You can use the vCenter plug-in to manage multiple vCenter instances. You can create workflows that use the vCenter plug-in API to automate tasks in your vCenter environment.

vCenter Plug-In Scripting API

The vCenter plug-in maps the vCenter API to the JavaScript that you can use in workflows. The vCenter scripting API contains classes, with their respective attributes, methods, and constructors that allow interaction between Automation Orchestrator and vCenter.

The vCenter plug-in supports registering vCenter 6.5, 6.7, 7.0 instances as endpoints. Based on the vCenter version that you register, the plug-in exposes vSphere 6.5 and 6.7 API as SDK, and vSphere 7.0 API as scripting SDK. For information about vCenter scripting objects, navigate to the API Explorer in the Automation Orchestrator Client.

The vCenter plug-in provides a library of standard workflows that automate vCenter operations. For example, you can run workflows that create, clone, migrate, or delete virtual machines. The plug-in also provides actions that perform individual vCenter tasks that you can include in workflows. You can use the API to develop custom workflows.

Most vCenter plug-in workflows communicate only with the vCenter. However, some guest operations workflows require communication with the ESXi host managed by vCenter. Before you run these workflows, you must import the ESXi host certificate through the Automation Orchestrator Control Center. For more information, see Manage Automation Orchestrator Certificates in Installing and Configuring Automation Orchestrator.

The vCenter plug-in includes the Policy-Based Management (PBM) and the Storage Monitoring Service (SMS) APIs as scripting objects in the Automation Orchestrator scripting API. The Storage Policy-Based Management policies and components appear in the Inventory page of the Automation Orchestrator Client.

Using the vCenter Plug-In Inventory

The vCenter plug-in exposes all objects of the connected vCenter instances in the Inventory view.

To display the workflows that are available for a vCenter inventory object, navigate to Administration > Inventory > vSphere vCenter Plug-in in the Automation Orchestrator Client.