About Virtual Machine Self-Service

Applies To: Virtual Machine Manager 2008, Virtual Machine Manager 2008 R2, Virtual Machine Manager 2008 R2 SP1

Virtual machine self-service enables the Virtual Machine Manager (VMM) administrator to grant users permission to create and operate their own virtual machines within a controlled environment on a limited group of virtual machine hosts. The VMM administrator creates self-service user roles which determine the scope of the users' actions on their own virtual machines. For more information, see How to Create a Self-Service User Role and Role-Based Security in VMM (https://go.microsoft.com/fwlink/?LinkID=119337).

To create, operate, and manage their virtual machines, self-service users use the Virtual Machine Manager Self-Service Portal. This Web site provides a controlled environment for users in the self-service user role. For more information, see About the VMM Self-Service Portal. For information about installing the VMM Self-Service Portal, see Installing the VMM Self-Service Portal (https://go.microsoft.com/fwlink/?LinkID=162932). For information about configuring security for the VMM Self-Service Portal, see Hardening VMM Self-Service Web Servers (https://go.microsoft.com/fwlink/?LinkID=123617).

The administrator determines which host groups self-service users can create virtual machines on. When a self-service user creates a virtual machine, the virtual machine is automatically placed on the most suitable host in the host group based on host ratings. For more information, see About Virtual Machine Placement (https://go.microsoft.com/fwlink/?LinkId=163817).

Important

A default virtual machine path must be configured on the volume that VMM selects during automatic placement, or the virtual machine placement will fail. For more information about default virtual machine paths on hosts, see How to Set Placement Options for a Host.

Active Directory users or groups can be added to self-service user roles. The permissions granted to the user role apply to all members of the user group whether they are individuals or groups. Virtual machine owners can be individual users or groups. Under individual ownership, an individual owns, operates, and manages his or her own virtual machines. Under group ownership, virtual machines are owned, operated, and managed by the group.

You can set a virtual machine quota in a self-service user role to limit the number of virtual machines that a user or group can deploy. Quota points are assigned to the templates that self-service users use to create their virtual machines. Quota points apply only to virtual machines on a host. If a self-service user is allowed to store virtual machines, the quota does not apply to virtual machines stored in the library. When the self-service user's quota is reached, the user cannot create any new virtual machines until an existing virtual machine is removed or stored. For more information, see How to Modify the Properties of a Virtual Machine Template (https://go.microsoft.com/fwlink/?LinkID=164832).

See Also

Concepts

Setting Up Virtual Machine Self-Service
About the VMM Self-Service Portal

Other Resources

Role-Based Security in VMM