Set the Types of the Virtual Machines or vApps that the Extension Manages

You can set properties in the ExtManagedEntityInfo data object to define how the vSphere Client displays the different types of virtual machines and vApps that an extension deploys.

If you set the ManagedByInfo type property in a virtual machine or vApp configuration, you can configure an extension to apply certain properties to all the virtual machines or vApps of that type that it deploys. You can implement the ExtManagedEntityInfo data object to apply a common description and an icon that appears in the vCenter inventory for all virtual machines of that type that the extension deploys.

You add an array of ExtManagedEntityInfo objects to an extension by setting the Extension managedEntityInfo property. If your extension deploys different types of virtual machine or vApp, you can add one ExtManagedEntityInfo object to the array for each type of virtual machine or vApp. By creating several instances of ExtManagedEntityInfo with different properties, you can differentiate the different types of virtual machines or vApps that the extension deploys in the vCenter inventory.

Prerequisites

Verify that you have set the managedBy property in the configuration of the virtual machines or vApps that an extension deploys. See Identify the Virtual Machines or vApps that an Extension Manages.

Procedure

Create an instance of ExtManagedEntityInfo in the implementation of Extension in the program that manages the extension.
```
Extension extension = new Extension();
ExtManagedEntityInfo extManagedEntityInfo = new ExtManagedEntityInfo();
```
Set the ExtManagedEntityInfo type property to the type value that you set in the ManagedByInfo property in the program that defines the virtual machine or vApp to deploy.
For example, set the type property to the same value as the type property of the ManagedByInfo object.
```
extManagedEntityInfo.setType("your_vm_type");
```
Add the ExtManagedEntityInfo instance to the array of ExtManagedEntityInfo instances in the Extension managedEntityInfo property.
```
extension.getManagedEntityInfo().add(extManagedEntityInfo);
```

Results

You set the types of virtual machine or vApp that the extension manages. When you set different types of virtual machine or vApp in an extension, you can change how those types of object appear in the vSphere inventory.

What to do next

Set a description for the types of object that the extension manages.