Snapshots?

[af3556]

I find the snapshots feature from VMWare Server invaluable (and the Snapshot Manager from Workstation is even better, of course). Is this planned for Fusion?

(also, I copied over a couple of VMs from Workstation and Server (both Linux): all worked very well!)

Rgds,

Ben

[scott_lowe1]

I would imagine that the only response we can expect is: "We cannot comment on final features for VMware Fusion."

Now, having said that, it makes sense that it would be included in Fusion since that functionality exists across the rest of the VMware product lineup.

Regards,

Scott

[admin]

just so you get the response you were expecting

"We cannot comment on final features for VMware Fusion."

But all joking aside, how do you currently use the single snapshot feature in VMware Server do you feel it does what you need? Granted the Snapshot manager is a much more comprehensive feature but I am interested in how you use the single snapshot

Thanks any input is greatly appreciated

[af3556]

I use snapshots primarily as checkpoints, and primarily with Windows guests. i.e. build a box to a certain configuration and snapshot it. I can then be as carefree as I like in using that VM, until such time as a) it becomes unstable / slows down, b) it gets infected with something, or c) I want to enter some sensitive information and no longer trust the VM. I then simply restore the snapshot and I'm off again.

The single-snapshot of Server is adequate, Workstation's snapshot manager is better through the extra information you can associate with a snapshot (description, etc), and of course the fact you can have multiple snapshots. I've used inherited snapshots on only a few occasions when I've wanted to temporarily test a piece of software (uninstaller's be damned) and another time when I needed two incompatible Java VMs installed "at the same time".

For me, there are only two reasons VMWare's attractive over Parallels: snapshots and the very flexible networking (99 vmnets sitting on the wall, 99 vmnets sitting on the wall, if one vmnet should accidentally ifdown, ...). (There used to be three: compatibility of VM images, but || are apparently on that now).

Rgds,

Ben

[alanpetersen]

I agree... I use VMware for customer demos on my wintel laptop, but really want to move to my mac. I typically have a whole snapshot tree and switch from one to the other depending on my customer and their needs. Snapshot support would be my primary reason for using VMWare instead of Parallels.

[chort]

I have VMware Server on a machine to do a lot of test/dev stuff, and VMware Workstation on a Wintel laptop that I take to customer sites for demos. I find Server very limiting with the single snapshot, because I like to have snapshots of multiple branding setups or multiple configurations or preset demos that I walk through. When I go on a sales call I fire up the snapshot that is most relevant to what that prospect may want/need and has branding of their corporate logo & colors. I can't do that with VMware server

The only reasons I still have my work-issued laptop are because of VMware for our software demos and the fact that our web meeting software only works on Windows. I'm really hoping that Fusion will have the Snapshot Manager so I can ditch my Dell once and for all and only have to take my MBP when I travel. It also looks a lot sexier

[RDPetruska]

>I like to have snapshots of multiple branding setups or multiple configurations or preset demos that I walk through. When I go on a sales call I fire up the snapshot that is most relevant to what that prospect may want/need and has branding of their corporate logo & colors. I can't do that with VMware server

Sure you can - just have to do it manually. Personally, I don't use snapshots myself. I just zip up (I guess on Mac's that'd be Stuffit) the VM's folder, and change the name of the file. If I need a different configuration/SP level/etc., I just unzip the appropriate archive file, overwriting the files currently in the guest's folder (or even in a new folder), and fire up the guest. No complicated Snapshot manager, no waiting for virtual disks to be merged, etc.

[Bob_Zimmerman]

Just wanted to toss in my thoughts.

I work for a certain security company, and we use VMware Workstation internally. Several of us make extensive use of snapshots to provide concrete versioning of our firewall/VPN configurations. Just recently, I went through configuring an entire network of firewalls, management servers, consoles, everything. I've got snapshots of every machine at each milestone in my configuration. Several times, I've gone back and tried different methods of getting the same end result.

The snapshot manager is practically a necessity for what I do, and I would definitely be willing to pay the Workstation price to get it. While I'm sure some would tell me to keep quiet, I would pay even more on top of that to get Teams.

As for how I would use the single snapshot feature provided by Server, I mostly use it as others have stated. Get a working config, set a snapshot, and go from there. Once I make a weird blunder, revert to the snapshot and try again. While I personally could get by with a single snapshot, it would take much more time on my part. If nothing else, I could always version entire VMs by copying their directories to an external device. 😜

[dgolding]

Well, it certainly wouldn't be unreasonable to have a couple different Fusion products. A lower end version to clobber Parallels and a higher-end version with the full power of VMWare.

Personally, I find the VMWare USB support to be superior in every way. Folks trumpet some of the Parallels features, but they are in very buggy beta (essentially alpha) releases. VMWare just seems to have a different philosophy and doesn't foist off code on users that nukes Bootcamp partitions, for example.

[admin]

maybe our slogan should be no fallout shelter required

[igbrown]

Well, snapshots (for testing, QA, etc.) is the only reason I'd currently choose a VMWare solution over Parallels.

[MichaelGowing]

I have to agree with Bob. I also work in security, and snapshots are an invaluable feature in VMWare. I have no idea what the price of Fusion will be but if Fusion does not include a snapshot feature then it is of little value to security research. The next question then becomes: When will VMWare release workstation for OS X?

[royal]

Now that beta 4 is considered "feature complete" - am I right in assuming there will be simple snapshots, but not snapshot manager, in the release version?

[Andreas_Masur]

Now that beta 4 is considered "feature complete" - am

I right in assuming there will be simple snapshots,

but not snapshot manager, in the release version?

Well...to answer in general...nobody knows (except VMware)...I have not seen an official statement that the release version is feature complete...

Having said this, there is only a short time frame until GA thus I do not expect that many new features until then...but who knows...

Other than that....VMware does not disclose any information about future functionality etc.

Ciao, Andreas

[rlatemp]

The [u]ONE AND ONLY[/u][/b] feature holding me back from purchasing VMware Fusion is Multiple Snapshots (similar to my Workstation functionality).

I have long been a VMware Workstation user on Linux -- I have built so many VMs, I have a hard time keeping count any more. Take that number of VMs, and multiply it by an average of 20-25 snapshots each, and I'm completely stuck trying to move to VMware Fusion. I can't convert my existing VMs I've spent countless hours building!

Our whole engineering division is moving to the Mac platform, but everyone uses VMware Workstation, and most depend on multiple snapshots. Until VMware addresses this issue, it will likely be a dealbreaker for us -- we may be forced to begin using parallels (I don't want to! please don't make me!)

I read the following quote at http://compfusion.blogspot.com/2007/06/leapfrogged.html (it appears to be VMware speaking about Unity):

"Our customers told us they loved the feature. We listen to our customers: if we don't take care of them, somebody else will."[/b]

I certainly hope that VMware will listen to us sooner than later about MULTIPLE SNAPSHOTS! (I have no doubt that they will listen -- let's just make it VERY soon, ok?)

Thanks!

rlatemp

[Doobla]

I completely agree with the below. I used to use Workstation on my Windows machine and then moved tot he Mac platform where my boss provided me Parallels. I am dying to move back to VMWare but for QA purposes they have you beat with the snapshot manager.

It would be great if we could get some word on future plans for this feature. It's not like it is a new feature that the competition doesn't have that you want to come to market first with. It is something that the competition already has and your clients just want to know when you'll be on board.

It's be great to find out if there will be RC2 for Fusion also. I hope so given some of the forum comments.

The [u]ONE AND ONLY[/u][/b] feature holding me

back from purchasing VMware Fusion is Multiple

Snapshots (similar to my Workstation functionality).

I have long been a VMware Workstation user on Linux

-- I have built so many VMs, I have a hard time

keeping count any more. Take that number of VMs, and

multiply it by an average of 20-25 snapshots each,

and I'm completely stuck trying to move to VMware

Fusion. I can't convert my existing VMs I've spent

countless hours building!

Our whole engineering division is moving to the Mac

platform, but everyone uses VMware Workstation, and

most depend on multiple snapshots. Until VMware

addresses this issue, it will likely be a dealbreaker

for us -- we may be forced to begin using parallels

(I don't want to! please don't make me!)

I read the following quote at

http://compfusion.blogspot.com/2007/06/leapfrogged.htm

l (it appears to be VMware speaking about Unity):

"Our customers told us they loved the feature. We

listen to our customers: if we don't take care of

them, somebody else will."[/b]

I certainly hope that VMware will listen to us sooner

than later about MULTIPLE SNAPSHOTS! (I have no

doubt that they will listen -- let's just make it

VERY soon, ok?)

Thanks!

rlatemp

[oreeh]

And no chance of ever getting "Cannot open the disk ... or one of the snapshot disks it depends on..."

[tirmidi]

And no chance of ever getting "Cannot open the disk

... or one of the snapshot disks it depends on..."

I feel a bit overwhelmed by the sophistication of the configurations that some of you are running, so I offer the following hesitantly:

From what I've been able to gather, Fusion is intended as a low cost product to compete with Parallels. As such, it almost certainly won't have workstation features like Snapshot Manager (which even I could use to address the above problem).

That said (correctly, or otherwise), would it be possible to run Workstation under Fusion and use its Snapshot Manager?

[Doobla]

I feel a bit overwhelmed by the sophistication of the

configurations that some of you are running, so I

offer the following hesitantly:

From what I've been able to gather, Fusion is

intended as a low cost product to compete with

Parallels. As such, it almost certainly won't have

workstation features like Snapshot Manager (which

even I could use to address the above problem).

That said (correctly, or otherwise), would it be

possible to run Workstation under Fusion and use its

Snapshot Manager?

You know, that is a good point. You probably could get away with using Workstation simply as a snapshot manager inside of a VM. You'd probably need to limit your work with snapshots to disks that are not in use, and you certainly would not use Workstation to run a VM inside of the Fusion VM since even if this were possible the performance would likely be lacking. But that may be a good way to fudge a snapshot manager for somebody who owns both Fusion and Workstation.

I'll keep this in mind as a last resort.