Virtual Server folders and files

Virtual Server folders and files

Microsoft Virtual Server 2005 Setup (the Setup Wizard) creates folders and files in the Virtual Server installation folder that include network drivers, the program executable files, the Administration Website files, Virtual Machine Additions, and optionally, the Virtual Machine Remote Control (VMRC) client files. These folders and files and their locations are listed in a table later in this topic.

In the Documents and Settings folder, Virtual Server creates three additional sets of folders for its resource files, which include configuration and virtual disk files. The following figure shows the folders.

In C:\Documents and Settings\All Users\Application Data\Microsoft, Virtual Server creates the Virtual Server folder, which contains the following folders and files:

• Virtual Server configuration file. This file, Options.xml, stores all of the Virtual Server configuration information.
• CrashLogs folder. This folder contains one or more log files named VSCrashLognumber.txt that provide information about a problem that has caused a virtual machine to stop responding. This folder is only created in the event that a virtual machine stops responding.
• Virtual Machines folder. This folder contains shortcuts to virtual machine configuration files, stored in the Shared Virtual Machines folder, which is described in the next list. Only shortcuts to the configuration files of virtual machines that are currently added to Virtual Server are contained in this folder. These are the virtual machines that are displayed and available to configure in the Administration Website. If you delete its shortcut, the virtual machine will no longer appear in the Administration Website.
• Virtual Networks folder. This folder contains shortcuts to virtual network configuration files, stored in the Shared Virtual Networks folder, which is described in the next list. Only shortcuts to the configuration files of virtual networks that are currently added to Virtual Server are contained in this folder. These are the virtual networks that are displayed and available to configure in the Administration Website. If you delete its shortcut, the virtual network will no longer appear in the Administration Website.

In C:\Documents and Settings\All Users\Application Data\Microsoft\, Virtual Server creates the Virtual Machine Helper folder. This folder contains a NETWORK SERVICE file with information about the user accounts and passwords configured for virtual machines. This file is encrypted by using encryption technology built into the host operating system.

In C:\Documents and Settings\All Users\Application Data\Microsoft, Virtual Server creates the Virtual Server Webapp folder. This folder contains ServerPaths.xml, a file that contains information about Virtual Server Manager search paths. For more information, see Configuring Virtual Server Manager search paths.

In C:\Documents and Settings\All Users\Shared Documents, Virtual Server creates the following folders and files:

• Shared Virtual Machines folder. This folder contains a subfolder for each virtual machine that has been created on this server. Each subfolder contains all of the files associated with the given virtual machine: its configuration (.vmc) file, and optionally a saved-state (.vsv) file, virtual hard disk (.vhd) files, and virtual floppy disk (.vfd) files that are associated with this virtual machine. The virtual machine does not need to be currently added to Virtual Server for its configuration files to be found here. When you remove a virtual machine from Virtual Server, its configuration file remains unless you manually delete it. For more information, see Removing virtual machines.
• Shared Virtual Networks folder. This folder contains a configuration (.vnc) file for each virtual network that has been created on this server. The virtual network does not need to be currently added to Virtual Server for its configuration file to be found here. When you delete a virtual network from the Administration Website, its configuration file is also deleted. For more information about working with virtual networks, see Creating a virtual network.

The following table lists the files created by Virtual Server and their default locations. For a description of the discretionary access control lists (DACLs) configured for Virtual Server resource files, see File system security settings for Virtual Server. For more information about the contents of the Virtual Server, virtual machine, and virtual network configuration files, see Virtual Server configuration file entries.

File name or file type	Default location	Description
Administration Website files	C:\Program Files\Microsoft Virtual Server\WebSite	The remaining files in this folder are support files for the Administration Website.
Documentation files	C:\Program Files\Microsoft Virtual Server\WebSite\Virtual Server\documentation	All of the Virtual Server documentation files.
Dos Virtual Machine Additions.vfd	C:\Program Files\Microsoft Virtual Server\Virtual Machine Additions	Virtual Machine Additions for Virtual Server that support the Microsoft MS-DOS® operating system.
NETWORK SERVICE	C:\Documents and Settings\All Users\Application Data\Microsoft\Virtual Server\Credential Stores, and C:\Documents and Settings\All Users\Application Data\Microsoft\Virtual Server\Virtual Machine Helper	Encrypted file containing virtual machine user account and password information.
Vmh.exe	C:\Program Files\Microsoft Virtual Server	Executable file for the Virtual Machine Helper service.
Options.xml	C:\Documents and Settings\All Users\Application Data\Microsoft\Virtual Server	Virtual Server configuration file.
ServerPaths.xml	C:\Documents and Settings\All Users\Application Data\Microsoft\Virtual Server\Virtual Server Webapp	The configuration file for Virtual Server Manager paths.
.vfd	Location specified when the file was created	Virtual floppy disk file.
.vhd	C:\Documents and Settings\All Users\Shared Documents\Shared Virtual Machines\virtual machine name or in a location specified when the file was created	Virtual hard disk file.
VirtualServerLogMessages.dll	C:\Program Files\Microsoft Virtual Server\Event Log	Virtual Server event log.
VMAdditiona013111.iso	C:\Program Files\Microsoft Virtual Server\Virtual Machine Additions	Virtual Machine Additions for Virtual Server.
.vmc	C:\Documents and Settings\All Users\Shared Documents\Shared Virtual Machines\virtual machine name	Virtual machine configuration file.
VMNetSrM.inf, VMNetSrv.cat, VMNetSrv.dll, VMNetSrv.inf, VMNetSrv.sys	C:\Program Files\Virtual Server\Drivers\VMNetSv	Network driver files.
VMRCActiveXClient.cab	C:\Program Files\Microsoft Virtual Server\WebSite\VirtualServer\activex	The cabinet file for the VMRC ActiveX® control client application. This is required to use Remote View to access a virtual machine in the Administration Website.
Vmrc.exe	C:\Program Files\Microsoft Virtual Server\VMRC Client	VMRC client application. For remote management of virtual machines, this application can be installed on a different computer than the one running the other Virtual Server components.
.vnc	C:\Documents and Settings\All Users\Shared Documents\Shared Virtual Networks	Virtual network configuration file.
VSCrashLognumber.txt	C:\Documents and Settings\All Users\Application Data\Microsoft\Virtual Server\CrashLogs	Log file that is created in the event that a virtual machine stops responding. If you call Microsoft Product Support for assistance, they will ask for the information in this file. This file contains no personally identifiable information.
Vssrvc.exe	C:\Program Files\Microsoft Virtual Server	Executable file for the Virtual Server service.
.vsv	C:\Documents and Settings\All Users\Shared Documents\Shared Virtual Machines\virtual machine name	Virtual machine saved-state file.
.vud	C:\Documents and Settings\All Users\Shared Documents\Shared Virtual Machines\virtual machine name	Undo disk file. Regardless of the location of the parent disk, this file is always created in the configuration folder of the virtual machine with which the disk is associated.