You can manage power actions, such as start and stop actions, on remote virtual machines.

The available power options differ for Windows and Linux hosts.
Table 1. Virtual Machine Power Options on Windows host for Remote virtual machines
Power Actions Description
Auto Start When you select Auto Start, the virtual machines start when the host starts.
Auto Suspend When you select Auto Suspend, the virtual machines suspend when the host shuts down.
Table 2. Virtual Machine Power Options on Linux host for Remote virtual machines
Power Actions Description
Auto Start When you select Auto Start, the virtual machines start when the host starts.
Suspend When you select Suspend, the virtual machines suspend when the host shuts down.
Shut Down Guest When you select Shut Down Guest, the virtual machines shut down when the host shuts down.
Power Off When you select Power Off, the virtual machines power off when the host shuts down.
None When you select None, the stop actions of the host do not affect the virtual machines.

If the remote server is running vCenter Server, you cannot configure power actions . You cannot use the power actions to configure virtual machines to start or stop in a preferred sequence. You can use the VMware vSphere Client to configure more advanced features, including startup order. See the vSphere virtual machine administration documentation.

Prerequisites

  • If you are configuring power actions for remote virtual machines, connect to the remote server. See Connect to a Remote Server.
  • Verify that you have the Administrator role or a custom role that contains the Host.Configuration.Virtual machine autostart configuration privilege.

Procedure

  1. Select the location of the virtual machines.
    Option Description
    The virtual machines are on a remote host
    1. In the library, select the remote host.
    2. On the tab for the remote host, click Manage VM Power Actions.
  2. Select the virtual machines to start or stop with the host system.
  3. If you selected multiple virtual machines, select the number of seconds to delay between starting or stopping the virtual machines.
  4. To save your changes, click Save.