Making Virtual Server guests talk to the host machine
Microsoft Virtual Server 2005 R2 is a free tool from Microsoft that lets you run “virtual” machines on your computer (like Microsoft Virtual PC or VMWare).
So how do you transfer files from your host machine to a virtual machine running on Virtual Server? Or, how do you make the virtual machine communicate with your standalone host that is not connected to any external network?
The answer is Microsoft Loopback Adapter.
When you install Loopback Adapter, you get a new virtual network adapter installed on your machine, which can be used to communicate between the host and guest machines running on it.
To install Microsoft Loopback Adapter, go to Control Panel –> Add hardware –> ** –> Network Cards –> Select ‘Microsoft’ and look for ‘Microsoft Loopback Adapter’ and install it.
You simply apply an IP address on the Loopback adapter that’s from the same range as the virtual machines and configure your VMs to use the Loopback card for the network connection and you’re connected!
Loopback adapter is available in all releases of Windows including Windows Vista.
Shijaz Abdulla is a Partner Technology Advisor at Microsoft, helping their top tier partners build on their Microsoft practice. He is also a trusted advisor to medium enterprise customers in Qatar. He is a blogger, tech enthusiast, and a Microsoft evangelist.