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VMware Workstation Tech Preview 20H1 — Hyper-V/Host VBS Support

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VMware Workstation team is proud to announce VMware Workstation Tech Preview 20H1 is now available.

Download it here

What’s New with VMware Workstation Tech Preview 20H1

With the first release of our 2020 Tech Preview branch, version 20H1 users are now able to run virtual machines on Windows 10 when Hyper-V or host Virtualization Based Security is turned on. You can run Device Guard, Credential Guard services at the same time as VMware Workstation.

At VMworld 2019, the team brought Microsoft on stage for a joint demo, showing for the first time that a virtual machine could be successfully powered on a Hyper-V and VBS (Virtualization Based Security enabled Windows 10 host.  After years of hard work, this incredibly challenging and very low-level project has now moved from concept to a preview that you can test today.

Software Requirements

  • Windows 10 20H1 from Windows insider program.  Minimum build number: 19041.

Hardware Requirements

  • Intel Haswell or newer CPU
  • AMD Bulldozer or newer CPU

What to Test

With this tech preview, VMware Workstation is supposed to work exactly the same way as Workstation works on the non-Hyper-V/VBS enabled host. Please test your most frequent used scenarios and see how it works. Some of the examples we can think of:

  • Create a virtual machine with VMware Workstation Pro Tech Preview 20H1
    • Set up all the tools within the virtual machine that you use, use those tools within the virtual machine, and check the tools work as expected
    • VM operations, for example, Power On/Off virtual machine, Suspend/Resume, Take snapshot/Revert to snapshot, …
  • Copy a VM that was created with earlier Workstation GA version and which is being used in daily work, and run the VM under the tech preview build

Limitations

Comparing with what we demoed at VMworld 2019, Performance of virtual machine have been greatly improved. However, since this is a beta build instead of GA build, the performance may still be not as good as you expect it to be. However, please tell us if you find performance of some applications running within the virtual machine behave far below expectation. General performance of VMware Workstation with host VBS is top priority we target to improve with the GA version to be released soon.

There are some other known issues and limitations. You can check details from user guide under “Documents” of Workstation Pro Tech Preview 20H1 community.

We will answer your questions raised in VMware Workstation Tech Preview 20H1 community and looking forward to your feedback!

Thank you!

Direct Download Link

VMware Workstation Team

Black Friday Sale is on!

he looks happy, doesn't he?

It’s that time of year again!

The time where we offer up our biggest savings on our favorite desktop hypervisor products, VMware Workstation and VMware Fusion!

Workstation 15.0 (Pro or Player) customers can install Workstation 15.5 (Pro or Player) as a free upgrade without needing a new license key, but for users still on Workstation 12 or Workstation 14, now is the best time to upgrade to the latest and most advanced versions available!

Workstation Pro 15.5 introduces support for the latest Windows updates, a number of important security and bug fixes, as well as new features like Multi-Monitor Shortcut and Jumbo Frames!

Get your upgrade before the sale ends!

 

 

We’re also offering big discounts on VCP exam vouchers and Education services!

OFFER ENDS DEC 01 AT 21:00 PACIFIC!

 

Workstation 15.5 Pro and Player Available Now!

It is with great pleasure that we are able to announce the immediate availability of VMware Workstation 15.5 Pro and Player!

 

Our major release this year comes as a free upgrade for existing version 15 customers, with upgrade discounts available for v12 and v14 customers.

Release Notes

Workstation Pro:

Direct Windows download ::: Direct Linux download

Workstation Player:

Direct Player for Windows download ::: Direct Player for Linux download

Still on Workstation 14 or 12.5? Upgrade Here!

Whats New

Jumbo Frames

Configure the MTU size of your virtual networks (Pro only) up to 9194 bytes for nested virtual lab environment testing and replication. Run a full NSX deployment on vSphere on your local system (sufficient CPU/RAM/Disk resources required, of course!). 

Better vSphere Compatibility: pvscsi

Workstation 15.5 introduces the pvscsi device, bringing improved desktop-to-datacenter compatibility for many virtual machine and OVA/OVF templates. No need to change virtual devices and settings when migrating workloads between Workstation and vSphere!

New OS support

Workstation is updated to support the latest versions of Microsoft Windows and the major Open Source distributions:

    • Windows 10 19H2
    • Ubuntu 1904 (and 1910 after release)
    • Debian 10.1
    • RHEL 7
    • FreeBSD 12.0
    • Oracle Linux 8
    • SLE 15 SP1

Display control at your fingertips

Users of multi-monitor setups can take advantage of our new display-layout shortcut key.

Use ‘Ctrl-Alt-M’ in full screen mode to bring up the Monitor Layout menu. From there select one of the options with another keystroke (i.e. the 1, 2, 3, 4, number keys)

We’ve also fixed a number of bugs, improved performance (most noticeably around host-guest file sharing and vm shutdown times), and added a number of important security fixes.

Grab the download by using Workstation to ‘Check for updates’, from your MyVMware portal, or download it directly here:

Workstation Pro:

Direct Windows download

Direct Linux download:

Workstation Player:

Direct Player for Windows download

Direct Player for Linux download

 

We hope you love it!

Let us know what you think in the VMware Workstation Community forums!

Workstation and Hyper-V Harmony

Many users have been taking advantage of Microsoft Hyper-V features that on the surface don’t exactly look like the typical virtualization we’re used to. Device Guard and Credential guard, for example, provide an extra layer of security by using the virtualization extensions of x86 CPU’s and Microsoft’s Hyper-V hypervisor.

Hyper-V is also involved in running Windows Subsystem For Linux (v2) and Windows Server Containers behind the scenes.

And while this is a very effective suite of security barriers and great new set of ‘no compromise’ Linux and open source tools for developers, unfortunately it renders Workstation unable to launch.

You. Shall. Not. Pass.

bzzttt! Sorry!

Monday morning at VMworld 2019 we presented our annual ‘What’s New‘ session to talk about the upcoming Fusion and Workstation releases and share a little of our roadmap. More on that here.

Closing out the presentation we had “One More Thing” to share, and we brought our friend Ben Armstrong, Product Manager for the Microsoft Windows Hypervisor Platform, to join us in announcing something we’ve been working on for quite some time now.

For the past year we’ve been collaborating closely with Microsoft on the Windows Hypervisor Platform engineering team so that Workstation can co-exist with Hyper-V enabled hosts.

Our demo consisted of booting both an Ubuntu Linux virtual machine and a Windows 10 virtual machine on a host with Hyper-V features, specifically device guard and credential guard, enabled.  While it was a little slow, we had no errors and were able to even open up a youtube video.

By building into Workstation the ability to use these new Hypervisor API’s at its core layers of operation, Hyper-V features and VMware Workstation virtual machines will be able to co-exist at the same time on the same host, out of the box.

We have a ways to go still, but we wanted to share this with our users to let them know that this was something we were working on with the highest of priorities, even tho we couldn’t talk about it until now.

We’re excited about the future and our ongoing collaboration with Microsoft and the WHP team, and look forward to sharing a tech demo in 2020.

When the VMworld Recordings go live you we will update this post and link to our session.

See Ben Armstrong’s blog post on the topic here:
https://techcommunity.microsoft.com/t5/Virtualization/VMware-Workstation-and-Hyper-V-Working-Together/ba-p/825831

 

 

 

Black Friday Sale!

Hurry while the savings last! – try our super secret coupon code ‘BF2018’ for an additional 10% off! 45% off in total!!

On Wednesday, November 21st at 8am PST (and maaaaaaybe a bit earlier ;), the doors to our biggest sale off the year will be opened!

Shop Now!

Save up to 35% off your favorite VMware Desktop Hypervisors – Fusion and Workstation, from now until Monday during our annual Black Friday sale!

Workstation 15 Pro delivers exciting new features such as DirectX 10.1 graphics, a revamped application interface, 4K display support with added scaling controls, one-click SSH to Linux VMs and more!

Hurry while the savings last!

Shop Now!

Workstation 15 Is Here

Workstation 15 Pro and Player are Now Available!

Download Now

Workstation Pro                 Workstation Player 

Buy Now

In celebration of our 20th anniversary, the VMware Workstation team is very proud to announce the general availability of VMware Workstation 15 Pro and VMware Workstation 15 Player, our flagship desktop hypervisors for Windows and Linux PCs.

With features aimed at developers and IT, as well as many overall improvements, this is one of our biggest releases yet.

Some of our favorite highlights include modernizing our user interface with 4K and HiDPI support, a brand new REST API, DirectX 10.1, and One-Click SSH into a Linux VM.

Brand New REST API

Most exciting for us is the addition of a new REST API. This API is the very same introduced in Fusion 10 last year has been brought to the Workstation platform. The REST API allows users to automate VM tasks as part of a broader workflow. Quickly command Workstation to deploy, configure and destroy VMs on the fly to rapidly speed up the development and testing process.

Control VMs with JSON over HTTP/S to automate all the things, locally or remotely

Version 1.2 of the API adds new controls to manage NAT port forwarding and MAC to IP DHCP bindings, allowing users to create complex virtual networking simulations using standard JSON over HTTP/S.

 

Updated Interface

Workstation Pro and Player have a fresh new face that supports the latest HiDPI 4K display resolutions for both Host (UI) and Guest (desktop) scaling. With over 500 new feature icons as well as updated product icons, the Workstation family has never looked so good.

The all new Workstation in 4K

Stretch Mode

Guests can now be ‘Stretched’ to fit displays with higher DPI without adjusting the guest resolution: console windows can be made larger and readable, and older OS’s with lower resolutions look like they’re supposed to.

Console views now scale on 4K and other HiDPI screens

One-Click-SSH into Linux VM

If you’re using Windows 10 version 1803 or greater, you’ll also have access to the new ‘One-Click-SSH’ feature to rapidly open up a secure shell to a Linux VM. This feature also works for remote connected vSphere, ESXi and Workstation hosts (network connectivity directly to the VM’s IP is required.)

Right-Click > SSH > Get Working

Enhanced 3D Hardware Accelerated Graphics Engine: DirectX 10.1

New in Workstation is Direct3D 10.1 capabilities, allowing games and applications which require DirectX 10.1 to run where they could not before. D3D 10.1 was an important step beyond D3D 10 because it adds Ant-Aliasing and Geometry shaders, and serves as a fallback for many DX11 games and applications that otherwise would not run.

DirectX 10.1 Graphics in Workstation 15

vSphere 6.7 Support + Hosts and Clusters View

Workstation 15 supports ESXi 6.7 virtual hosts as well as deploying vCenter Server Appliance 6.7 with the vCSA deployment wizard.

When connected to remote vSphere environments, Workstation now has awareness of Data Centers, Hosts and also Clusters, for greater visibility into remote environment topologies.

Hosts and Cluster view for remote vSphere connections

 

And That’s Not All…

Workstation also uses Virtual Hardware Platform Version 16, which includes many updates around Performance, Security and supporting the latest hardware and software technologies, including:

  • Improved Virtual NVMe Device Performance
  • Important Security Fixes (Spectre, Meltdown and L1TF)
  • Virtual Trusted Platform Module
  • UEFI Secure Boot
  • IOMMU
  • VBS (Device Guard, Credential Guard) Support (guest only)

Virtual Networking Controls (Workstation Pro Only)

Network Simulation: Workstation Pro can introduce Latency, as well as Packet Loss and Bandwidth Limits on Incoming and Outgoing traffic per Virtual NIC.

Network Rename: Workstation Pro allows users to rename networks for personalization and organization.

Virtualization Based Security

VMware Workstation 15 Pro and Player can each deliver a secure, managed virtual desktop capable of running the latest Virtualization Based Security technology such as Device Guard and  Credential Guard by providing a compliant virtual hardware platform. (Guest support only)

Workstation 15 contains a Virtual Trusted Platform Module device type, as well as UEFI Secure Boot and IOMMU, which are requirements for certain security applications and policy controls such as BitLocker.

Workstation also supports “nested” 3rd party hypervisors and hypervisor-based security functions, so features like Core Isolation and Hyper-V will run in supported VMs.

 

These, plus hundreds of bug fixes and general improvements make Workstation 15 our biggest release to date, and we’re so excited to share what 20 years of industry leading virtualization looks like!

 

Get your copy today!

Buy Now!

Workstation Tech Preview 2018 Now Available for Testing

A sneak peek into the future of VMware Workstation

The VMware Workstation team is very excited to announce the VMware Workstation Technology Preview 2018 is available now! This release includes many great new features that we’ve been working on and we would love to hear your feedback in our Tech Preview Community.
Cut to the chase and download the latest bits from our Tech Preview Community:
VMware Workstation Technology Preview 2018 community.

Or from MyVMware directly:

https://my.vmware.com/group/vmware/get-download?downloadGroup=WKST-TP-2018

What’s New

DirectX 10.1 – We are excited to introduce DirectX 10.1 support with Workstation 2018 Tech Preview. DX10.1 introduces several subtle differences over 10.0

DirectX 10.1 delivers the following graphics improvements:

  • Full MSAA (Multisample anti-aliasing) support
  • Shader Model 4.1 support
  • Cubemap array support

This enhancement allows users to run games that require DirectX 10.1, and improves performance for DX10.0 games and apps. Test it out and let us know how what you think about the graphics quality and performance.

This feature is for both Windows and Linux hosts.

REST API – Workstation Tech Preview 2018 delivers a brand new RESTful API interface for automating virtual machines management. With the REST API you can perform VM operations like VM inventory management, VM power management, cloning, networking, IP and MAC address gathering, and more.

Use the API to include Workstation in your development pipeline to rapidly clone, configure, spin up and run automated tests within your VMs, and then destroy them when finished to repeat the process from your desired state.

Note: This is currently available for Windows host only.

How to test:

  1. Install VMware Workstation Tech Preview 2018 on your host.
  2. Workstation REST API follows exactly the same standard as Fusion REST API. Check out William Lam’s blog for details how to config and use the API. https://www.virtuallyghetto.com/2017/07/vmware-fusion-2017-tech-preview-adds-rest-api-support.html 

Windows 10 High DPI support – We have improved our support for High DPI configurations from both a Host and a Guest perspective:

  • Host level high DPI support. Workstation UI will auto detect the host level DPI and auto adjust the layout to meet this DPI. For example, if the original DPI scaling of your host display is 100% and you change it to 200%, Workstation UI will automatically update its layout.
    • This is extremely useful for multimonitor scenarios, when you have different DPI settings for each monitor, when you move Workstation UI from one monitor to another monitor with different DPI, the UI will automatically adapt to DPI of the monitor it’s being drawn on.
  • Guest DPI sync with host. When there is DPI change on the host side, the guest OS will be able to adjust its DPI to match the host DPI.

This feature requires both host and guest to be Windows 10.

ESXi Host/cluster view when connecting to vCenter – We’ve add a new Hosts and Clusters view when using Workstation to connect to a vCenter Server from Workstation. Users now have visibility to navigate to non-VM objects (ESXi hosts, Resource Pool and vApp) and their respective relationship hierarchy (i.e. Datacenter > Cluster > Resource Pool > vApp). Users can also switch back to the ‘flat’ VM view with a single click.

USB Auto Connect to virtual machine – Workstation 2018 Tech Preview provides a long-requested feature for managing USB device access.  When users plug in an USB device, (a USB storage device for example) this USB device can be automatically connected to a powered on virtual machine without having to manually add the device. This is currently available only to Windows hosts.

Linux Host Wayland Support – Workstation can now run on Linux hosts using the new Wayland desktop architecture. We expect full coverage here, so we encourage users to try this out and let us know in the Tech Preview community if you experience any issues.

 

Installation Notice

To run this Technology Preview, users should uninstall previous versions of Workstation before installing this software.  Note that the drivers included in this preview have NOT been signed (we only get our release build drivers signed), so Windows will prompt you accordingly during installation.

The system requirements for this Technology Preview remain the same as VMware Workstation Pro 14. See this VMware Workstation Document for more detailed system requirements. 

This Technology Preview includes changes to the underlying virtualization platform, which is under active development. There are no guarantees that changes in this preview will be forward-compatible with other VMware software, nor that these changes will be present in future supported releases of VMware Workstation. 

Uninstallation Notice

To uninstall the VMware Workstation Technology Preview:

  1. 1. Uninstall VMware Tools from each virtual machine used with the Technology Preview
  2. 2. Ensure that all virtual machines are downgraded to be compatible with an earlier version of VMware Workstation (VM > Manage > Change Hardware Compatibility…)
  3. 3. Exit VMware Workstation Technology Preview 2018
  4. 4. Remove VMware Workstation Technology Preview 2018 via the standard application uninstallation procedure

Resolved Issues:

The virtual machine console displays a black screen 
After you upgrade from VMware Workstation 12.x Pro to VMware Workstation14 Pro and power on a virtual machine, the virtual machine might display a black screen.

This issue is now resolved.

Some VM tabs are missing and need to be manually reopened each time VMware Workstation Pro is relaunched
When multiple VM tabs have been opened and Workstation is relaunched, some VM tabs are missing. Each missing tab must then be opened manually.

This issue is now resolved.

Import of a virtual machine with a VMware Paravirtual SCSI disk adapter type might fail
When you use VMware Workstation or VMware Fusion to import a virtual machine with a VMware Paravirtual SCSI (PVSCSI) disk adapter type, the import operation might fail with the following error:
Invalid target disk adapter type: pvscsi

This issue is now resolved.

We really appreciate your help testing this software. Please share your feedback in our VMware Workstation Technology Preview 2018 community.  We will try to answer any questions that you may have, and we’ll investigate any issues that are raised. We also encourage users to also share other thoughts about how we can improve or enhancements that you would like to see in future releases.

Thank you!

– The VMware Workstation Team

Celebrate 10 Years on the Mac with this once-in-a-lifetime deal!

This year at VMworld we had a special treat for our attendees with our Fusion 10th Anniversary Collector Box. Outside the box it says Fusion 10 all over, but with the box came a USB card that has you covered on all platforms: Workstation 14 Pro for Windows, Workstation 14 Pro for Linux and Fusion 10 Pro for Mac.

Of course this is great if you were lucky enough to attend VMworld, but what if you didn’t?

Out of luck, right?

Not anymore!

We pulled back a curtain in the storage room and found a whole crate of boxes that didn’t make it into the hands of our users, so we’re making them available to you for only $160!

That’s right, for the price of a new copy of Fusion 10 Pro with this box you get 2 copies of Workstation 14 Pro, a copy of Fusion 10 Pro* AND a very svelte collector tin and coaster for your office!

Over $660 in just software for only $160!

What else is there to say? If you dig cross platform virtualization, this the best deal you’ll find on the web today. Hurry while supplies last!

Buy Now! > vmwaremerchandise.com

 

*Includes a ‘Thank You’ card insert which contains 3 keys: 1 Fusion 10 Pro Full License Key, 1 Workstation 14 Pro for Windows NFR Key, and 1 Workstation 14 Pro for Linux NFR Key. “NFR” keys are promotional keys and will unlock all capabilities of the software but do not include entitlement for filing support requests or major-version upgrade discounts. Offer is in USD and only available in the United States.

Workstation 14 Pro and Player Now Available!

We are proud to announce the general availability of VMware Workstation 14 Pro and VMware Workstation 14 Player.

Download It Here!

Buy or Upgrade Here!

What’s in the release?

These releases build on a long tradition of leading edge virtualization capabilities, and this year we’ve introduced new features that will help IT Professionals and Businesses be more productive and more secure.

Virtual Hardware Platform 14

Workstation 14 Pro builds from the newest vSphere Virtual Hardware Platform, now at version 14, and with it delivers new features such as support for:
– Microsoft Device Guard and Credential Guard “Virtualization Based Security” feature support for Windows 10 Guests (Guests only at this time)
– A new Virtual NVMe device for faster disk access on SSD storage and a requirement for vSAN testing
– UEFI Secure Boot, required for VBS and supported with ESXi 6.5 Virtual Guests.
– A new Virtual Trusted Platform Module which is used to manage keys for guest encryption services such as BitLocker.
– Support for the latest Intel Kabylake and AMD Ryzen CPUs

These features are available for Workstation 14 Pro as well as Workstation 14 Player.
Workstation Player is available for commercial use with a license, but is free for personal use.

Workstation Pro: The Master of Local Desktop Virtualization.

Workstation 14 Pro adds upon this with new Virtual Network Simulation features. We’ve had Network Packet Loss and Bandwidth before, but we have now added Network Latency to the mix, configurable for both Incoming and Outgoing traffic for each virtual network adapter. This feature makes it easy to test the resiliency of your applications under harsh network conditions.

Workstation 14 Pro also allows users to stay organized with custom network renaming.

We’ve of course also added support for Windows 10 Fall Creators Update, known also as build 1709 or ‘Redstone 3’, which includes Windows Server 2016, as both Host and Guest. On the Linux side we have added support for Ubuntu 17.04, and Fedora 26 as both Host and Guest.

Seamless vCenter Deploy

For users looking to test the vCenter Server Appliance, Workstation Pro now provides a guided wizard to make the deployment effortless.

New Remote Controls

When connected to vSphere, users can now control Power operations for ESXi hosts. Power them off, Reboot them or bring them in or out of Maintenance mode right from Workstation Pro.

The Essential Virtualization Tool

All this and numerous bug fixes, small enhancements, and performance gains leveraging newer CPU hardware features for virtualization are what continue to make Workstation Pro the essential tool for IT professionals, and Workstation Player the ideal solution for secure virtual desktops.

Announcing VMware Workstation 14

VMware Workstation 14: Pro & Player

It’s about that time, and this year we’re very proud of the advancements we’ve made with our original flagship products, VMware Workstation Pro and Workstation Player.

Once released this October, in addition to supporting Microsoft’s Fall updates for Windows 10 and Windows Server 2016, and updated Linux support for Fedora 26 and Ubuntu 17.04, Workstation 14 Pro will deliver enhanced security with support for Virtualization Based Security (VBS) features of Windows 10 Enterprise and Windows Server 2016 Guests, improved Virtual Networking, and added new support and controls for working with vSphere and the vCenter Server Appliance.

Virtualization Based Security: Device Guard and Credential Guard in a Virtual Machine

The Virtual Hardware Platform also includes support for the latest processors from both Intel and AMD while adding new Virtual Firmware features such as UEFI and Secure Boot.

Along with the existing network speed and packet loss simulator, a new Network Latency Simulator further enables developers to run tests and simulate a specific network environment, including distance and network quality to test application resiliency. This and other advanced networking features will enable administrators to customize the name of virtual network adapters for better organization.

Network Simulation Control

For vSphere administrators looking to test the latest VMware vSphere technology, Workstation 14 Pro provides a new installation walkthrough. Quickly and easily deploy the VMware vCenter Server Appliance (VCSA) in a virtual machine on Workstation Pro to create a full, virtual, software-defined data center stack on your Windows or Linux PC.

Effortlessly deploy the vCenter Server Appliance OVA

New Remote vSphere Controls

Workstation 14 Pro has added controls when interacting with remote ESXi hosts, directly or through vCenter, with new options for Host Reboot, Shutdown and to toggle Maintenance Mode on ESXi hosts.

Added Host Power + Maintenance Operations

 

VMware Workstation 14 Player

VMware Workstation 14 Player is a streamlined offering in the Workstation 14 product line, and leverages the same hypervisor technology platform as Workstation 14 Pro.  As such, Player gets many of the same benefits of it’s big brother Workstation Pro including performance, bug fixes, and updated hardware and OS support. Like Pro, Player can now also run Windows Virtualization Based Security VMs with Device Guard and Credential Guard, making it useful for delivering compliant corporate desktops in a secure container to end users.

For businesses and enterprises, Workstation Player gives users the power to run restricted VMs that comply with corporate policy. Combined with VBS security features, this commercial solution is designed for businesses looking to run a single, secure, virtual desktop on a corporate or BYO PC.

Workstation 14 Player will also be available for free for personal, non-commercial use.

 

Customers who purchased VMware Workstation 12.5 Pro or VMware Workstation 12.5 Player between Aug 22 and November 1st, 2017 will receive a free electronic upgrade to VMware Workstation 14 Pro and VMware Workstation 14 Player respectively. No action is required for this free upgrade.  

Please see our FAQ

 

Availability and Pricing 
VMware Workstation 14 Pro and VMware Workstation 14 Player will be available in early October, from vmware.com for $249.99 and $149.99 respectively.

VMware Workstation 11, 12 and 12.5 customers can upgrade to VMware Workstation 14 Pro for $149.99. VMware Player 7 Pro and VMware Workstation 12 Player customers can upgrade to Workstation 14 Player for $79.99.

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