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Configuring Virtual Server search paths

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Configuring Virtual Server search paths

On the Virtual Server Search Paths page, you can specify the folder where virtual machine configuration (.vmc) files will be created by default. (Any virtual hard disk [.vhd] files that you create while creating a virtual machine will be stored in the same location.) You can also configure search paths on this page.

The search paths that you configure on this page populate list boxes in the Administration Website, from which you can select to specify the location of files such as virtual machine configuration (.vmc) files, virtual hard disk (.vhd) files, ISO image (.iso) files, and virtual floppy disk (.vfd) files. When you specify a path to a folder, Virtual Server also displays all of the files in the folder that are of the relevant type.

Virtual Server provides search paths in place of a browse button because Web browsers, which you use to access the Administration Website, do not provide the ability to "browse" through the file system or to files stored on a remote server. They only allow you to select a file on the local file system for upload. Even selecting a file requires that you have permissions not only on the folder containing the file, but on all of the parent folders as well. Under most circumstances user accounts are not granted such broad permissions.

Paths that you type on this page must be fully qualified; in other words, they cannot contain environment variables. You can specify paths as follows:

  • Local paths in the following form: drive letter:\folder\subfolder. Local paths are most appropriate for files stored on the server running Virtual Server.
  • Universal Naming Convention (UNC) names in the following form: \\full computer name\folder\subfolder or \\IP address\shared folder\subfolder. UNC names are most appropriate for files stored on a shared network resource.

Important

If you specify a path to a remote resource, such as a shared folder, make sure that constrained delegation has been configured for Virtual Server. Otherwise, you will not be able to gain access to files stored on the remote resource. For more information, see Configuring constrained delegation. In addition, any user accounts that will need access to the files must be granted the appropriate permissions on the remote resource.

For instructions on specifying the default virtual machine configuration folder, see Change the default virtual machine configuration folder. For instructions on configuring Virtual Server search paths, see Add or Remove a Virtual Server Search Path.