuring that you have the rights to distribute that operating system with your appliance.

Sources

http://www.vmware.com/vmtn/appliances/

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Appliance

http://www.pcmag.com/encyclopedia_term/0,2542,t=firewall+appliance&i=43219,00.asp

http://www.pcmag.com/encyclopedia_term/0,2542,t=Internet+appliance&i=45195,00.asp

http://www.pcmag.com/encyclopedia_term/0,2542,t=server+appliance&i=51155,00.asp

http://dict.die.net/appliance/

http://www.answers.com/topic/appliance

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Combines Mac User Interface with Industry-leading Virtualization Technology and Introduces Unity Feature for Seamless Windows Application Integration

PALO ALTO, Calif., June 12, 2007 —VMware, Inc., the global leader in software for industry-standard virtualized desktops and servers, today announced pre-order availability and pricing for VMware Fusion, which enables Mac users to simultaneously run Mac, Windows, Linux, NetWare and Solaris-based applications without rebooting. Starting today, through a special promotion, customers can pre-order VMware Fusion for $39.99 from www.vmware.com/mac until the product is generally available.

VMware currently plans to make VMware Fusion generally available prior to the end of August 2007 for a suggested retail price of $79.99. All statements regarding VMware Fusion herein, including the features below, are made with respect to VMware Fusion beta versions, including the latest VMware Fusion Beta 4, which is available today at www.vmware.com/mac.

“VMware Fusion enables Mac users to run Windows and other PC-based applications within fast and secure virtual machines,” said Dan Chu, vice president of emerging products and markets at VMware. “With more than 200,000 downloads of the VMware Fusion public beta since it became available earlier this year, Mac users are rapidly adopting the industry-leading VMware virtualization platform used by millions worldwide.”

“Everyone who tries Mac OS X loves its reliability, security and ease-of-use combined with the blazing speed of our Intel-based Macs,” said Ron Okamoto, Apple’s vice president of worldwide developer relations. “We’re thrilled that VMware will be releasing its proven virtualization software that makes the Mac even more appealing to Windows users considering the Mac.”

“As a long time user of VMware products, I am very excited to see VMware bring its vast experience in virtualization to the Mac,” said Tim Antonowicz, senior systems engineer at Bowdoin College. “VMware Fusion allows us to reduce hardware costs and provide a higher level of service to our faculty and staff, both in classrooms and in labs. With VMware Fusion installed on a Mac in every classroom, our faculty will have the freedom to run any operating system—Windows, Linux and Mac OS X—all from a single computer. In our labs, VMware Fusion allows students the flexibility to run Mac OS X and any Windows or Linux environment without rebooting, and our lab administrators can quickly make new environments available without having to re-image the entire lab.”

Key features of VMware Fusion include:

Seamless Windows Integration with Unity: VMware Fusion with Unity enables users to run Windows XP applications directly on their Mac desktops, providing full integration with Mac keyboard shortcuts and the Exposé feature in Mac OS X. The VMware Fusion Launch Palette provides access to all Windows applications, which can be saved to the Mac OS X Dock.

Automatic Boot Camp Integration: VMware Fusion automatically detects users’ existing Boot Camp installations to allow Mac OS X to run alongside Windows XP or Vista with no additional setup.

Accelerated 3-D Graphics Support: This feature enables users to run DirectX 8.1 applications and play select DirectX 8.1 games from within Windows XP virtual machines.

Most Complete Hardware for the Mac: VMware Fusion supports Virtual SMP to leverage dual-core and dual-processor computers and 64-bit operating systems including Windows Vista. It also enables users to use the maximum memory available on Macs to run more virtual machines simultaneously and increase user productivity.

Snapshot/Backup: With its “snapshot” feature, VMware Fusion users can capture and save the current state of a running virtual machine. This enables them to easily roll back to a stable state if the virtual machine becomes unresponsive.
VMware Converter Integration: Users can run VMware Converter on an existing Windows PC to migrate the environment into a virtual machine ready for use on their Macs.

Broad Product Interoperability: Users can run virtual machines created with VMware Server, VMware Infrastructure 3 and VMware Workstation with VMware Fusion. This enables users to easily port virtual machines they already have created and use them on their Macs.

Convenience: “Battery pass-through” allows users to monitor the battery life of their Macs from within non-Mac virtual machines; a Mac’s SuperDrive with read-write support for CDs and DVDs is supported in any non-Mac virtual machine; Windows shares the Mac’s network connections and effortlessly switches between wired and AirPort/WiFi connections; and users can simultaneously view their Mac environments on separate monitors from other virtual machines.

Pricing and Availability

Pre-order VMware Fusion for $39.99 from www.vmware.com/mac beginning today until the product is generally available. VMware currently plans to make VMware Fusion generally available prior to the end of August 2007 for a suggested retail price of $79.99.

About VMware, Inc.

VMware, an EMC company (NYSE: EMC), is the global leader in virtual infrastructure software for industry-standard systems. The world’s largest companies use VMware solutions to simplify their IT, fully leverage their existing computing investments and respond faster to changing business demands. VMware is based in Palo Alto, California. For more information, visit www.vmware.com or call 650-475-5000.

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Industry-leading Desktop Virtualization Software Wins 2007 Visual Studio Magazine Readers’ Choice Award

PALO ALTO, Calif., June 18, 2007 — VMware, Inc., the global leader in software for industry-standard virtualized desktops and servers, today announced that VMware Workstation has won the 2007 Visual Studio Magazine Readers’ Choice Award in the Development Tools category. Winners were announced in the June 2007 issue of Visual Studio Magazine: http://www.ftponline.com/vsm/2007_bg/magazine/features/readerschoice/.

“The Readers’ Choice Awards are special because it is an accolade from the person most qualified to say whether a product is great: the person who uses it,” said Patrick Meader, editor in chief of Visual Studio Magazine. “As such, there is no better recommendation for the value of a given company’s product. I commend all the Readers’ Choice Award winners. Visual Studio Magazine readers have put your product on top.”

The Visual Studio Magazine Readers’ Choice Awards honor excellent software in 22 development categories based on votes collected from Visual Studio Magazine readers. The Readers’ Choice Award is given to the product receiving the highest number of reader votes, demonstrating real value to the Visual Studio Magazine audience.

Introduced more than eight years ago, VMware Workstation is the “gold standard” desktop virtualization software product for IT administrators, developers, testers and other technical professionals and enthusiasts. VMware Workstation enables pre-production testing of desktops and servers in virtual machines, rehosting of legacy applications, rapid provisioning and resetting of multi-tier environments and accelerated software development and testing. VMware recently announced the sixth generation of the product, which delivers groundbreaking advances in virtualization technology, support for Windows Vista and industry-first support for multiple display monitors and USB 2.0 devices.

“VMware Workstation is a must-have product for serious desktop virtualization users, offering software developers cutting-edge features based on VMware’s industry-leading virtualization platform,” said Dan Chu, vice president of emerging products and markets at VMware. “Receiving this award from such a distinguished audience further emphasizes the leadership of VMware Workstation as the desktop virtualization product of choice for software developers.”

About Visual Studio Magazine

Visual Studio Magazine is the world’s leading independent Microsoft development magazine. It serves the enterprise development reader—software architects, senior developers and development managers. Each issue includes practical, proven, unbiased how-to articles readers can put to use immediately. The monthly publication reaches 85,000 subscribers. For more information, visit http://visualstudiomagazine.com.

About VMware, Inc.

VMware, an EMC company (NYSE: EMC), is the global leader in virtual infrastructure software for industry-standard systems. The world’s largest companies use VMware solutions to simplify their IT, fully leverage their existing computing investments and respond faster to changing business demands. VMware is based in Palo Alto, California. For more information, visit www.vmware.com or call 650-475-5000.

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