The Automation Orchestrator plug-in for VMware vSphere® Update Manager™ allows interaction between Automation Orchestrator and VMware vSphere Update Manager/vSphere Lifecycle Manager. You can use the plug-in to runAutomation Orchestrator workflows that automate vSphere Update Manager processes. The plug-in contains a set of standard workflows. You can also create custom workflows that implement the plug-in API to automate tasks in your vSphere environment.

Role of Automation Orchestrator with the vSphere Update Manager Plug-in

Automation Orchestrator powers the vSphere Update Manager plug-in.

You can use the plug-in to run Automation Orchestrator workflows that interact with vSphere Update Manager to perform automated tasks in the vSphere infrastructure. vSphere Update Manager enables centralized, automated patch and version management for VMware vSphere, and offers support for VMware ESX/ESXi hosts and virtual machines.

With the vSphere Update Manager plug-in, you can perform the following tasks:
  • Upgrade and patch ESX/ESXi hosts.
  • Install and update third-party software on hosts.
  • Upgrade virtual machine hardware and VMware Tools.

To learn more about vSphere Update Manager, see the vSphere Update Manager Installation and Administration Guide.

Functional Prerequisites for the vSphere Update Manager Plug-In

vSphere Update Manager requires network connectivity with VMware vCenter™. Each installation of vSphere Update Manager must be associated with a single vCenter instance. For instructions about configuring a vCenter connection, see Connect the vSphere Update Manager plug-in to vCenter.

vSphere Update Manager Plug-In Scripting API

The vSphere Update Manager plug-in supports the following:
  • vSphere API versions 6.7, 7.0, 7.0 U1, 7.0 U2.
  • vSphere Update Manager API version 6.0 to 8.0.

The vSphere Update Manager plug-in scripting API contains classes, with their respective attributes and methods, that allow interaction between Automation Orchestrator and vSphere Update Manager. You can use the API to develop custom workflows that interact with vSphere Update Manager.

In the Automation Orchestrator API Explorer, click the VUM module in the left pane to expand the hierarchical list of vSphere Update Manager plug-in API scripting objects. You can search the plug-in API and see the documentation for JavaScript objects that you can use in scripted elements. You can copy code from API elements and paste it into scripting boxes.

Using the vSphere Update Manager Plug-In Inventory

The vSphere Update Manager plug-in exposes all objects in the connected vSphere Update Manager instance in the Inventory view in the Automation Orchestrator Client. You can use the Inventory view to add authorization elements or to run workflows on vSphere objects.

To display all available inventory objects, navigate to Administration > Inventory > VMware Update Manager in the Automation Orchestrator Client.

Access the vSphere Update Manager Plug-In Workflow Library

The vSphere Update Manager plug-in workflow library contains workflows that you can use to run automated processes related to the management of vSphere objects in the inventory of the vCenter with which vSphere Update Manager is registered.

You can integrate standard workflows from the workflow library to create custom workflows.

For a full list of available workflows, navigate to Library > Workflows > vCenter Update Manager in the Automation Orchestrator Client. See vSphere Update Manager Plug-In Workflow Library.