How to Disable Guest Operations in the VIX API

Products

• VMware
• VMware Desktop Hypervisor
• VMware vSphere ESXi

Issue/Introduction

Many VIX functions (those with Guest in the name) can change data and affect settings on a guest operating system. Although such functions are password protected, this capability might contradict your site's security policy.

Environment

VMware Fusion 5.x

Resolution

You can disable the running of any VIX API guest operations by adding the following line to the config file:

guest.commands.enabled = "FALSE"

Placing this line in the virtual machine's VMX file affects only that guest. Placing this line in the host-wide configuration file affects all guests on that host. On ESX/ESXi hosts this file is /etc/vmware/config.

This line also disables the operation of VMware Consolidated Backup (VCB) and VMware Update Manager (VUM), both of which call the VIX API for guest operations.