vmrun as provided by VMware Fusion

[CookieJarvis]

I knew that vmrun was installed as part of the VMware fusion install.  I wanted to use my Mac to script a controlled suspend of VM's running on my ESXi  Servers.

It appears that vmrun has no support for communicating with VM's running under anything but the local environment in the Mac compile of vmrun?  The "usage" on vmrun seems to indicate the only ws | fusion are acceptable parameters for the -T (type) switch.

The "examples" provided in the usage actually demonstyrate commands running to ESX, but I can't get it to work.  If I try to do this I get : Invalid host type 'esx' specified.   Since the communications model is essentially identical...I don't see why vmrun on the mac should be any different from the garden variety linux compile.

Perhaps I'm doing something wrong.  Soliciting ideas.

[WoodyZ]

I've not tried what you're trying to do on a ESXi Virtual Machine under VMware Fusion however I just took a quick read of the vix112_vmrun_command.pdf document and it sure looks like you should be able to use vmrun in that capacity.  If I had an ESXi Virtual Machine handy I'd test it but I don't.

That said, you might want to describe how you have the network configured and post the fully qualified command exactly how your issued it except no need to show the actual password and the exact wording of any error messages.  That way others that might be able to help will have some actual analizable facts to review!

[CookieJarvis]

Actually... I'm not sure if there is a technical misunderstanding here.   I have ESX running on "some other server hardware"   I simply want to use the vmrun utility to perform commands  against my vm's running under my ESX based servers.   The version of vmrun that installs with Fusion seems to be a neutered version that only controls  Workstation and/or Fusion systems (running on the localhost?).  From the vmrun usage:

AUTHENTICATION-FLAGS

--------------------

These must appear before the command and any command parameters.

   -h <hostName>  (not needed for Fusion)

   -P <hostPort>  (not needed for Fusion)

   -T <hostType> (ws|fusion)               <------------------------------------------- The only valid Host Types are "ws" or "fusion" ?

   -u <userName in host OS>  (not needed for Fusion)

   -p <password in host OS>  (not needed for Fusion)

   -vp <password for encrypted virtual machine>

   -gu <userName in guest OS>

   -gp <password in guest OS>

The version that installs under Linux gives me this usage:

AUTHENTICATION-FLAGS

--------------------

These must appear before the command and any command parameters.

   -h <hostName>  (not needed for Workstation)

   -P <hostPort>  (not needed for Workstation)

   -T <hostType> (ws|server|server1|fusion|esx|vc|player)    <------------------- lots of host types including fusion.

     for example, use '-T server' for Server 2.0                  

                  use '-T server1' for Server 1.0

                  use '-T ws' for VMware Workstation

                  use '-T ws-shared' for VMware Workstation (shared mode)

                  use '-T esx' for VMware ESX

                  use '-T vc' for VMware vCenter Server

   -u <userName in host OS>  (not needed for Workstation)

   -p <password in host OS>  (not needed for Workstation)

   -vp <password for encrypted virtual machine>

   -gu <userName in guest OS>

   -gp <password in guest OS>

But all these host types supposedly support the vix API.   So....you wouldn't think that contacting any host type would be different than any other.

Indeed the usage of vmrun on Mac OS X lists EXAMPLES which include sending commands to ESX -- which is exactly what I want to do.   When I try to do that.... vmrun says "invalid host type".   The issues doesn't seem to be networking related.  It's a limit of vmrun that installs with Fusion.  I wonder If I can install a version of vmrun on my mac that will accept the "-T esx"  type.