VMware VIX

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** Update ** - The new VIX API is now integrated in the new vSphere 5 API - http://www.virtuallyghetto.com/2011/07/automating-new-integrated-vixguest.html


What is VMware VIX and why use it?
http://www.virtuallyghetto.com/2010/11/what-is-vmware-vix-api-and-its-future.html 

What is VMware vmrun?
VMware vmrun

Here are a few examples of using vmrun:

List running VMs on specific ESX/ESXi host

[vmrun.exe|vmrun] -T esx -h https://ESX_IP_OR_HOSTNAME/sdk -u ESX_USER_NAME -p ESX_PASSSWORD list

# Windows example of running vmrun on Windows XP
C:\Program Files\VMware\VMware VIX>vmrun.exe -T esx -h https://himalaya.primp-industries.com/sdk -u root -p ********* list
Total running VMs: 14
[himalaya-local-SAS.VMStorage] Fullerene/Fullerene.vmx
[himalaya-local-SATA.Storage] Primp-DevAD/Primp-DevAD.vmx
[himalaya-local-SAS.VMStorage] Synapse/Synapse.vmx
[himalaya-local-SAS.VMStorage] STA202I/STA202I.vmx
[himalaya-local-SAS.VMStorage] Bitsy/Bitsy.vmx
[himalaya-local-SAS.VMStorage] William-XP/William-XP.vmx
[himalaya-local-SAS.VMStorage] VIMA/VIMA.vmx
.......
.......


# Linux example of running vmrun on VMware VIMA
[vi-admin@vima-primp-industries ~]$ vmrun -T esx -h https://himalaya.primp-industries.com/sdk -u root -p ********* list
Total running VMs: 14
[himalaya-local-SAS.VMStorage] Fullerene/Fullerene.vmx
[himalaya-local-SATA.Storage] Primp-DevAD/Primp-DevAD.vmx
[himalaya-local-SAS.VMStorage] Synapse/Synapse.vmx
[himalaya-local-SAS.VMStorage] STA202I/STA202I.vmx
[himalaya-local-SAS.VMStorage] Bitsy/Bitsy.vmx
[himalaya-local-SAS.VMStorage] William-XP/William-XP.vmx
[himalaya-local-SAS.VMStorage] VIMA/VIMA.vmx
.......
.......


List all registered VMs on specific ESX/ESXi host

[vmrun.exe|vmrun] -T esx -h https://ESX_IP_OR_HOSTNAME/sdk -u ESX_USER_NAME -p ESX_PASSSWORD listRegisteredVM 

[vi-admin@vima-primp-industries ~]$ vmrun -T esx -h https://olga.resnet.ucsb.edu/sdk -u root -p ********* listRegisteredVM
Total registered VMs: 2
[olga-local-SAS.Storage] UCSB_TEST/UCSB_TEST.vmx
[dlgCore-FC-LUN200.Templates] UCSB-ENGINEERING/UCSB-ENGINEERING.vmx


VM power operations on specific ESX/ESXi host

[vmrun.exe|vmrun] -T esx -h https://ESX_IP_OR_HOSTNAME/sdk -u ESX_USER_NAME -p ESX_PASSSWORD [start|stop|reset|suspend|pause|unpause] "[VM_DATATORE] VM/VM.VMX"

Register a VM on specific ESX/ESXi host

[vmrun.exe|vmrun] -T esx -h https://ESX_IP_OR_HOSTNAME/sdk -u ESX_USER_NAME -p ESX_PASSSWORD register "[VM_DATATORE] VM/VM.VMX"

[vi-admin@vima-primp-industries ~]$ vmrun -T esx -h https://olga.resnet.ucsb.edu/sdk -u root -p *********' register "[dlgCore-FC-LUN200.Templates] UCSB-ENGINEERING/UCSB-ENGINEERING.vmx"


Unregister a VM on specific ESX/ESXi host

[vmrun.exe|vmrun] -T esx -h https://ESX_IP_OR_HOSTNAME/sdk -u ESX_USER_NAME -p ESX_PASSSWORD unregister "[VM_DATATORE] VM/VM.VMX"

Create new snapshot for a VM on specific ESX/ESXi host

[vmrun.exe|vmrun] -T esx -h https://ESX_IP_OR_HOSTNAME/sdk -u ESX_USER_NAME -p ESX_PASSSWORD snapshot "[VM_DATATORE] VM/VM.VMX" "SNAPSHOT_NAME"

Delete snapshot for a VM on specific ESX/ESXi host

[vmrun.exe|vmrun] -T esx -h https://ESX_IP_OR_HOSTNAME/sdk -u ESX_USER_NAME -p ESX_PASSSWORD deleteSnapshot "[VM_DATATORE] VM/VM.VMX" "SNAPSHOT_NAME"

Upload a file to a VM from your host on a specific ESX/ESXi host (VM must be online)

[vmrun.exe|vmrun] -T esx -h https://ESX_IP_OR_HOSTNAME/sdk -u ESX_USER_NAME -p ESX_PASSSWORD copyFileFromHostToGuest "[VM_DATATORE] VM/VM.VMX" "LOCAL_SOURE_FILE" "REMOET_FILE"

[vi-admin@vima-primp-industries ~]$ vmrun -T esx -h https://olga.resnet.ucsb.edu/sdk -u root -p ********* copyFileFromHostToGuest "[dlgCore-FC-LUN200.Templates] UCSB-ENGINEERING/UCSB-ENGINEERING.vmx" "/home/vi-admin/vix_sample.bat" "C:\Documents and Settings\Administrator\Desktop\vix_sample.bat


Download a file from a VM to your host on a specific ESX/ESXi host (VM must be online)

[vmrun.exe|vmrun] -T esx -h https://ESX_IP_OR_HOSTNAME/sdk -u ESX_USER_NAME -p ESX_PASSSWORD copyFileFromHostToGuest "[VM_DATATORE] VM/VM.VMX" "LOCAL_SOURE_FILE" "REMOET_FILE"

[vi-admin@vima-primp-industries ~]$ vmrun -T esx -h https://olga.resnet.ucsb.edu/sdk -u root -p ********* copyFileFromGuestToHost "[dlgCore-FC-LUN200.Templates] UCSB-ENGINEERING/UCSB-ENGINEERING.vmx" "C:\Documents and Settings\Administrator\Desktop\vix_sample.bat" "/home/vi-admin/vix_sample.bat"


Automate vmrun using batch script (save as .bat file)


Automate vmrun using shell script (save as .sh file)