Is VM an ESX server?

[bsteer]

Does anybody know how to distinguish a Virtual Machine that's an ESX server from other Virtual Machines? If I query Virtual Center For Virtual Machines using VIM, I get back a list of those machines. Is there some way to determine if a given machine is an ESX server?

[StefanPahrmann]

Hi,

ESX-server can't run as a VM inside an ESX-server, so all the VM's you're seeing are not ESX-servers.

- Stefan

[tos2k]

Hi!

Assuming that it is possible to run a ESX server as a VM, what about registering this VM as a ESX host within VC!? with this you could check possibly the name of the server as the ip address to registered ESX hosts in Virtual Center.

Btw: When not having the ESX registered in VC, keep in mind the all ESX servers provide the MOB-webservice on <esx-server>/mob This could be used to detect ESX servers anyway.

There will not be a flag "isESX", so you have to check the properties or services of the specific VM...

Tos2k

[bsteer]

Is there a way to detect if the MOB web service is provided on a VM, other than trying to connect to it? I haven't found anything in the reference docs that mentions it.

[tos2k]

Right, thats what I had in mind...

Tos2k

[bsteer]

Are you sure? If I query the Virtual Center server for a list of

Virtual Machines, I see both the ESX servers and the non-servers. Or

might my query be wrong? In any case, I need to separate the servers

from the non-servers.

[tos2k]

Is there a way to detect if the MOB web service is provided on a VM, other than trying to connect to it? I haven't found anything in the reference docs that mentions it.

I have no better idea than trying to connect to the MOB webservice, sorry...

Btw: What comes up in:

Data Object Type: GuestInfo

Parent Managed Object ID: vm-11568

Property Path: guest

Properties

Name Type Value

disk GuestDiskInfo[] disk

dynamicProperty DynamicProperty[] Unset

dynamicType string Unset

guestFamily string "windowsGuest"

guestFullName string "Microsoft Windows Server 2003, Enterprise Edition"

for the ESX - VM? I do not have a virtual ESX available

Tos2k

[hicksj]

What IS your query?

This only returns Virtual Machines:

my $vm_views = Vim::find_entity_views(view_type => 'VirtualMachine');

If you want Hosts:

my $host_views = Vim::find_entity_views(view_type => 'HostSystem');

Message was edited by: hicksj

added Host lookup too

[bsteer]

Here's what I get for one of our ESX servers...

GuestInfo for ESX Server:

disk: GuestDiskInfo[]

guest family: windowsGuest

guest full name: Microsoft Windows Server 2003, Standard Edition

guest ID: winNetStandardGuest

guest state: running

host name: unagi.genilogix.com

net: GuestNicInfo[]

screen: GuestScreenInfo

tools status: toolsOk

tools version: 52542