creating vm in a resource pool - vijava and jruby

[complex]

I am using the SDK and VIJava with Jruby to access a vCenter and trying to create a VM in a ResourcePool.

It is failing with "The operation is not supported on the object". The vCenter logs show "[2011-02-15 11:30:00.991 01880 error 'App' opID=270500b0] [VpxdVAppUtil] Cannot create a vm inside a resource pool with no folder."

But I'm not quite sure how to set the folder. On what object do I set this?

My code is as follows:

require 'java'

require 'dom4j-1.6.1.jar'

require 'vijava2120100824.jar'

import java.net.URL

module VIJava

        include_package "com.vmware.vim25.mo"

end

module Vim

        include_package "com.vmware.vim25"

end

si = VIJava::ServiceInstance.new(URL.new("https://vcenter-sys.company.net/sdk"), "complex", "password", true)

rootFolder = si.getRootFolder()

qarp = VIJava::InventoryNavigator.new(rootFolder).searchManagedEntity("ResourcePool", "QA-CM")

dc = VIJava::InventoryNavigator.new(rootFolder).searchManagedEntity("Datacenter", "DC-A")

vmFolder = dc.get_vm_folder

vmspec = Vim::VirtualMachineConfigSpec.new

vmspec.setName("macguffin")

vmspec.setAnnotation("macguffin test machine")

vmspec.setMemoryMB(512)

vmspec.setNumCPUs(1)

vmspec.setLocationId("vms")

cKey = 1000 ## just some key that is unique for the machine we are building - can be reused.

## time to create the virtual devices that are part of the virtual machine config specification

## scsi controller create

scsiSpec = Vim::VirtualDeviceConfigSpec.new

scsiSpec.setOperation(Vim::VirtualDeviceConfigSpecOperation.add)

scsiCtrl = Vim::VirtualLsiLogicController.new

scsiCtrl.setKey(cKey)

scsiCtrl.setBusNumber(0)

scsiCtrl.setSharedBus(Vim::VirtualSCSISharing.noSharing)

scsiSpec.setDevice(scsiCtrl)

## disk create

diskSpec = Vim::VirtualDeviceConfigSpec.new

diskSpec.setOperation(Vim::VirtualDeviceConfigSpecOperation.add)

diskSpec.setFileOperation(Vim::VirtualDeviceConfigSpecFileOperation.create)

vd = Vim::VirtualDisk.new

vd.setCapacityInKB(1000000)

diskSpec.setDevice(vd)

vd.setKey(0); vd.setUnitNumber(0)

vd.setControllerKey(cKey)

diskfileBacking = Vim::VirtualDiskFlatVer2BackingInfo.new

diskfileBacking.setFileName("[aligntempvol]")

diskfileBacking.setDiskMode("persistent")

diskfileBacking.setThinProvisioned(true)

vd.setBacking(diskfileBacking)

## nic create

nicSpec = Vim::VirtualDeviceConfigSpec.new

nicSpec.setOperation(Vim::VirtualDeviceConfigSpecOperation.add)

nic = Vim::VirtualPCNet32.new

nicBacking = Vim::VirtualEthernetCardNetworkBackingInfo.new

nicBacking.setDeviceName("VLAN_700")

nicInfo = Vim::Description.new

nicInfo.setLabel("Network Adapter 0")

nicInfo.setSummary("VLAN_700")

nic.setDeviceInfo(nicInfo)

nic.setAddressType("generated")

nic.setBacking(nicBacking)

nic.setKey(0)

nicSpec.setDevice(nic)

vdcsarray = Vim::VirtualMachineConfigSpec.new

shitty = Array[scsiSpec, diskSpec, nicSpec]

vmspec.setDeviceChange(shitty)

vmfi = Vim::VirtualMachineFileInfo.new

vmfi.setVmPathName("[aligntempvol]")

vmspec.setFiles(vmfi)

qarp.create_child_vm_task(vmspec, nil)

si.getServerConnection().logout()

[complex]

I should say that this code is adapted from Steve Jin's very good "VMware VI and vSphere SDK" book.

[Steve_Jin]

Hi Complex,

Thanks for supporting my book VMware VI and vSphere SDK!

According to the API reference of create_child_vm_task() method on ResourcePool type, "This method supports creating a virtual machine directly in a vApp. A   virtual  machine in a vApp is not associated with a VM folder and therefore   cannot be created using the method on a Folder. This method can only be called directly on a vApp or on a resource pool that is a child of a vApp."

Now back to your code, I think qarp is a top ResourcePool, not a child ResoucePool of a vApp. You may want to change your code accordingly.

Hope it helps.

Steve Jin (http://www.doublecloud.org)

[complex]

You are correct, the qarp Resource Pool is at the root of a cluster, not in a vApp. OK, I understand that. However, in my Windows VI Client I can right-click on this Resource Pool and create a VM. Is there a way to accomplish the same thing using vijava/jruby?

[BenN]

When you right-click on a ResourcePool to create a VM, though, the first thing it asks for you is a Folder. I don't know this for sure, but I suspect it's calling the Folder method CreateVM_Task, just as if you'd right-clicked on a Folder to create the VM (though there the wizard would prompt you for a resource pool).

Since you have a folder (vmfolder), why not call that method (dunno what the Ruby name is), passing qarp as the pool argument?

[complex]

Ah, Steve, you are correct. I should have examined the documentation closer to see the vApp restrictions on the ResourcePool object.

And Ben, your plan of attack seems sound. Yes, in Ruby they are called methods. I will attack the problem by specifying the Folder and then CreateVM_Task on that object.

Thanks to you both.