VMWare recently open sourced their VI SDK under the BSD license. The VMware Virtual Infrastructure Java API provides a set of libraries with full support of managed object model and utilities to manage and control VMware virtual machines and servers using the VMwware Virtual Infrastructure Web service interface. Highlights of the release include:
- Enables OO programming with a well defined managed object model
- Reduces the need to use ManagedObjectReference
- Hides the complexity of the PropertyCollector
- Provides necessary utility classes to simplify VI SDK web interfaces
- Leverages current VI SDK web services interface while keeping it intact
- Very small footprint of the API itself
Early comments have been favorable. Scott Lowe noted:
...getting properties from a managed object—seemed vastly simpler using VI Java than the VI SDK.
Steve Jin provided an example on the VMWare Developer Center Blog of using the new capabilities in conjunction with other Java abilities (Jython):
...These 7 lines of Jython code could take you 100+ if you will code it using VI SDK web services interface directly...
He also provides a link to an indepth presentation on scripting VI with Jython. A full object model diagram is also available to assist in quickly understanding the new API.