You can enable hypervisor applications, applications that use performance counters, or both in certain virtual machines.

With Fusion virtual machines, you have the following advanced options:

  • You can run hypervisor applications such as Workstation Pro and Fusion inside a virtual machine. For example, you can use Fusion to create a virtual machine, install Workstation Pro in that virtual machine, and then use that version of Workstation Pro to create a virtual machine.

  • You can use code profiling applications such as VTune or OProfile to optimize or debug software that runs inside a virtual machine.

The Enable hypervisor applications in this virtual machine setting has some relation to the advanced virtual machine setting called Preferred virtualization engine. If you enable hypervisor applications, any selection you make for the Preferred virtualization engine setting is overridden and the setting called Intel VT-x with EPT is used.

The preferred engine you choose is a preference only. If you select a preference that does not work for a virtual machine, a different virtualization engine is usually used. For this reason, as a best practice, do not use the Enable hypervisor applications in this virtual machine setting for older Windows operating systems. If you do, the virtual machines will not be able to use binary translation, and the operating system will not be able to resolve certain race conditions.

The Enable hypervisor applications in this virtual machine setting has no relation to enabling a guest operating system that has a hypervisor built into it. For example, to enable the hypervisor for Windows 8 built-in Hyper-V, do not use the Enable hypervisor applications in this virtual machine setting. Instead, change the operating system listed in the General virtual machine settings to Hyper-V (unsupported). Furthermore, if you have a virtual machine with a Windows Hyper-V guest operating system, if you select the Enable hypervisor applications in this virtual machine check box and then clear it, you will no longer be able to run hypervisor applications.

Important:

If you enable either of these settings and then move the virtual machine to another host system, make sure the new host system uses the same kind of CPU.

Prerequisites

  • Verify that the virtual machine is compatible with Fusion 8 or later virtual machines.

  • Verify that the virtual machine does not have an older guest operating system, such as Windows versions prior to Windows XP.

  • Verify that the host system has a CPU that is recent enough to support Virtualized Intel VT-x/EPT, performance counters, or both. For example, host CPUs that support advanced options include Intel CPUs based on the Nehalem, Westmere, or Sandy Bridge microarchitectures. With the current Intel naming convention, these processors include Intel Core i processors, such as Intel Core i5.

    If the host system does not have a processor that supports hypervisor applications and you enable hypervisor application in the virtual machine, when the virtual machine starts, you see the message: "Virtualized intel VT-x/EPT is not supported on this platform. Continue without virtualized Intel VT-x/EPT?"

  • Shut down or power off the virtual machine. You cannot change the setting while the virtual machine is powered on or suspended.

Procedure

  1. Select Window > Virtual Machine Library.
  2. Select a virtual machine in the Virtual Machine Library window and click Settings.
  3. Under System Settings in the Settings window, click Processors & Memory.
  4. Click to expand Advanced Options and select the check boxes for the options that you want to use.