VMWare提供了vmrun与VIX API两种手段使用户可以通过程序对虚拟机进行控制。
在官方文档中给出了详细的说明和示例代码。
vmrun：
VIX API:
vmrun是一种命令行控制的手段，但是可以通过Shell脚本实现连续多个操作的自动化。而VIXAPI则是一种程序设计的方案，支持C、Perl和VB三种语言。从功能上来说，VIXAPI提供虚拟机状态查询函数，有更强的能力。例如：控制一个虚拟机恢复到某个镜像，然后登录到GuestOS中，运行其中的某个可执行文件在这3个动作中，恢复到指定镜像是异步操作，如果使用VIXAPI实现，可以查询恢复操作是否完成，恢复完成之后再尝试登录到GuestOS;而要通过vmrun实现则比较困难，因为vmrun不具有查询虚拟机状态的能力，所以只能sleep足够长的时间之后再去执行登录操作。
但vmrun也不是完全没有优势。分别用vmrun和VIX API实现每隔一段时间就将虚拟机恢复到指定虚拟机镜像的功能，当双方都只需要操作一台虚拟机的时候，都能做到长期稳定工作；当它们需要面对10台甚至更多
的虚拟机的时候，VIX API很快就会出故障(1)，而vmrun仍然能够稳定地工作。
(1)通常遇到的故障是：虚拟机提示缺少某个.vmdk文件。原因是VMWare虚拟机启动时会创建临时的.vmdk文件，并通过修改.vmx中的硬盘路径，使当前的硬盘为临时的.vmdk。当VIXAPI面对大量虚拟机时，常常会与需要操作的虚拟机失去连接，此时.vmx文件中的硬盘路径被修改，但是临时.vmdk文件被删除，于是虚拟机报错。要修复这个故障，只需要把.vmx文件中的硬盘 路径改为实际存在的某个.vmdk文件即可
1、简介
VMWare提供了vmrun与VIX API两种手段使用户可以通过程序对虚拟机进行控制。vmrun是一种命令行控制的手段，但是可以通过Shell脚本实现连续多个操作的自动化。
2、语法
Usage: vmrun COMMAND [PARAMETERS]
Authentication flags
-gu <userName in guest OS>
-gp <password in guest OS>
POWER COMMANDS PARAMETERS DESCRIPTION
start Path to vmx file Start a VM or Team
or vmtm file
[gui|nogui]
stop Path to vmx file Stop a VM or Team
or vmtm file
[hard|soft]
reset Path to vmx file Reset a VM or Team
or vmtm file
[hard|soft]
suspend Path to vmx file Suspend a VM or Team
or vmtm file
[hard|soft]
SNAPSHOT COMMANDS PARAMETERS DESCRIPTION
listSnapshots Path to vmx file List all snapshots in a VM
snapshot Path to vmx file Create a snapshot of a VM
Snapshot name
deleteSnapshot Path to vmx file Remove a snapshot from a VM
Snapshot name
revertToSnapshot Path to vmx file Set VM state to a snapshot
Snapshot name
GUEST OS COMMANDS PARAMETERS DESCRIPTION
runProgramInGuest Path to vmx file Run a program in Guest OS
Program
[Program arguments]
fileExistsInGuest Path to vmx file Check if a file exists in Guest OS
Path to file in guest
setSharedFolderState Path to vmx file Modify a Host-Guest shared folder
Share name
New host path
addSharedFolder Path to vmx file Add a Host-Guest shared folder
Share name
Host path
removeSharedFolder Path to vmx file Remove a Host-Guest shared folder
Share name
listProcessesInGuest Path to vmx file List running processes in Guest OS
killProcessInGuest Path to vmx file Kill a process in Guest OS
process id
runScriptInGuest Path to vmx file Run a script in Guest OS
Interpreter path
script_text
deleteFileInGuest Path to vmx file Delete a file in Guest OS
File
createDirectoryInGuest Path to vmx file Create a directory in Guest OS
Directory path
deleteDirectoryInGuest Path to vmx file Delete a directory in Guest OS
Directory path
listDirectoryInGuest Path to vmx file List a directory in Guest OS
Directory path
copyFileFromHostToGuest Path to vmx file Copy a file from host OS to guest OS
Path on host
Path in guest
copyFileFromGuestToHost Path to vmx file Copy a file from guest OS to host OS
Path in guest
Path on host
renameFileInGuest Path to vmx file Rename a file in Guest OS
Original name
New name