The vSphere Client SDK contains a plug-in registration tool that manages plug-in extension registration records in the vCenter Server ExtensionManager. The tool registers, unregisters, or updates the registration record of a plug-in.

Plug-in Registration Script

To register a plug-in, use the script in the SDK: tools/vCenter plugin registration/prebuilt/extension-registration.sh, which is a wrapper for a Java tool. The registration tool opens a session with the vCenter Server instance using the VMware Web Services API.

Plug-in Registration Script Syntax

The arguments of the registration script function as follows:

  • -action (required) can be one of:

    • registerPlugin

    • updatePlugin

    • unregisterPlugin

    • isPluginRegistered

  • -c or -company is the name of the plug-in vendor.

  • --insecure bypasses security checks on the vCenter Server certificate. This is not recommended for a production environment.

  • -k or -key (required) is an identification string for the plug-in. The plug-in registration record in the vCenter Server ExtensionManager contains this identification.

  • -local (default) is used to register or update a local plug-in. See also -remote.

  • -n or -name is a user-friendly identification string for the plug-in.

  • -p or -password (required) authenticates the vCenter Server user account. See also -username.

  • -ps or -pluginServers is a string that contains a JSON array of objects that specify endpoints for auxiliary services belonging to the plug-in. Each endpoint object must contain a url property to enable connections to the endpoint. The URL must specify HTTP or HTTPS as the protocol. The type property, required for auxiliary servers, is a service registration identifier string by which the plug-in front end can discover a needed endpoint.

    Optional properties that can also be present in the object are:

    • ServerThumbprint is the thumbprint of the auxiliary server's SSL certificate. See the constraints for the -st argument.

    • label (not currently used)

    • Summary is a brief description of the auxiliary server.

    • Company is the name of the plug-in server vendor.

    • adminEmail

  • -pu or -pluginUrl (required to register a plug-in) is the URL of the plug-in manifest served by the plug-in back end. The path segment of the -pluginUrl must be specified relative to the directory where you run the plug-in server.

  • -remote (required for a remote plug-in) is used to register or update a remote plug-in. See also -local.

  • -s or -summary is a brief description of the plug-in.

  • -show or -showInSolutionManager specifies that the plug-in will appear in the Solutions list of the Administration panel.

  • -st or -serverThumbprint (required to register a plug-in) is the SHA-256 signature of the plug-in back-end server certificate. Pairs of digits must be separated by colon separators.

    Note:

    A SHA-1 fingerprint is also supported, but SHA-1 is deprecated in favor of SHA-256.

  • -u or -username (required) identifies a vCenter Server user account that has permission to write to the vCenter Server ExtensionManager. See also -password.

  • -url (required) is the URL of the /sdk resource of the vCenter Server. Use the fully qualified domain name of the vCenter Server instance. For example: https://my-vcsa.example.com/sdk

  • -v or -version (required) identifies the plug-in version.

  • -vct or --vcenterServerThumbprint supplies the certificate thumbprint for the vCenter Server instance. You can use this in development environments when the certificate is self-signed or otherwise not recognized by the browser.