You can install the vSphere SDK for Perl and run a command to verify that installation was successful.

Note: The vSphere SDK for Perl installer package is based on the deprecated vSphere CLI installer package and is incompatible with existing vSphere CLI installations.

Prerequisites

  • Verify that there is no existing vSphere CLI installation on the system.
  • Verify that you have installed the required prerequisite software.

Procedure

  1. Download the vSphere SDK for Perl Linux installer package.
    You can find the installer in the Automation Tools and SDKs section of the Drivers & Tools tab of the vSphere download page.
  2. Log in as root.
  3. Untar the vSphere SDK for Perl binary that you downloaded. 
    tar –zxvf VMware-vSphere-Perl-SDK-7.X.X-XXXXX.x86_64.tar.gz
    A vmware-vsphere-vcli-distrib directory is created.
  4. (Optional) If your server uses a proxy to access the Internet, and if your http:// and ftp:// proxy were not set when you installed prerequisite software, set them now. 
    export http_proxy=<proxy_server>:port
export ftp_proxy=<proxy_server>:port
  5. Run the installer. 
    sudo vmware-vsphere-cli-distrib/vmware-install.pl
  6. To accept the license terms, enter yes and press Enter.
    The installer connects to CPAN and installs prerequisite software. Establishing a connection might take a long time.
  7. Specify an installation directory, or press Enter to accept the default, which is /usr/bin.
    A complete installation process has the following result.
    • A success message appears.
    • The installer lists different version numbers for required modules, if any.
    • The prompt returns to the shell prompt.

Results

If you accepted the defaults during installation, you can find the installed software in the following locations.

  • vSphere SDK for Perl scripts – /usr/bin
  • vSphere SDK for Perl utility applications – /usr/lib/vmware-vcli/apps
  • vSphere SDK for Perl sample scripts – /usr/share/doc/vmware-vcli/samples

What to do next

See the vSphere SDK for Perl documentation for a reference to all utility applications. After you install vSphere SDK for Perl, you can test the installation by running a utility application from the command line.