18 Scripting For Vmware

Scripting VmCOM and VmPerl Scripting techniques

ESX Server System Management II Module 8

Why use scripting? • Automate tasks • For scheduled execution • To avoid manual errors

• Gather information about servers’ and VMs’ state • For interactive display • For remote logging

• Build simple single-purpose interfaces

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For ESX Server 2.0.1 2003-10-27 Copyright © 2003 VMware, Inc. All rights reserved.

VMware Scripting APIs (version 2.1) • Use these tools to script • GSX Server 2.0 and later • ESX Server 2.0

• Key advantages of new APIs • Interoperable control of VMs under GSX Server and ESX Server • Convenient scripting from Windows applications using COM • Convenient scripting from Linux and Windows Perl scripts

• Download documentation from http://www.vmware.com/support/developer/ 3 3

For ESX Server 2.0.1 2003-10-27 Copyright © 2003 VMware, Inc. All rights reserved.

Getting ready to use VmCOM • Download installer binary from VMware Web site • Go to Download section of http://www.vmware.com • Log in using registered user account

• Run installer VMware-VMCOM-xxxx.exe • Add to your development environment • Visual Basic: Choose Project  References • Click to enable VMware VmCOM version Type Library

• Or ensure that Windows Scripting Host is installed 4 4

For ESX Server 2.0.1 2003-10-27 Copyright © 2003 VMware, Inc. All rights reserved.

VmCOM with Windows Scripting Host • Create a wsf file to bind your script to VmCOM libraries <job id="myscript"> <script language="VBScript" src="myscript.vbs" />

• Write script • VmCOM objects will be available to you

• Run script cscript //nologo myscript.wsf 5 5

For ESX Server 2.0.1 2003-10-27 Copyright © 2003 VMware, Inc. All rights reserved.

Getting ready to use VmPerl • Make sure that Perl is installed • Linux: Use Perl 5.00503 or later • Windows: Use the build of Perl shipped in VmPerl package

• Install VmPerl package • Copy installer binary from VMware Web site or server media • Linux: tar xzvf VMware-VMPERL-v.v.v-xxxx.tar.gz cd vmware-api-distrib ./vmware-install.pl • Windows: VMware-VMPERL-xxxx.exe

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For ESX Server 2.0.1 2003-10-27 Copyright © 2003 VMware, Inc. All rights reserved.

Connecting to VMs with both APIs CLICK WIZARD LINK 1

2

Create and fill connection object

Create server object

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3

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Create VM object

Connect to server

Enumerate VMs

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Connect to desired VM

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4

Query or modify VM

For ESX Server 2.0.1 2003-10-27 Copyright © 2003 VMware, Inc. All rights reserved.

Key preliminaries for Perl BEGIN { if ($^O eq "MSWin32") { push(@INC,VmPerl-lib-dir); } } use use use use

VMware::VmPerl; VMware::VmPerl::ConnectParams; VMware::VmPerl::VM; VMware::VmPerl::Question; 8

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For ESX Server 2.0.1 2003-10-27 Copyright © 2003 VMware, Inc. All rights reserved.

Steps 1, 2, and 3: Creating and connecting the server object Server object

Params object

• VmCOM (VBS): Set cp = CreateObject("VmCOM.VmConnectParams") Set server = CreateObject("VmCOM.VmServerCtl") cp.Hostname = "hostname" cp.Username = "username" cp.Password = "password" server.Connect cp

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For ESX Server 2.0.1 2003-10-27 Copyright © 2003 VMware, Inc. All rights reserved.

Step 4: Enumerate VMs vmlist /home/fred/vmware/b/b.vmx /home/susie/vmware/w/w.vmx …

Server object • VmCOM (VBS):

Set vmlist = server.RegisteredVmNames

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For ESX Server 2.0.1 2003-10-27 Copyright © 2003 VMware, Inc. All rights reserved.

Steps 5 and 6: Creating and connecting the vm object VM object

/home/fred/vmware/b/b.vmx

• VmCOM (VBS): Set vm = CreateObject("VmCOM.VmCtl") vm.connect cp, configfile

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For ESX Server 2.0.1 2003-10-27 Copyright © 2003 VMware, Inc. All rights reserved.

Step 7: Querying the VM VmCOM (VBS) Return the power state of the VM

vm.ExecutionState

Return the value of a configuration-file item

vm.Config(item) Example: vm.Config("memSize")

Return the VM’s heartbeat count

vm.Heartbeat

Detect whether a device is connected

vm.DeviceIsConnected(device) Example: vm.DeviceIsConnected("ide1:0")

Get statistics

vm.Resource(resource) Example: vm.Resource("cpu.waitsec")

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For ESX Server 2.0.1 2003-10-27 Copyright © 2003 VMware, Inc. All rights reserved.

Step 7: Managing the VM VmCOM (VBS) Return the state of the VM

vm.ExecutionState

Cleanly power on or resume

vm.Start(vmPowerOpMode_Soft)

Cleanly shut down and power off

vm.Stop(vmPowerOpMode_Soft)

Run scripts then suspend

vm.Suspend(vmPowerOpMode_Soft)

Set VM resources

vm.Resource(resource) = value Example: vm.Resource("cpu.shares") = 500

• Soft power modes run scripts before or after the operation; require VMware Tools 13 13

For ESX Server 2.0.1 2003-10-27 Copyright © 2003 VMware, Inc. All rights reserved.

Answering state-change questions (VmCOM/VBS)

if vm.ExecutionState =  vmExecutionState_Stuck then Set q = vm.PendingQuestion Set choices = q.Choices ' display text and choice list ' get response (numeric index into list) vm.AnswerQuestion q, 1 end if

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For ESX Server 2.0.1 2003-10-27 Copyright © 2003 VMware, Inc. All rights reserved.

Passing information out of a VM • Uses: a VM can report its SID, its IP address, an application’s state, etc. • Create arbitrarily named keys with values Example: myIP = 192.168.130.2

• To set a key (Windows): VMwareService.exe --cmd  "info-set guestinfo.myIP 192.168.130.2"

• To read a key’s value (VmCOM/VBS): vm.GuestInfo("myIP")

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For ESX Server 2.0.1 2003-10-27 Copyright © 2003 VMware, Inc. All rights reserved.

The vmware-cmd utility • Easy command-line interactions with servers, VMs • Embed in batch files or shell scripts • For remote use, supply –H hostname –U username –P password

• To list VMs: vmware-cmd –l

• To register a VM: vmware-cmd –s register /home/fred/…/b.vmx

• To start a VM: vmware-cmd /home/fred/…/b.vmx start

• To check for heartbeat: vmware-cmd /home/fred/…/b.vmx getheartbeat

wait a few seconds, then repeat

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For ESX Server 2.0.1 2003-10-27 Copyright © 2003 VMware, Inc. All rights reserved.

Scheduling program execution • Use Control Panel  Scheduled Tasks on Windows • Use cron under Console OS and remote Linux hosts export EDITOR=vi crontab –e min hr mday mon wday command … ….

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For ESX Server 2.0.1 2003-10-27 Copyright © 2003 VMware, Inc. All rights reserved.

Questions?

ESX Server System Management II Module 8