Using Content Libraries

Use the vSphere Automation API to access the Content Library service and use it to store and share different types of content in your vSphere environment. Content libraries are vSphere container objects for storing and sharing OVF and OVA packages, VM templates, vApp templates, and other types of files.

You can use content libraries to share VM and vApp templates, and other types of files, such as ISO images, text files, and so on, across the vCenter Server instances in the same or different locations. Sharing templates across your virtual environment promotes consistency, compliance, efficiency, and automation in deploying workloads at scale.

You use library items to store and manage content in a content library. A single library item can contain one or more files. For example, an OVF package consists of a .vmdk file, manifest file, and others, but it is represented by a single library item.

Starting with vSphere 7.0 Update 3, you can add a security policy to a local or subscribed content library and thus protect your system when you synchronize or download library content from third party providers.