vSphere SDK for Perl Programming Guide - Documentation - VMware

vSphere SDK for Perl Programming Guide
Table 2-1. Basic vSphere SDK for Perl Script (simpleclient.pl) (Continued)
Code element Discussed in
my %opts = (
entity => {
type => "=s",
variable => "VI_ENTITY",
help => "ManagedEntity type: HostSystem, etc",
required => 1,
},
);
Opts::add_options(%opts);
Opts::parse();
Opts::validate();
Step 1: Import the vSphere SDK for Perl Modules
All vSphere SDK for Perl scripts must use the VMware::VIRuntime module:
use VMware::VIRuntime;
This module handles all client‐side infrastructure details. For example, it transparently maps data types and
provides local Perl interfaces to server‐side objects. The module also loads subroutines that you can use to
connect to a vCenter Server or ESX/ESXi system and to retrieve views. Views are the client‐side Perl objects
that encapsulate the properties and operations of server‐side managed objects. The subroutines are organized
into different packages:
The Opts package subroutines handle built‐in options and creating custom options.
The Util package subroutines facilitate routine tasks, such as setting up and closing connections to the
server.
The Vim package subroutines access server‐side managed objects, instantiate local proxy objects (views),
update properties, and run local methods that result in operations on remote servers.
See “vSphere SDK for Perl Subroutine Reference” on page 41.
“Step 2: (Optional) Define Script‐Specific
Command‐Line Options” on page 20.
Util::connect(); “Step 3: Connect to the Server” on page 22.
# Obtain all inventory objects of the specified type
my $entity_type = Opts::get_option('entity');
my $entity_views = Vim::find_entity_views(
view_type => $entity_type);
# Process the findings and output to the console
foreach my $entity_view (@$entity_views) {
my $entity_name = $entity_view->name;
Util::trace(0, "Found $entity_type:
$entity_name\n");
}
# Disconnect from the server
Util::disconnect();
“Step 4: Obtain View Objects of Server‐Side
Managed Objects” on page 22.
“Step 5: Process Views and Report Results”
on page 22.
“Step 6: Close the Server Connection” on
page 23.
Step 2: (Optional) Define Script-Specific Command-Line Options
When you run a script from the command line, you usually specify connection information and might also
specify other information such as a virtual machine that you want to power off or a host for which you need
status information. vSphere SDK for Perl lets you specify these options in a variety of ways. See “Specifying
Options” on page 13.
A number of common command‐line options, most of them connection options, are already defined for all
utility applications (see Table 1‐3, “Options Available for all vSphere SDK for Perl Scripts,” on page 15). In
addition, most applications have application‐specific options you pass to the script at execution time.
20 VMware, Inc.