currently I've a PC with a Windows Xp on it, there is the VMWare Player installed.
In this VMWare Player there is one VM with a Win2000 on it. The Serial Ports (COM1-COM4) from the Host are integrated in the VM.
Now I want to bring the current VM into a ESXi Server (Because of Backup reasons, The XP License of the Host).
I heard about thin clients, which start and automatically connect to the virtual machine located on the ESXi.
Is there any possibility to transfer the Serial Ports from the Host (where we install the Thin Client Software) into the VM Located on the ESXi Server?
I heard that this is supported since RDP 7, what is not implemented in W2k, only starting WXP.
Which software can I install on this PC?
Then is there any possibility to run the VM on the ESXi only when the Thin Client is started?
Thin Client powered on = VM started
Thin Client powered off = VM stopped
Thanks for your Help
Best Answer
You certainly can have the VM migrated to ESXi, this would be rather easy.
Windows 2000 terminal services indeed did not support com port redirection via virtual circuits, but you might try to mimic this functionality through one of the freely available com port redirector software packages. If you do not have a Windows 2000 Server but only a Professional edition running, you would not have Terminal Services available anyway and have to access the VM through the vSphere client, a "thin client" would not be of any use.
As for automatic startup and shutdown of the VM - this would be supported by VMWare's VDI product - Horizon View, but this is an entirely different product line with a different license and a different communication protocol. If you need this functionality with stock ESXi, you would need to script it by yourself.