Virtual Machine Integration Components
Windows Virtual PC may enable guest operating systems running inside virtual machines to interact with their host operating system beyond what is feasible between two physical computers, such as sharing physical hardware components or exchanging data. To do so however, integration components must be installed on the guest operating systems. When no integration component is installed, the only mean of communicating between two machines (either virtual or physical) is through a virtual network interface. Even the mouse cursor can only be controlled by one operating system (either real or virtual) at any given time. However, once the Integration Components are installed on the guest operating systems, the following features are automatically activated:
- Mouse cursor sharing: Mouse cursor can be moved freely between the machines.
- Host-initiated shutdown: Virtual machine can be shut down, restarted or put into standby or hibernation via a set of API functions.
- Time synchronization: The virtual machine's clock will be automatically synchronized with the host operating system's clock.
- Process responsiveness monitoring: Host operating system will be able to detect whether the software on the guest operating system is responsive or hung.
- Dynamic screen resolution: The screen resolution of the guest operating system can be changed by simply resizing the window in which it is running. However, the VM can be configured to allow only standard resolutions.
In addition to features described above, guest operating systems may also take advantage of the following integration features but only when the administrator activates them:
- Audio sharing: Audio played on the guest operating system may be brought to the host operating system and played on it.
- Clipboard sharing: Contents such as text, picture or everything that is cut or copied to Windows Clipboard maybe pasted in other machines.
- Printer sharing: Guest operating systems may print on the host operating system's printer. This feature should not be confused with File and Printer Sharing over an emulated network connection.
- Smart card sharing: Smart cards connected to host operating system may be accessed on guest operating systems.
- File sharing: Windows Virtual PC can also share disk partitions and disk drives of the host operating system with guest operating systems. This includes USB mass storage devices that are connected later.
In Windows Virtual PC, enabling integration features automatically makes the virtual machine user account accessible using Remote Desktop Connection.
Read more about this topic: Windows Virtual PC
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