A parallel virtual machine system has two parts, the application that sits on the individual machines and the library of interface routines. The software application is called the parallel virtual machine daemon, pvmd3, or pmvd. This small program sits passively until required to run a parallel virtual machine application. For Parallels – Windows or Linux. Parallels offers their own tool known as “Parallels Transporter Agent.”This utility can be installed on either Windows or Linux, and it can convert a physical system to a virtual machine for use in the Parallels virtual machine application for Macs. Unlike VirtualBox, Parallels Desktop is easy to use and seamlessly lets you run Windows and Linux. There’s no experience required. It's much easier to install and configure Windows—plus, Parallels Desktop supports Retina displays. You don’t need to know what settings are required. Parallels Workstation is the first commercial software product released by Parallels, Inc., a developer of desktop and server virtualization software.The Workstation software consists of a virtual machine suite for Intel x86-compatible computers (running Microsoft Windows or Linux) (for Mac version, see Parallels Desktop for Mac) which allows the simultaneous creation and execution of multiple.
Converting Third-Party Virtual Machines and Disks
In Parallels Server Bare Metal, you can convert third-party virtual machines and their disks to Parallels virtual machines and disks. Currently, you can convert the following third-party virtual machines and disks:
- Microsoft Hyper-V
- Microsoft Virtual PC
- Virtual Box
- VMware
Converting Virtual Machines
Let us assume that you want to convert a VMware virtual machine that runs the CentOS 5 operating system and has the name
centos5
. As the pctl convert
command can work only with virtual machines and disks that are available locally, you first need to copy the virtual machine to the Parallels server. Once the virtual machine is on your local server, you can start the conversion. Assuming that you have copied the virtual machine to the /var/parallels
directory on the Parallels server and the full path to its configuration file is /var/parallels/centos5/config.xml
, you can run the following command to perform the conversion:# pctl convert /var/parallels/centos5/config.xml
Once the conversion is complete, you can start the virtual machine and manage it in the same way you would manage a native Parallels virtual machine.
Converting Disks
You can also convert third-party virtual disks to Parallels virtual machines and disks using the
prl_convert
utility. Once you run the utility, it checks the disk and, depending on its type, does one of the following:- If the disk is a system disk—that is, has an operating system installed,
prl_convert
converts it to a Parallels virtual machine. If the utility cannot create a virtual machine for the disk (for example, it fails to detect the operating system on the disk), the disk is converted to a Parallels virtual disk. You can also specify the--allow-no-os
option to force the conversion, but in this case you may have problems with starting and using the resulting virtual machine. - If the disk is a data disk,
prl_convert
converts it to a Parallels virtual disk.
When converting third-party virtual disks, you need to specify the full path to the original disk file. For example, to convert the system disk of the
centos5
virtual machine (that is, the disk where the CentOS 5 operating system is installed) that has the full path of /var/parallels/centos5/centos5.vhd
, you can use this command:# prl_convert /var/parallels/centos5/centos5.vhd
This command creates a ready-to-use Parallels virtual machine with the name
centos5
. You can start this virtual machine and manage it in the same way you would manage a native Parallels virtual machine. At the same time, if you convert a third-party virtual data disk, you will need first to add the resulting disk to an existing Parallels virtual machine using the pctl set
command.1. When adding a converted virtual disk to an existing Parallels virtual machine or creating a new virtual machine on its basis, make sure that the interface type of the disk is the same as it was in the source virtual machine.
For example, if the original disk had the SCSI interface type, ensure that the interface type of the converted disk is also set to SCSI. If you do not configure the disk interface type, it will be set to SATA (this is the default interface type in Parallels virtual machines), which may cause your virtual machine to malfunction.
2. In the current version of Parallels Server Bare Metal, Hyper-V virtual machines can be converted using the
prl_convert
utility only. That means that you first need to convert all Hyper-V virtual disks and then add them to an existing virtual machine.The Parallels Desktop TM for Mac Business Edition allows you to restrict the virtual machine configuration by setting a custom password. Read on to learn how you can set a custom password for added security and prevent unauthorized users from modifying the virtual machine configuration.
How to restrict virtual machine configuration in Parallels Desktop for Mac Business Edition?
To restrict virtual machine configuration, you need to set a custom password using one of the following methods:
Setting the custom password from the graphical user interface:
To set the password for restricting virtual machine configuration:
- Open Parallels Desktop and select the required virtual machine.
- Choose Actions > Configure > Security.
- Click the Custom password: Turn On button.
- Enter a password, and re-enter it for verification. Click OK.
To change the password:
- Click the Change Password button and follow the on-screen instructions.
To remove the password:
- Click Custom password: Turn Off and follow the on-screen instructions.
Setting the custom password from the command line utility
To set the password for restricting virtual machine configuration:
- Type the following command in the Terminal:
prlctl set “vm_name” –custom-pwd
A prompt appears on the screen. Enter the password and confirm it.
To change the password:
- Type the same command as above in the Terminal:
prlctl set “vm_name” –custom-pwd
A prompt appears on the screen. Enter the current password and set the new password.
To view the current protection status for the virtual machine:
- Type the following command:
prlctllist “vm_name” –i
In the output, search for the Security section and look at the Custom password protection property. It will be set to “on” or “off”.
Note:
Theprlctlcommand is only available from Parallels Desktop 15. Older versions only support the – -password-to-edit command.
Theprlctlcommand is only available from Parallels Desktop 15. Older versions only support the – -password-to-edit command.
Setting the custom password for restricting virtual machine configuration using the mass deployment process
To set the custom password for restricting virtual machine configuration using the mass deployment method, you can simply set the custom password in the source virtual machine. When the virtual machine is deployed on Mac computers, the password is retained.
Note:
This method only works from Parallels Desktop 15 and newer versions. In the older versions, the custom password had to be set in the deploy.cfg file (a part of the Parallels Desktop deployment package) using the password-to-edit parameter.
Is Parallels A Virtual Machine
After setting the password, enable the Require password to: Change virtual machine configurationoption from the GUI to restrict users to change the virtual machine configuration without the custom password. Restricting the virtual machine configuration adds an extra layer of security against unwanted changes by unauthorized users.
Sign up to Parallels Desktop for Mac Business Edition today. The Parallels Desktop for Mac Business Edition offers features such as restriction of virtual machine configuration, license management, mass deployment of Parallels Desktop and VMs, corporate compliance capabilities, and business level support. Download the free trial and know how it can benefit your organization.
References:
- Techopedia: Virtual Machine Configuration
- For Administrators: Parallels Desktop for Mac Business Edition IT Administrator’s Guide
Is Parallels A Virtual Machine Software
- For End users: Parallels Desktop for Mac Business Edition User’s Guide
- Parallels Desktop for Mac Business Edition User’s Guide v 10
Virtual Machines Free
- What is New in Parallels Desktop for Mac Business Edition.