Managed Object - EnvironmentBrowser

Property of: ComputeResource, VirtualMachine
See also: ConfigTarget, HostCapability, 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 possibility 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.
The capabilities supported by the ComputeResource to which the virtual machine belongs.

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, QueryTargetCapabilities

QueryConfigOption

Query for a specific virtual machine configuration option (the ConfigOption).

If the EnvironmentBrowser is from a ComputeResource or ClusterComputeResource, the key or host, or both arguments can be used to return the required config options. If a key is specified, then the ConfigOption corresponding to that key value is returned. If a host is specified, then the default ConfigOption for that host is returned. If key and host both are specified, the ConfigOption corresponding to the given key for that host is returned. If neither is specified, then the default ConfigOption for this environment browser is returned. Typically, the default contains the options for the most recent virtual hardware supported.

If the EnvironmentBrowser is from a VirtualMachine neither a host nor a key should be specified.

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 QueryConfigOptionDescriptor operation.
host*	ManagedObjectReference to a HostSystem	The host whose ConfigOption is requested.

*Need not be set

Return Value

Type	Description
VirtualMachineConfigOption	Returns the ConfigOption object. If invoked on a cluster with no hosts, or if the ConfigOption with given key is not found for the given host, null is returned.

Faults

Type	Description
InvalidArgument	Thrown if any of the following is true: An invalid key is passed. An invalid host is passed. A key or host is specified, when the command is invoked from the environment browser of a virtual machine.
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" xmlns:vim25="urn:vim25" name="QueryConfigOption" type="vim25:QueryConfigOptionRequestType"/>
         <element xmlns="http://www.w3.org/2001/XMLSchema" xmlns:vim25="urn:vim25" name="QueryConfigOptionResponse">
            <complexType>
               <sequence>
                  <element name="returnval" type="vim25: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" xmlns:vim25="urn:vim25" name="QueryConfigOptionDescriptor" type="vim25:QueryConfigOptionDescriptorRequestType"/>
         <element xmlns="http://www.w3.org/2001/XMLSchema" xmlns:vim25="urn:vim25" name="QueryConfigOptionDescriptorResponse">
            <complexType>
               <sequence>
                  <element name="returnval" type="vim25: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 ComputeResource or ClusterComputeResource, the host argument can be used to return the ConfigTarget provided by a particular host in the compute resource or cluster. If host is specified and the EnvironmentBrowser is from a ComputeResource or ClusterComputeResource, then the union of all the devices is returned and the vim.vm.TargetInfo.configurationTag field indicates how widely the device is available across the compute resource or cluster.

If the EnvironmentBrowser is from a VirtualMachine a host should not be specified.

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 specified , or a host is given when the EnvironmentBrowser is from a virtual machine.
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" xmlns:vim25="urn:vim25" name="QueryConfigTarget" type="vim25:QueryConfigTargetRequestType"/>
         <element xmlns="http://www.w3.org/2001/XMLSchema" xmlns:vim25="urn:vim25" name="QueryConfigTargetResponse">
            <complexType>
               <sequence>
                  <element name="returnval" type="vim25:ConfigTarget" minOccurs="0"/>
               </sequence>
            </complexType>
         </element>

QueryTargetCapabilities

Queries for information on the capabilities supported by the ComputeResource associated with the EnvironmentBrowser.

If the EnvironmentBrowser is from a ComputeResource or ClusterComputeResource, the host argument can be used to return the capabilities associated with a specific host in the compute resource or cluster. If the host argument is not specified and the EnvironmentBrowser is from a ComputeResource or ClusterComputeResource, then the intersection of the capabilities supported by all the hosts in the cluster is returned. If the EnvironmentBrowser is from a VirtualMachine, the compute resource associated with the virtual machine will be queried for its capabilities.

If the EnvironmentBrowser is from a VirtualMachine a host should not be specified.

Required Privileges: System.View
Since: vSphere API 4.0

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 capabilities are requested.

*Need not be set

Return Value

Type	Description
HostCapability	Returns the set of capabilities supported by the ComputeResource associated with the EnvironmentBrowser. If invoked on a cluster with no hosts, null is returned.

Faults

Type	Description
InvalidArgument	Thrown if an invalid host is specified , or a host is given when the EnvironmentBrowser is from a virtual machine.
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" xmlns:vim25="urn:vim25" name="QueryTargetCapabilities" type="vim25:QueryTargetCapabilitiesRequestType"/>
         <element xmlns="http://www.w3.org/2001/XMLSchema" xmlns:vim25="urn:vim25" name="QueryTargetCapabilitiesResponse">
            <complexType>
               <sequence>
                  <element name="returnval" type="vim25:HostCapability" minOccurs="0"/>
               </sequence>
            </complexType>
         </element>