| Entry | Type | Description | |-------|------|-------------| | vmx | Process | The parent world. Runs one VM. Manages vCPUs, VMM, and device models. | | vmmon | Kernel Module | The hypervisor backbone. Traps privileged instructions, manages shadow page tables. | | vmnet | Kernel Module | Bridges, NATs, and host-only networks. Packet conduit between worlds. | | vmkctl | Interface | Control plane for ESXi. Talks to the VMkernel. | | .vmdk | Descriptor | The map. Points to extents, grain tables, and the virtual geometry. | | *-flat.vmdk | Raw Data | The raw monolith. Every byte the guest thinks it owns. | | .vmx | Config | The DNA of the machine. vCPU count, memory, NIC MACs, and boot order. | | .nvram | Firmware | The guest’s BIOS or EFI memory. Non-volatile, easily corrupted. | | .vmsd | Snapshot Registry | Master list of all frozen states. | | .vmsn | Snapshot State | The exact CPU, RAM, and device state at a moment. |
To troubleshoot VMware Index issues, organizations can:
| Entry | Type | Description | |-------|------|-------------| | VMnet0 | Bridge | Drops VM traffic onto the physical wire. Promiscuous by default. | | VMnet1 | Host-only | A private island. Host ↔ VMs only. No exit. | | VMnet8 | NAT | The sly gateway. VMs share host IP. Port forwarding optional. | | dvSwitch | Distributed | vSphere’s nervous system. Spans hosts, centralizes policy. | | VMXNET3 | Paravirt NIC | 10 GbE in a paravirtual envelope. Low overhead, high opinion. | | E1000E | Emulated NIC | Intel 82574. Slow but faithful. For old OSs that refuse to know better. | index of vmware
| Entry | Type | Description | |-------|------|-------------| | vmtoolsd | Service | The guest’s embassy. Heartbeats, time sync, graceful shutdown. | | VMwareUser | Process | Drag-and-drop, clipboard, display resolution resizing. | | vgauth | Authentication | SSO from host to guest. Passwordless if configured. | | hgfs | Shared Folders | Host folder mounted inside guest. Slow but convenient. |
| Entry | Type | Description | |-------|------|-------------| | PSOD | Purple Diagnostic Screen | ESXi’s kernel panic. Often memory or driver. Reboot required. | | Invalid memory access | vmx Fault | Guest tried to write to protected host memory. Often a sign of malware. | | LOCK_EX | VMFS Lock Contention | Two hosts fighting for the same VMDK. Disable HA if risky. | | Timeout on world 12345 | Scheduler Stall | vCPU waiting too long for physical core. Check CPU ready %. | | Failed to power on: File not found | Missing VMDK | Someone deleted a delta. Pray for backups. | | | vmmon | Kernel Module | The hypervisor backbone
Within that index, a "piece" generally refers to one of the following:
Performance, especially on graphics, was notably better in Workstation 11 than in VirtualBox. VMware has long invested in graphics... Computerworld What's New in Performance? VMware vSphere 6.5 What's New in Performance? VMware vSphere 6.5. Page 1. WHAT'S NEW IN PERFORMANCE? VMware vSphere 6.5. PERFORMANCE STUDY – APRIL 20... VMware VMware vCenter Server 6.0 Performance and Best Practices * TECHNICAL WHITE PAPER / 3. * VMware vCenter Server Performance and Best Practices. * Introduction. * VMware vCenter Server™ 6.0 ... VMware VMWARE PRODUCT GUIDE * Table of Contents. 1. * TERMS APPLICABLE TO ALL PRODUCTS. 4 - 9. * 2. DATA CENTER AND CLOUD INFRASTRUCTURE. * 10 - 20. 2.1. * VM... VMware VMWARE PRODUCT GUIDE * COMPUTING. VMware Horizon Standard Edition. Per Concurrent User. DESKTOP AND END USER. COMPUTING. VMware Horizon View Enterprise... VMware VMware customers are still trying to ditch its software, two years after ... Feb 18, 2026 — Packet conduit between worlds
Plain-text files containing hardware settings like RAM size and network info.
To get the most out of the VMware Index, organizations should follow best practices, including:
| Entry | Type | Description | |-------|------|-------------| | vMotion | Live Migration | Moves a running VM. Memory, CPU, and state. Network stays alive. | | Storage vMotion | Disk Migration | Moves VMDKs while VM runs. Changes datastore without reboot. | | Long Distance vMotion | Latency-Tolerant | Cross-subnet, high RTT. Requires vSphere 6.5+ and patience. | | Shared Nothing | Hybrid | Both compute and storage move together. No shared storage required. |