>I thought that having Virtual Server would make my virtual server come
>up with the operating system, but for some reason mine is not. I
>really need some help in getting this to work as intended.
>
>System description:
>Host
>--------
>Dell Dimension 9100 w. Intel Pentium D and 3 Gb RAM
>Windows XP Pro SP2 attached to a Domain
>Domain controller accessible only via VPN on user cmd
>Virtual Server2005R2 SP1
>
>Guest
>--------
>Windows Server 2003 with 256 Mb RAM
>Only task is hosting VPN connections via RRAS
>Properties/Startup/Shutdown:
>- Action when VS stops: Save State (have also tried Turn off guest)
>- Run VM with specific account (user with admin privs)
>- When VS starts: Automatically turn on virtual machine if it was
>running when Virtual Server stopped
>
>In my case there are two cases when I need the guest to come up:
>1) Whenever the host is rebooted (usually because of Windows Update)
>2) Whenever there has been a powerfail (happened yesterday morning)
>
>In my case the guest NEVER starts up after VS2005 has been started
>(when host is powered back up).
>
>This is driving me nuts since I depend on this VM for connectivity in
>and out of the internal network. I used to have a physical Win2000
>Server for this purpose on my network, but it was old and noisy so I
>decided to virtualize its function by creating the Win2003 guest in
>VS2005. Seems like I made a bad decision.
>
>Anyway, my experience makes me wonder how people can rely on VS2005
>for running server parks? Manually starting each and every guest after
>a power fail seems to be a rather bad idea....

>On Wed, 10 Sep 2008 15:07:44 -0700, Steve Jain
><(email address - cut out)> wrote:
>
>>>
>>>This is driving me nuts since I depend on this VM for connectivity in
>>>and out of the internal network. I used to have a physical Win2000
>>>Server for this purpose on my network, but it was old and noisy so I
>>>decided to virtualize its function by creating the Win2003 guest in
>>>VS2005. Seems like I made a bad decision.
>>>
>>>Anyway, my experience makes me wonder how people can rely on VS2005
>>>for running server parks? Manually starting each and every guest after
>>>a power fail seems to be a rather bad idea....
>>
>>And you've got this set?
>>When Virtual Server starts: Always automatically turn on virtual
>>machine
>>
>>I haven't had any problems with this. Have you verified that the
>>account that VS is using to start the VMs is correct and has the
>>correct password?
>>Anything in the logs regarding this?
>
>I tried again to make a controlled test by doing the following:
>- Shut down the guest (in order to configure startup options)
>- Told VS to turn off the guest when it stops rather than save state
>- Configured my guest to start up using a local admin account
>- Set the start delay to 60 s
>- Started the guest manually and left it running for some time
>- Stopped the VirtualServer service from Service Control Mgr
>- Started VS again
>
>It took a very long time with the progress bar slowly advancing and
>then I received a message that Virtual Server could not be started!!!
>Then the progress bar disappeared and SCM showed the VS service as
>starting.
>While I was then writing this message reply VS finally shows up as
>started.
>Now when I go look via VMRC+ I can see the guest as running! :-)
>
>I really wonder why this does not happen when it is most needed, when
>disaster strikes and I get a power fail.....

>>
>>This is driving me nuts since I depend on this VM for connectivity in
>>and out of the internal network. I used to have a physical Win2000
>>Server for this purpose on my network, but it was old and noisy so I
>>decided to virtualize its function by creating the Win2003 guest in
>>VS2005. Seems like I made a bad decision.
>>
>>Anyway, my experience makes me wonder how people can rely on VS2005
>>for running server parks? Manually starting each and every guest after
>>a power fail seems to be a rather bad idea....
>
>And you've got this set?
>When Virtual Server starts: Always automatically turn on virtual
>machine
>
>I haven't had any problems with this. Have you verified that the
>account that VS is using to start the VMs is correct and has the
>correct password?
>Anything in the logs regarding this?

>On Thu, 11 Sep 2008 00:35:07 +0200, Bo Berglund <(email address - cut out)>
>wrote:
>
>>On Wed, 10 Sep 2008 15:07:44 -0700, Steve Jain
>><(email address - cut out)> wrote:
>>
>>>>
>>>>This is driving me nuts since I depend on this VM for connectivity in
>>>>and out of the internal network. I used to have a physical Win2000
>>>>Server for this purpose on my network, but it was old and noisy so I
>>>>decided to virtualize its function by creating the Win2003 guest in
>>>>VS2005. Seems like I made a bad decision.
>>>>
>>>>Anyway, my experience makes me wonder how people can rely on VS2005
>>>>for running server parks? Manually starting each and every guest after
>>>>a power fail seems to be a rather bad idea....
>>>
>>>And you've got this set?
>>>When Virtual Server starts: Always automatically turn on virtual
>>>machine
>>>
>>>I haven't had any problems with this. Have you verified that the
>>>account that VS is using to start the VMs is correct and has the
>>>correct password?
>>>Anything in the logs regarding this?
>>
>>I tried again to make a controlled test by doing the following:
>>- Shut down the guest (in order to configure startup options)
>>- Told VS to turn off the guest when it stops rather than save state
>>- Configured my guest to start up using a local admin account
>>- Set the start delay to 60 s
>>- Started the guest manually and left it running for some time
>>- Stopped the VirtualServer service from Service Control Mgr
>>- Started VS again
>>
>>It took a very long time with the progress bar slowly advancing and
>>then I received a message that Virtual Server could not be started!!!
>>Then the progress bar disappeared and SCM showed the VS service as
>>starting.
>>While I was then writing this message reply VS finally shows up as
>>started.
>>Now when I go look via VMRC+ I can see the guest as running! :-)
>>
>>I really wonder why this does not happen when it is most needed, when
>>disaster strikes and I get a power fail.....
>
>Are you in a domain? My setup is and I have my VMs go to save state,
>domain admin account is used for starting them up, 120 second delay. I
>had to VMs on this server, no problems starting them up, one was 2nd
>AD and DHCP, other was email server. Moved the DHCP to my Hyper-V
>box, but my email server VM still launches without any trouble.
>
>Maybe up your delay to 120s

>
>My XP-Pro host *is* on a domain, but I am located 6000 miles from the
>"home" network and I can access the domain LAN only via VPN on user
>command.
>I get lots of stuff like this in the Event Log:
>
>"An error has occured during the creation of Service Connection points
>for Virtual Server in Active Directory. Either a domain controller is
>not available to complete the operation or there is a security problem
>accessing the domain. This operation will be retried the next time the
>service starts. Error 0x8007054b - The specified domain either does
>not exist or could not be contacted."
>
>Is this the reason I am having problems? Why does VS2005 need to
>"contact" the domain?
>
>I am logged on to the host using a domain account, which is a domain
>admin account.

>On Thu, 11 Sep 2008 07:16:03 +0200, Bo Berglund <(email address - cut out)>
>wrote:
>
>
>>
>>My XP-Pro host *is* on a domain, but I am located 6000 miles from the
>>"home" network and I can access the domain LAN only via VPN on user
>>command.
>>I get lots of stuff like this in the Event Log:
>>
>>"An error has occured during the creation of Service Connection points
>>for Virtual Server in Active Directory. Either a domain controller is
>>not available to complete the operation or there is a security problem
>>accessing the domain. This operation will be retried the next time the
>>service starts. Error 0x8007054b - The specified domain either does
>>not exist or could not be contacted."
>>
>>Is this the reason I am having problems? Why does VS2005 need to
>>"contact" the domain?
>>
>>I am logged on to the host using a domain account, which is a domain
>>admin account.
>
>That could be related to the problem. What happens if you try to run
>your VMs using a local admin account?

> On Fri, 12 Sep 2008 15:15:52 -0700, Steve Jain
> <(email address - cut out)> wrote:
>
>>On Thu, 11 Sep 2008 07:16:03 +0200, Bo Berglund <(email address - cut out)>
>>wrote:
>>
>>
>>>
>>>My XP-Pro host *is* on a domain, but I am located 6000 miles from the
>>>"home" network and I can access the domain LAN only via VPN on user
>>>command.
>>>I get lots of stuff like this in the Event Log:
>>>
>>>"An error has occured during the creation of Service Connection points
>>>for Virtual Server in Active Directory. Either a domain controller is
>>>not available to complete the operation or there is a security problem
>>>accessing the domain. This operation will be retried the next time the
>>>service starts. Error 0x8007054b - The specified domain either does
>>>not exist or could not be contacted."
>>>
>>>Is this the reason I am having problems? Why does VS2005 need to
>>>"contact" the domain?
>>>
>>>I am logged on to the host using a domain account, which is a domain
>>>admin account.
>>
>>That could be related to the problem. What happens if you try to run
>>your VMs using a local admin account?
>
> I made a test just before going on vacation where I shut down my
> guest, changed the properties to run under a local (admin) account and
> to start the vm on VS startup.
> Then I shut down and started VS2005 from the Services applet. It took
> a really *long* time before VS was in a running state, but then when I
> looked via VMRC+ it showed my guest as running....
>
> I have not yet tried the power-down then power-on approach on the host
> so I can't say that it will work then. I'll have to find a free slot
> of time big enough to chance the test. ;-)
>
> --
>
> Bo Berglund (Sweden)