VMware Web Managment "Navigator" Sidebar

[Tin_Man]

I've noticed that VMs and Storage Objects as well as switches seem to be randomly available as a dropdown in the navigator menu vs simply listed on the Main list menu on the right. I don't see a pattern as to why what shows up on the navigator and what doesn't. In this example below, there is only 1 virtual machine in the navigator as a dropdown subcomponent of "Virtual Machines" when I have in fact 5 VMs, 2 Data Stores and 1 Swtich, None of which are available within the dropdowns of the navigator sidebar.

[T180985]

Its just meant to be a summary and i believe it shows recently accessed objects. In your example, its likely Untangle was the last VM you viewed

[IRIX201110141]

I cant follow.....

there are 4 VMs on the left.... and 4 listed in the main window.

Why is "Monitor" marked? Its not a VM... it a button do indicate that you can get some monitoring (PerfStats, Events...) infos about the VM ".

The menu in the left only display the main groups and than in a dynamic way is shows the same/last element what you have seen in the main window.  Its not compared to the old Windows vSphere Client or newer WebClient/HTML5 from the vCenter.

Regards,

Joerg

[Tin_Man]

Nope. Not so fast. It's definitely not the last one accessed because I am most certain that I had several other vms open at the time I took that screenshot, but more importantly it doesn't really explain why there's only one, you see, I have two esxi servers on that side. On one of the servers I could see 3 of 5 vms and on this new server I got really annoyed because I could only see one. The untangle server was simply the last VM added to that server, not most certainly not the most recently accessed. I had refreshed that page too hoping that it would show more VMs in the drop-down. But let's say you're right, and maybe my memmory is fading or I'm imaging things, Lets say I don't want just the most recent, I want all VMs to show up. How do I do that or where can I configure how many show up in the recent list?

BTW, I did mention storage and switches too right? Well if you see the list, there are NONE accessible throgh the navigator and I am most certain I've accessed both on that server to configure a plenty but neither were available on that menu. The little dropdown tabs on the left of each is actually grayed out.

PS. If you notice at the bottom It's got recent tasks, and Untangle isn't one of them.

[Tin_Man]

Monitor was highlighted becasue when I originally took the screenshot what I was trying to was to click on "monitor" for other VMs and after hunting around, that button is only available there and the page I get by clicking on it is quite unique in displaying information pertaining to that VM.

There is only 1 VM on the bar on the left, but a number 4 next to "Virtual Machines". If I click on the "More VMs" button It'll show the list on the right, it won't expand or show additional VMs just like the "Untangle" one.

I do remember the old vsphere and I don't think I've seen vCenter, but here's my logic. That sidebar is called "Navigator" am I wrong in thinking that it would have directions to just about everything for quickly jumping to key portions of vmware? I can understand it having a most recent section, I could understand it reorganizing or even collapsing all but the most recent VMs on the list, but to not have access to almost anything there seems like just a waste of space to me, I mean come on, the ONLY thing available on that side bar at the time of the screenshot was that one VM.

[scott28tt]

Navigator is not the same as viewing the inventory hierarchy: Use the vSphere Web Client Navigator

[Tin_Man]

I've only got the Hypervisor, not vcenter yet.

[Tin_Man · Accepted solution]

I found it!.....

[scott28tt]

You can use the vSphere Web Client with ESXi.