Creating the Virtual Machine through VI browser

[Ashwin89]

Hello,

I am able to access the ESX server inventory through browser.

I want to create the virtual machine using createvm_task() method.

for this it required following parameters,

Virtualmachineconfigspec (required)

resourcepool(required)

hostsystem (optional)

When I am clicking on the invoke method then nothing is happening and I am loosing the connecction.

Can anyone let me know how to specify these paramaters?

Thanks,

-AsHwIN

[Steve_Jin]

I assume you are using the managed object browser. If so, you have to provide the required parameters in XML format.

For the Virtualmachineconfigspec data object, you can check the related API reference:

At the bottom of the page, you can find a link saying "Show WSDL type definition". Just click on it and you will find the XML schema of the data object. Based on the schema, you can create a XML string which includes the desired configurations, and copy it to the field for the config parameter.

Do the same for other required parameters. When ready, just click "Invoke Method".

Seemingly easy to say, but pretty hard to get the XML parameter right in reality.

I have a technote illustrating how to invoke registration method on the ExtensionManager for registering VI Client plug-in using MOB. It doesn't help directly, but gives an idea what it takes to invoke a complicated method with MOB.

http://communities.vmware.com/docs/DOC-9203

Steve JIN, VMware Engineering

Creator of VI Java API:

[Ashwin89]

You mean to say we have to copy following XML in the text option.

Where we should specify the value for different type.

It will be really helpful if you can sample string about how to create it?

<complexType xmlns="http://www.w3.org/2001/XMLSchema" xmlns:vim25="urn:vim25" name="VirtualMachineConfigSpec">

<complexContent>

<extension base="vim25:DynamicData">

<sequence>

<element name="changeVersion" type="xsd:string" minOccurs="0"/>

<element name="name" type="xsd:string" minOccurs="0"/>

<element name="version" type="xsd:string" minOccurs="0"/>

<element name="uuid" type="xsd:string" minOccurs="0"/>

<element name="npivNodeWorldWideName" type="xsd:long" minOccurs="0" maxOccurs="unbounded"/>

<element name="npivPortWorldWideName" type="xsd:long" minOccurs="0" maxOccurs="unbounded"/>

<element name="npivWorldWideNameType" type="xsd:string" minOccurs="0"/>

<element name="npivWorldWideNameOp" type="xsd:string" minOccurs="0"/>

<element name="locationId" type="xsd:string" minOccurs="0"/>

<element name="guestId" type="xsd:string" minOccurs="0"/>

<element name="alternateGuestName" type="xsd:string" minOccurs="0"/>

<element name="annotation" type="xsd:string" minOccurs="0"/>

<element name="files" type="vim25:VirtualMachineFileInfo" minOccurs="0"/>

<element name="tools" type="vim25:ToolsConfigInfo" minOccurs="0"/>

<element name="flags" type="vim25:VirtualMachineFlagInfo" minOccurs="0"/>

<element name="consolePreferences" type="vim25:VirtualMachineConsolePreferences" minOccurs="0"/>

<element name="powerOpInfo" type="vim25:VirtualMachineDefaultPowerOpInfo" minOccurs="0"/>

<element name="numCPUs" type="xsd:int" minOccurs="0"/>

<element name="memoryMB" type="xsd:long" minOccurs="0"/>

<element name="deviceChange" type="vim25:VirtualDeviceConfigSpec" minOccurs="0" maxOccurs="unbounded"/>

<element name="cpuAllocation" type="vim25:ResourceAllocationInfo" minOccurs="0"/>

<element name="memoryAllocation" type="vim25:ResourceAllocationInfo" minOccurs="0"/>

<element name="cpuAffinity" type="vim25:VirtualMachineAffinityInfo" minOccurs="0"/>

<element name="memoryAffinity" type="vim25:VirtualMachineAffinityInfo" minOccurs="0"/>

<element name="networkShaper" type="vim25:VirtualMachineNetworkShaperInfo" minOccurs="0"/>

<element name="cpuFeatureMask" type="vim25:VirtualMachineCpuIdInfoSpec" minOccurs="0" maxOccurs="unbounded"/>

<element name="extraConfig" type="vim25:OptionValue" minOccurs="0" maxOccurs="unbounded"/>

<element name="swapPlacement" type="xsd:string" minOccurs="0"/>

<element name="bootOptions" type="vim25:VirtualMachineBootOptions" minOccurs="0"/>

</sequence>

</extension>

</complexContent>

</complexType>

Thanks,

-AsHwIN

[Steve_Jin]

What you copied here is not the full picture yet. If you take a closer look, you can find it include other sub types like VirtualMachineFileInfo whose definition is included in this schema.

The XML schema is just meta data with which the XML data must comply. You have to read through the schema and compile the XML data by yourself. The technote I wrote has shown how to do it step by step for the ExtensionManager.registerExtension() method. You can follow the ideas there for your own XML.

http://communities.vmware.com/docs/DOC-9203

Overall it's quite time consuming, and error prone. I wouldn't recommend you to do this. Any specific reason for you to go this way?

Steve JIN, VMware Engineering

Creator of VI Java API:

[Ashwin89]

Thanks Steve for the reply.

I want to create the VM using VI and want to write to disk using VDDK.

There is no way in VDDK to create the VM or to create the .vmx file.

I will create the .vmx file using createvm_task and write to disk using VDDK.

Is there any other way you suggest?

Thanks,

-AsHwIN

[Steve_Jin]

You can use VI SDK to create a virtual machine. If code in Java, you can use VI Java API which makes your code much shorter and readable. Check out

Steve JIN, VMware Engineering

Creator of VI Java API: