Virtualized Macs - can they support multiple user sessions simultaneously?

I have been tasked to built a training/resource environment to help our support team learn to help with Mac issues. My boss wants me to build a virtual environment (hosting the VMs on Mac Minis that will be running Monterey and hosting the VM's through VMWare Fusion - not sure what version I will be given)


My question is this: will these VM's allow for multiple users to access the VM's remotely simultaneously with their own unique session - rather than multiple users all viewing a single active session on the VM? (My testing has allowed this option - the multiple viewers/single session - but it is not what we are hoping to have.) This would allow us to roll-out fewer VM's and not have to manage them as much - allowing the support staff to access them without stepping on each others' toes.


This can be accomplished in the Windows world on their Server level OS, but my research has been less then fruitful in researching this on the Mac side.


Does anyone have experience/success with this? Any advice/real-world experience would be greatly appreciated!


Thank you

Posted on May 4, 2022 4:52 PM

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May 4, 2022 8:57 PM in response to garnth

Multiple users can login via RealVNC from a non-Mac computer into separate user accounts on the Mac.


They can work independently on anything that is not global. Changing network settings is global. Running Time Machine backups is global. There are other global things which you will have to discover. But 95% of the user experience can be experienced this way.


For this you do not need virtual machines. You just need the regular macOS and screen sharing enabled.


Users with a Mac can use macOS Screen Sharing.


You only need the RealVNC client (free to use) on non-Macs. You do not need, nor want the RealVNC server. The RealVNC client will talk to the macOS Screen Sharing server. System Preferences-> Sharing-> Screen Sharing (enable it).

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Virtualized Macs - can they support multiple user sessions simultaneously?

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