Managed Object - EnvironmentBrowser

Property of: ComputeResource, VirtualMachine
See also: ConfigTarget, HostDatastoreBrowser, HostSystem, VirtualMachineConfigOption, VirtualMachineConfigOptionDescriptor

Managed Object Description

This managed object type provides access to the environment that a ComputeResource presents for creating and configuring a virtual machine.

The environment consists of three main components:

The virtual machine configuration options. Each vim.vm.ConfigOption describes the execution environment for a virtual machine, the particular set of virtual hardware that is supported. A ComputeResource might support multiple sets. Access is provided through the configOptionDescriptor property and the QueryConfigOption operation.
The supported device targets. Each virtual device specified in the virtual machine needs to be hooked up to a "physical" counterpart. For networks, this means choosing a network name; for a virtual CD-rom this might be an ISO image, etc. The environment browser provides access to the device targets through the QueryConfigTarget operation.
Storage locations and files. A selection of locations where the virtual machine files can be stored, and the possiblity to browse for existing virtual disks and ISO images. The datastore browser, provided by the datastoreBrowser property, provides access to the contents of one or more datastores. The items in a datastore are files that contain configuration, virtual disk, and the other data associated with a virtual machine.

Properties

Name	Type	Description
datastoreBrowser* P	ManagedObjectReference to a HostDatastoreBrowser	DatastoreBrowser to browse datastores that are available on this entity.

*May not be presentP Required privilege: System.View

Methods

Methods defined in this Managed Object
QueryConfigOption, QueryConfigOptionDescriptor, QueryConfigTarget

QueryConfigOption

Query for a specific virtual machine configuration option (the ConfigOption). A single query may include either "key" or "host", but not both. If "key" is passed, then the ConfigOption corresponding to that key value is returned. If "host" is passed, then the default ConfigOption for that host is returned. If neither is passed, then the default ConfigOption for this environment browser is returned. Typically, the default contains the options for the most recent virtual hardware supported.

Required Privileges: System.View

Parameters

Name	Type	Description
_this	ManagedObjectReference	A reference to the EnvironmentBrowser used to make the method call.
key*	xsd:string	The key found in the VirtualMachineConfigOptionDescriptor, obtained by invoking the vim.environmentbrowser.queryConfigOptionDescriptor operation.
host*	ManagedObjectReference to a HostSystem	The host whose default ConfigOption is requested.

*Need not be set

Return Value

Type	Description
VirtualMachineConfigOption	Returns the ConfigOption object. If invoked on a cluster with no hosts, null is returned.

Faults

Type	Description
InvalidArgument	Thrown if any of the following is true: Both key and host are passed. An invalid key is passed. An invalid host is passed.
RuntimeFault	Thrown if any type of runtime fault is thrown that is not covered by the other faults; for example, a communication error.

Show WSDL type definition

         <element xmlns="http://www.w3.org/2001/XMLSchema" name="QueryConfigOption">
            <complexType>
               <sequence>
                  <element name="_this" type="vim2:ManagedObjectReference"/>
                  <element name="key" type="xsd:string" minOccurs="0"/>
                  <element name="host" type="vim2:ManagedObjectReference" minOccurs="0"/>
               </sequence>
            </complexType>
         </element>
         <element xmlns="http://www.w3.org/2001/XMLSchema" name="QueryConfigOptionResponse">
            <complexType>
               <sequence>
                  <element name="returnval" type="vim2:VirtualMachineConfigOption" minOccurs="0"/>
               </sequence>
            </complexType>
         </element>

QueryConfigOptionDescriptor

The list of ConfigOption keys available on this entity.

Required Privileges: System.View

Parameters

Name	Type	Description
_this	ManagedObjectReference	A reference to the EnvironmentBrowser used to make the method call.

Return Value

Type	Description
VirtualMachineConfigOptionDescriptor[]

Faults

Type	Description
RuntimeFault	Thrown if any type of runtime fault is thrown that is not covered by the other faults; for example, a communication error.

Show WSDL type definition

         <element xmlns="http://www.w3.org/2001/XMLSchema" name="QueryConfigOptionDescriptor">
            <complexType>
               <sequence>
                  <element name="_this" type="vim2:ManagedObjectReference"/>
               </sequence>
            </complexType>
         </element>
         <element xmlns="http://www.w3.org/2001/XMLSchema" name="QueryConfigOptionDescriptorResponse">
            <complexType>
               <sequence>
                  <element name="returnval" type="vim2:VirtualMachineConfigOptionDescriptor" minOccurs="0" maxOccurs="unbounded"/>
               </sequence>
            </complexType>
         </element>

QueryConfigTarget

Queries for information about a specific target, a "physical" device that can be used to back virtual devices. The ConfigTarget that is returned specifies the set of values that can be used in the device backings to connect the virtual machine to physical (or logical) host devices.

If the EnvironmentBrowser is from a ClusterComputeResource, the host argument can be used to return the ConfigTarget provided by a particular host in the cluster.

If no host is passed in and the EnvironmentBrowser is from a ClusterComputeResource, then the vim.vm.TargetInfo.configurationTag field indicates how widely the device is available across the cluster.

Required Privileges: System.View

Parameters

Name	Type	Description
_this	ManagedObjectReference	A reference to the EnvironmentBrowser used to make the method call.
host*	ManagedObjectReference to a HostSystem	If specified, the host whose default BackingInfo is requested.

*Need not be set

Return Value

Type	Description
ConfigTarget	Returns the ConfigTarget object. If invoked on a cluster with no hosts, null is returned.

Faults

Type	Description
InvalidArgument	Thrown if an invalid host is passed in.
RuntimeFault	Thrown if any type of runtime fault is thrown that is not covered by the other faults; for example, a communication error.

Show WSDL type definition

         <element xmlns="http://www.w3.org/2001/XMLSchema" name="QueryConfigTarget">
            <complexType>
               <sequence>
                  <element name="_this" type="vim2:ManagedObjectReference"/>
                  <element name="host" type="vim2:ManagedObjectReference" minOccurs="0"/>
               </sequence>
            </complexType>
         </element>
         <element xmlns="http://www.w3.org/2001/XMLSchema" name="QueryConfigTargetResponse">
            <complexType>
               <sequence>
                  <element name="returnval" type="vim2:ConfigTarget" minOccurs="0"/>
               </sequence>
            </complexType>
         </element>