We can visualize a virtual machine as having a virtual ethernet cable connected to a virtual router within the VMware framework.
I have two virtual machines here that are based on OpenSUSE 11.2 distros, heavily modified (including kernel mods) that talk to each other over a host-only network via a proprietary protocol. Now, in the field, we have a problem with deployed systems where one side of the link abruptly crashes. We've put a watchdog monitor on that process and, when it dies, we restart it. This, however, is a bandaid and I am trying to find the solution.
We have established that this process crashes - sometimes - when a technician in the field abruptly unplugs a cable from our device. The tech is never supposed to do this, but you know how it goes when you sell this stuff out into the field...
So, I am trying to duplicate the condition in my virtual network. To do this, I have to simulate unplugging a network cable. I do not wish to remove the host only network or anything like that, I just want to interrupt the data flow from outside the virtual machine in a fashion that would be considered abnormal in an attempt to get this thing to crash.
Anyone have any ideas how I might do that? If I really have to, I can set up on physical devices and test that way. For a number of reasons, this is very inconvenient for me and I would like to do it here using VMs.