Connecting to server in the VM from the host

[clay_mccoy]

I would think this would be a very common thing to do with vmware, but I can't find anyone explaining it.

I have a Mac with Leopard, Vmware Fusion, and a Windows XP VM with Oracle XE installed. The vm is currently networked with NAT.

In the windows vm where Oracle XE is running I can connect to Oracle with http://127.0.0.1:8080/apex.

I want to connect to it from the host OSX. First I tried the same url (http://127.0.0.1:8080/apex) from OSX but this didn't work.

Then I did an ipconfig in the Windows VM and got this:

Connection-specific DNS Suffix . : localdomain

IP Address. . . . . . . . . . . . : 172.16.188.128

Subnet Mask . . . . . . . . . . . : 255.255.255.0

Default Gateway . . . . . . . . . : 172.16.188.2

So of course I tried it with that ip like this http://172.16.188.128:8080/apex.

Again, it did not work.

I can't even ping 172.16.188.128. I'm sure there is something I have to configure in Vmware, XP or both, but to my dismay I can't find anyone else trying to do this.

So how am I supposed to connect to a server running in an XP VM from the OSX host?

[borisdusek]

Make sure the default Windows XP Firewall is not getting into your way.

[clay_mccoy]

So was one of my attempts something that should work?

I turned off the XP firewall, and I can now ping 172.16.188.128 from OS X.

I still can't get a browser on OS X to hit the Oracle XE url though.

[admin]

Try using bridged mode instead - see

[borisdusek]

So was one of my attempts something that should work?

Yes, the http://172.16.188.128:8080/apex

Since the 127.0.0.1 (which you used in the virtual machine) means on every machine "this machine where the browser/client is running", it might be possible that the Oracle server is configured to only accept requests from this network of which only the machine itself is member (specifically, it does not listed for incoming connections from other networks). I think it would be reasonable security measure on Oracle's side for default setup of Express Server to not allow others to connect. You might need to make sure your Oracle configuration allows the Oracle server to listen for requests on other networks. I really don't know Oracle so I don't know if this is the case.

Are you sure that in a non-virtual scenario (i.e. 2 Windows physical PCs on the same network), you would be able to connect from first PC to the Oracle server on the second PC? If yes, than it's some Fusion-specific issue. If not, it's Oracle configuration issue.

[WoodyZ]

When a Windows XP Virtual Machine's Network is set to NAT and with the default Windows Firewall of On then you should not be able to successfully ping the Guest from the Host as it would defeat the purpose of being a NATed Network.

So temporarily turn off Windows Firewall...

Try Ping and Port Scan using Network Utility (/Applications/Utilities/Network Utility)

If you can successfully ping 172.16.188.128 then try a Port Scan and see what ports are open.

If Port 8080 is not open then you will have to configure the Service to open Port 8080 and explicitly add Port 8080 to the Exceptions tab in the Windows Firewall.

Don't forget to turn the Firewall back on.

FWIW it doesn't matter whether your Virtual Machine's Network is NATed or Bridged you will still need to set an exemption in the Windows Firewall for Port 8080.

Message was edited by: WoodyZ

Sorry I left out a piece of information re if Port 8080 was not open so I corrected that line.

I just tested what I have suggested and it works as it should in other words the Port must be open by the Service your trying to access and and exemption has to be set in the Windows Firewall, Bridged or NATed.