vSphere: VI Tookit vs. Web Services SDK

[sw3103]

I am looking into developing a few tools to automate my vSphere infrastructure. I plan to write the code using C#, and the code could potentially be placed in web services, Windows forms, etc.

I have downloaded the .NET SDK for the vSphere web service and it seems to be quite over-complicated to perform simple tasks like reboot guest. I have also found the .NET SDK for the VI Toolkit (VMware.vim), which looks much simpler to use.

Is there much difference between the two SDKs? Are there any defining reasons to choose one over the other?

Any help would be greatly appreciated.

[LucD]

Afaik, the .Net SDK for VI Toolkit is an older version and it will only work with API 2.5 calls.

If you want to use vSphere features (API 4) you will have to use the .Net SDK for vSPhere.

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Blog: LucD notes

Twitter: lucd22

[PaulSvirin · Accepted solution]

Vi Toolkit 1.5: Target Platform: vSphere 4.0 and above, VMware Infrastructure 3.x and above.

Web Services SDK: Target Platform: vSphere 4.0 and VMware Infrastructure 3.X

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[LucD]

I'm not sure what you are trying to say here, but from the vSphere SDK for .NET Developer’s Guide this quote (page 12) :

Versioning Support

Three major versions of the vSphere API are available ‐ VI API 2 (ESX 3.0.x/VirtualCenter 2.0.x), VI API 2.5

(ESX 3.5.x/ VirtualCenter 2.5.x), and vSphere API 4.0 (ESX 4.0/ vCenter 4.0). VI API 2 .NET applications can

connect to VI API 2.5 and VI API 3.0 servers, but can not use the features that are new in VI API 3.0.x and

vSphere API 4.0. The vSphere SDK for .NET eliminates this restriction and allows the applications built using

it, to access the full functionality of the ESX host or vCenter version they are connecting to.

In the VMware Infrastructure .NET Toolkit 1.5 on page 12 it says:

Versioning Support

Two major versions of the VMware Infrastructure API are available - VI API 2 (ESX 3.0.x/VirtualCenter 2.0.x)

and VI API 2.5 (ESX 3.5.x/ VirtualCenter 2.5.x). VI API 2 .NET applications can connect to a VI API 2.5 server,

but can not use the features that are new in VI API 2.5. The VI .NET Toolkit eliminates this restriction and

allows the applications built using it, to access the full functionality of the ESX host or VirtualCenter version

they are connecting to.

____________

Blog: LucD notes

Twitter: lucd22