running parallels as a windows service

Gabriel Fischer

Bit poster
I have a machine that needs to run windows for user interaction plus linux for a mail server.

A friend of mine suggested linux + parallels.
Unfortunately the new machine I purchased is a Dell Optiplex 320 which wont work with linux -- they have a "fix" but its due out in a future linux kernal, and I dont want to "roll my own".

So with linux out of the picture I am now trying to do the same task with windows+parallels.
Details:

Host os: Windows xp pro
Guest os: Parallels for windows running redhat linux ES 4

What I want to do is have this machine boot windows, and then present welcome screen to end user.

In the background I want parallels to start as a service, so they dont know its running.

This machine gets used for a few hours every morning (9:30-10:30) then sits idle the rest of the time, and is on 24-7.

So the user could log out (I can disable shut down via some windows policy), but the mail server runs on paralells on linux all the time.

Is there a recommended method to run parallels as a windows service in this way?
I dont want the end user "messing" with the mail server.
I know I could log on to the machine as a different user, using fast user switching and launch it as a different user then log off, but I want the machine to be able to "auto recover" --- (read: reboot and restart parallels (mailserver)) with out my intervention in the case of a power outage, or accidental shut down of the system.
 
For now it is not possible. Parallels Workstation is a desktop product and you need a terminal to run it.

Parallels Server is aimed on your issue. Now it is under active development and will be released soon.
 
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