Command suite for VMWare

What is Vmesh?

Vmesh is a Command Suite (think git) to make managing VMWare components easier and possible without leaving your local machine.

THIS IS ALPHA!

Vmesh is currently Alpha, hence the 0-dot version; it is susceptible to methods, classes and modules being renamed, added or deleted.

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Setup

Install the gem

  gem install vmesh

You can now start using it, e.g. list top level dirs

  vmesh --datacenter=my.datacenter.com --host=my.vcenter.host.com ls

I don't want to type my connection config every time

Vmesh can save config so you don't have to type it each time, use initconfig with an alias like so

  vmesh my_alias --datacenter=my.datacenter.com --host=my.vcenter.host.com initconfig

Commands are now as easy as

  vmesh my_alias ls

How to setup cloning servers

Define the image types, their relevant template and any custom specs by editing the server_defaults.rb file

  lib/vmesh/server_defaults.rb

e.g. an entry similar to

  :linux => {
    :name => 'Templates/CENTOS_6',
    :spec => 'Linux No Prompt'
  },

then to create a server named vmlinux01 cloned from 'Templates/CENTOS_6' template using a custom spec called Linux No Prompt

  vmesh create vmlinux01 linux

AMG It complains about vtypes and stuff

Usage

Help

Get help

  vmesh --help

Help on a specific command, e.g. get help for create

  vmesh create --help

Create or clone

IP Handling

Assuming you have a custom spec defined vmesh can set the IP Address like

  vmesh create vmweb01 linux --ip_address='192.168.0.10'

When creating multiple servers vmesh automatically increments the IP Address, e.g.

  vmesh create "vmweb01,vmweb02" linux --ip_address='192.168.0.10'

creates the following servers

server name ip
vmweb01 192.168.0.10
vmweb02 192.168.0.11
How vmesh deals with datastores

When specifying datastore vmesh will use a datastore matching name exactly, if it doesn't find a match it will gets all datastores with this string in their name then uses the one with the most free space.

  vmesh create my_vm_name2 windows12 [--ip_address='<ip_address>'] --datastore='SEARCH_STRING' [--folder='DESTINATION_FOLDER']

e.g. for the above, if datastores exist with names FIRST_SEARCH_STRING, ANOTHER_SEARCH_STRING it will find both (as they both contain "SEARCH_STRING") then use the one with the most free space.

Create or clone

To set the annotations on a vm named vmweb01

  vmesh annotate vmweb01 set "Here is a nice note about this rather generically named web server\nAnd here's a new line simply because we can!"

To get any annotation

  vmesh annotate vmweb01 get

Power

To change the power state of a VM

  vmesh power 'folder/machine_name' on

  vmesh power 'folder/machine_name' off
Deleting a VM can be done with the command
  vmesh power 'folder/machine_name' destroy

List

Note you can use ls, dir or list

List vms and directories at the top level

  vmesh ls

List recursively

  vmesh ls -r

List directories only

  vmesh ls -d

Disk Usage

Note you can use df or diskspace

Display disk usage for all disks at current dc

  vmesh df

Display disk usage for all disks with 'gold' in the name

  vmesh df gold

TODOs

  • Find vm would be nice

  • Sort out problem with upstream rbvmomi/nogokiri

  • Create

    • Don't create new vm if less than 10% space

  • Power

    • Query & display state after operation completes

  • General

    • Make the output nicer for terminal output, as in, passing to other commands.
    • Performance enhancements would be nice
    • Server defaults in external configuration, e.g. Symlink to config/shared/ or etcd

Copyright (c) 2014 Kurt Gardiner. See LICENSE.txt for further details.