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Undoable mode for VMserver

 


I discovered this while trying to run a 16MB DOS-disk with weird geometry ...

If you like - repeat this experiment to get used to how it works.

WARNING: this is unsupported and maybe completely mad

WARNING: it works

 

Create a VM with current virtual Hardware ...


Create a normal VM with current server - nothing fancy ...

 

config.version = "8"
virtualHW.version = "4"
scsi0.present = "false"
memsize = "256"
ide1:0.present = "TRUE"
ide1:0.fileName = "e:\__in\some.iso"
ide1:0.deviceType = "cdrom-image"
floppy0.fileName = "A:"
displayName = "undoable"
guestOS = "dos"
priority.grabbed = "normal"
priority.ungrabbed = "normal"
ide1:0.autodetect = "TRUE"
ide0:0.present = "TRUE"
ide0:0.fileName = "hd1.vmdk"
ide0:0.deviceType = "disk"
floppy0.startConnected = "FALSE"
usb.present = "FALSE"
ide0:1.present = "TRUE"
ide0:1.fileName = "hd2.vmdk"
ide0:1.deviceType = "disk"
ide1:1.present = "TRUE"
ide1:1.fileName = "hd3.vmdk"
ide1:1.deviceType = "disk"
ide0:0.mode = "persistent"
ide0:1.mode = "persistent"
ide1:1.mode = "persistent"
ide0:0.redo = ""
ide0:1.redo = ""
ide1:1.redo = ""
uuid.location = "56 4d d7 8e 1d 87 41 5c-d4 65 3f bd c8 39 c4 c5"
uuid.bios = "56 4d 9e 56 6a 2a 75 8a-d4 dd 59 2d cd 0c 27 b3"
nvram = "windows 2000 professional.nvram"
undopoints.seqNum = "0"
undopoint.restoreFromCheckpoint = "FALSE"
undopoint.checkpointedOnline = "FALSE"
uuid.action = "keep"
#virtualHW.version = "1"
workingDir = "."

 


Run this VM for a while - format disks - enjoy smooth operation - VMserver will look like

 


 

 

 


Create some undoable disks

 

Set diskmode to 'undoable' and run it.

 


ide0:0.mode = "undoable"
ide0:1.mode = "undoable"
ide1:1.mode = "undoable"

 

 

Power down.
Now the vmx looks like this - VMware autogenerated REDOs


ide0:0.mode = "undoable"
ide0:1.mode = "undoable"
ide1:1.mode = "undoable"
ide0:0.redo = ".\hd1.vmdk.REDO_a00992"
ide0:1.redo = ".\hd2.vmdk.REDO_a00992"
ide1:1.redo = ".\hd3.vmdk.REDO_a00992"

 

 

The VMserver now writes into the REDO-logs - but will not offer a choice
to Commit, Discard or Keep when you power down the VM.
The VM doesn't even know that she can do things like this.

We need to tell her that she really is very old.

Tell her - that she's old, old enough to remember what she did some years ago.
Actually that is the complete trick.

 

virtualHW.allowVeryOldVersion = "TRUE"


 

 

Prepare to commit/discard/keep


Before next power-on edit the vmx

 

 


config.version = "6"
#virtualHW.version = "4"
virtualHW.allowVeryOldVersion = "TRUE"

 

VMserver will now look like:



When you power down next time you will get:

 

 



This message appears 3 times - once per disk.

Remember - this is unsupported stuff - do this on your own risk!

Also see the related page on virtual-hardware modes

 

 

 


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