VMware Workstation
VMware Workstation v11.0 icon | |
Screenshot showing VMware Workstation 11.1 on Windows 7 | |
Developer(s) | VMware |
---|---|
Initial release | 1999[1] |
Stable release | 12.1 [2] / 8 December 2015 |
Development status | Active |
Operating system |
Windows Linux |
Platform |
x86-64 only[3] (version 11.x and above, previous versions were available for x86 as well) |
Type | Hypervisor |
License | Freeware (Workstation Player) Trialware (Workstation Pro) |
Website |
www |
VMware Workstation is a hosted hypervisor that runs on x64 versions of Windows and *nix operating systems[4] (an x86 version of earlier releases was available);[3] it enables users to set up virtual machines (VMs) on a single physical machine, and use them simultaneously along with the actual machine. Each virtual machine can execute its own operating system, including versions of Microsoft Windows, Linux, BSD, and MS-DOS. VMware Workstation is developed and sold by VMware, Inc., a division of EMC Corporation. An operating systems licence is needed to use proprietary ones such as Windows. Ready-made Linux VMs set up for different purposes are available.
VMware Workstation supports bridging existing host network adapters and sharing physical disk drives and USB devices with a virtual machine. It can simulate disk drives; an ISO image file can be mounted as a virtual optical disc drive, and virtual hard disk drives are implemented as .vmdk files.
VMware Workstation Pro can save the state of a virtual machine (a "snapshot") at any instant. These snapshots can later be restored, effectively returning the virtual machine to the saved state,[5] as it was and free from any post-snapshot damage to the VM.
VMware Workstation includes the ability to designate multiple virtual machines as a team which can then be powered on, powered off, suspended or resumed as a single object, useful for testing client-server environments.
There was a free VMware Player distinct from Workstation, with similar but reduced functionality, until VMware Player v7, Workstation v11. In 2015 the two packages were combined as VMware Workstation 12, with a free VMware Workstation Player version which, on purchase of a license code, became the higher specification VMware Workstation Pro.[6] VMware Workstation Player, like VMware Player[7] before it, is free of charge for non-commercial use, or for distribution or other use by written agreement.[8] (Workstation Pro is also available for download for a free trial period, and is easily confused with the unlimited-time restricted-functionality version.)
In January 2016 the entire development team behind VMWare Workstation and Fusion was disbanded and all US developers were immediately fired.[9][10][11][12] The future of these products remains vague however the company promised that development would continue.
Opinions
VMware Workstation 12 was reviewed by Infoworld. The review mainly concerns differences with earlier versions, concluding that this version has moderate improvements, mainly to support newer hardware and operating systems, that may not be worth the cost of upgrading. The review concludes that Workstation 12 is "the most performant, polished, and feature-rich desktop virtualization product available", but points out that it is the most expensive.[13]
ZDNet examine the suitability of Workstation 12 for testing Windows 10, finding it suitable for the purpose.[14]
Version history
Color | Meaning |
---|---|
Red | Unsupported release |
Green | Current or still supported release |
Blue | Future release |
Version | Release Date | Significant Changes |
---|---|---|
1.0 | 1999 | First release |
3.0 | 1 November 2001 | |
3.1 | 9 April 2002 | |
4.0 | 23 March 2003 | |
4.5 | 5 April 2004 | |
5.0 | 11 April 2005 | |
5.5 | 12 September 2005 | |
6.0 | 9 May 2007 | |
6.5 | 23 September 2008 | |
7.0 | 26 October 2009 | |
8.0 | 14 September 2011 |
|
9.0 | 23 August 2012 |
|
10.0 | 3 September 2013 |
|
10.0.1 | 24 October 2013 |
|
10.0.2 | 17 April 2014 |
|
10.0.3 | 1 July 2014 |
|
10.0.4 | 30 October 2014 |
|
10.0.5[15] | 27 January 2015 |
|
10.0.6[16] | 5 May 2015 |
|
10.0.7[17] | 2 Jul 2015 |
|
11.0[18] | 1 Dec 2014 |
|
11.1[19] | 17 Feb 2015 |
|
11.1.1[20] | 9 Jun 2015 |
|
11.1.2[21] | 15 Jun 2015 |
|
12.0.0[22] | 24 Aug 2015 | The following features have reached end of life in Workstation 12 Pro and have been removed:[23]
Added support for, amongst other things:
|
12.0.1[24] | 29 Oct 2015 | Maintenance release that resolves some issues. |
12.1.0[25] | 8 Dec 2015 | Maintenance release that resolves some issues. |
Host OS support
Operating system | Supported by VMware Workstation |
---|---|
Windows Server 2012 R2 | 10.0 and later |
Windows Server 2012 | 9.0 and later |
Windows Server 2008 R2 SP1 | 8.0 and later |
Windows Server 2008 R2 | 7.0 and later |
Windows Server 2008 | 6.0–10.0 |
Windows Server 2003 R2 | 6.0–10.0 |
Windows Server 2003 | 4.0[27]–10.0 |
Windows 10 | 11.0 and later |
Windows 8.1 | 10.0 and later |
Windows 8 | 9.0 and later |
Windows 7 | 7.1 and later |
Windows Vista | 6.0–10.0 |
Windows XP | 3.0–10.0[28][29] |
Windows 2000 | 2.0–6.5[30][31] |
Linux distributions | See VMWare KB 2088579[32] |
Variants
- VMware Workstation Player (formerly known as Player Pro),[33] free for non-commercial use; a licence may be purchased for commercial use, also providing eligibility for paid support.[34]
- VMware Workstation Pro[35]
The features of the versions are compared on the VMware Web site.[34]
VMware Tools
VMware Tools, a package with drivers and other software, installs in guest operating systems to increase their performance. It has several components, including the following:
- Drivers for emulated hardware:
- VESA-compliant graphics for the guest machine to access high screen resolutions
- Network drivers for the vmxnet2 and vmxnet3 NIC
- Ensoniq AudioPCI audio
- Mouse integration
- Drag-and-drop file support between host and guest
- Clipboard sharing between host and guest
- Time-synchronization capabilities (guest synchronises with host machine's clock)
- Support for Unity, a feature that allows seamless integration of applications with the host desktop[36] With Workstation 12, Windows 10 Unity support was added, but Linux no longer supported Unity.[23]
Third-party resources
Ready-to-use virtual machines
Many ready-made virtual machines (VMs) which run on VMWare Player, Workstation, and other virtualization software are available[37] for specific purposes, either for purchase or free of charge; for example free Linux-based "browser appliances" with the Firefox or other browser installed[38][39] which can be used for safe Web browsing; if infected or damaged it can be discarded and replaced by a clean copy. The appliance can be configured to automatically reset itself after each use so personal information and other changes are not stored.[39] VMs distributed legally only have freely distributable operating systems, as operating systems on VMs must be licensed; ready-to-use Microsoft Windows VMs, in particular, are not distributed, except for evaluation versions.
Other tools
- PowerWF[40] - Provides a visual representation of VMware VIX scripts, converting them into workflows, or converting workflows into Powershell cmdlets and modules. VIX is VMware's addition to Microsoft's Powershell for automation of the VMware Player.
See also
References
- ↑ "IEEE Xplore - Abstract Page". Ieeexplore.ieee.org. 2011-09-27. doi:10.1109/MCSE.2010.92. Retrieved 2012-09-13.
- ↑ https://pubs.vmware.com/Release_Notes/en/workstation/12pro/workstation-121-release-notes.html
- 1 2 "Processor Requirements for Host Systems". VMware Workstation 9 Documentation Center. VMware. Retrieved 12 December 2012.
- ↑ http://kb.vmware.com/selfservice/microsites/search.do?language=en_US&cmd=displayKC&externalId=2129859
- ↑ Warren, Steven (2008-11-20). "Snapshots in VMware Workstation". Blogs.techrepublic.com.com. Retrieved 2012-09-13.
- ↑ VMware Web site, VMware Workstation Player Pro
- ↑ "VMware Player 4.0 EULA". VMware. Retrieved 27 April 2012.
- ↑ "Download VMware Workstation Player (free)". VMware Web site. Retrieved 11 December 2015.
- ↑ "VMware Reports Fourth Quarter and Full Year 2015 Results (NYSE:VMW)". ir.vmware.com. Retrieved 2016-01-28.
- ↑ Cloud; Security; Australia; Vmware; Microsoft; devs, VMware axes Fusion and Workstation US; VMware says vSphere in decline, new multi-cloud plan will ensure growth; Citrix kills Sydney research lab, vows to focus on 'core products'. "VMware axes Fusion and Workstation US devs". Retrieved 2016-01-28.
- ↑ Miller, Ron. "VMware Confirms Layoffs In Earnings Statement As It Prepares For Dell Acquisition". TechCrunch. Retrieved 2016-01-28.
- ↑ chipx86. "A Tribute to VMware Workstation, Fusion, and Hosted UI". ChipLog. Retrieved 2016-01-28.
- ↑ Serdar Yegulalp (15 October 2015). "Review: VMware Workstation 12 gets a shine for Windows 10". Infoworld.com. Retrieved 11 December 2015.
- ↑ Ken Hess (9 September 2015). "VMware Workstation 12 Pro is your gateway to Windows 10 adoption". ZDNet. Retrieved 11 December 2015.
- ↑ https://www.vmware.com/support/ws10/doc/workstation-1005-release-notes.html
- ↑ https://www.vmware.com/support/ws10/doc/workstation-1006-release-notes.html
- ↑ https://www.vmware.com/support/ws10/doc/workstation-1007-release-notes.html
- ↑ https://www.vmware.com/support/ws/doc/workstation-11-release-notes.html
- ↑ https://www.vmware.com/support/ws/doc/workstation-111-release-notes.html
- ↑ https://www.vmware.com/support/ws/doc/workstation-1111-release-notes.html
- ↑ https://www.vmware.com/support/ws/doc/workstation-1112-release-notes.html
- ↑ https://pubs.vmware.com/Release_Notes/en/workstation/12pro/workstation-12-release-notes.html
- 1 2 Wil van Antwerpen. "VMware Workstation 12 discards unity support for Linux » PlanetVM". Planetvm.net. Retrieved 11 December 2015.
- ↑ "VMware Workstation 12 Player Version 12.0.1 Release Notes". VMware. Retrieved 11 December 2015.
- ↑ "VMware Workstation 12 Player Version 12.1 Release Notes". VMware. 8 December 2015. Retrieved 11 December 2015.
- ↑ http://kb.vmware.com/selfservice/search.do?cmd=displayKC&externalId=2088579
- ↑ https://www.vmware.com/support/ws4/doc/intro_hostreq_ws.html
- ↑ https://www.vmware.com/support/ws3/doc/ws32_intro2.html
- ↑ https://www.vmware.com/support/ws5/doc/intro_hostreq_ws.html
- ↑ http://windowsitpro.com/systems-management/vmware-workstation-20
- ↑ https://www.vmware.com/support/ws65/doc/releasenotes_ws650.html
- ↑ http://kb.vmware.com/selfservice/microsites/search.do?language=en_US&cmd=displayKC&externalId=2088579 Retrieved 18Aug2015
- ↑ "VMware Workstation Player (formerly known as Player Pro)". vmware. VMware, Inc. 2015. Retrieved 2015-08-25.
VMware Workstation 12 Player is a streamlined desktop virtualization application that runs one or more operating systems on the same computer without rebooting.
- 1 2 "VMware Player Pro: Compare to VMware Workstation 11". Vmware. Retrieved 11 December 2015. Compares Workstation 12 Player to Player 7 Pro; Workstation 12 Player (Unlicensed) to Workstation 12 Player (Licensed); and Workstation 12 Player to Workstation 12 Pro
- ↑ "VMware Workstation Pro". vmware. VMware, Inc. 2015. Retrieved 2015-08-25.
- ↑ "Use Unity Mode". VMware Workstation 9 Documentation Center. Vmware. Retrieved 2015-08-25.
In Unity mode, virtual machine applications appear on the host system desktop
- ↑ "Directory of VMs with 1539 entries as of 7 January 2011". Vmware.com. Retrieved 2012-09-13.
- ↑ "Browser Appliance". Vmware.com. Retrieved 2014-04-05.
- 1 2 Browser Appliance. Includes brief documentation, including "autoRevert on shutdown"
- ↑ "powerwf.com". powerwf.com. Retrieved 2012-09-13.
External links
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