ESX Agent ManagerLast Updated December 16, 2024
You can add functions to vSphere by developing software applications that you register as vCenter Server extensions. A vSphere Solution is an extension that registers with vCenter Server and implements some or all of the extension features of the vSphere API.
You can deploy a solution as an Open Virtualization Format (OVF) package, with optional VMware vSphere Installation Bundles (VIB). You can also install solutions by using an installer, such as Windows Installer (MSI) or RPM Package Manager. Most of the extension functions in the vSphere API are independent of the technology that you use to deploy a solution. If you deploy a solution by using OVF, you can use the vCenter Extension vService to simplify the registration of the solution with vCenter Server.
You can create two types of vSphere solutions:
- A vService is a service that a solution provides to specific applications that run inside virtual machines and vApps. A solution can provide several types of vServices. Virtual machines or vApps can have dependencies on several types of vServices.
- A vSphere ESX agent is a virtual machine and an optional vSphere Installation Bundle (VIB) that extends the functions of an ESXi host to provide additional services that a vSphere solution requires.
The vService Manager and ESX Agent Manager are pre-built solutions that are part of the vCenter Server Extensions functionality within the vCenter Server.
vSphere ESX Agent Manager is an intermediary between vCenter Server and a solution with two key aspects:
- provisioning agent virtual machines and VIB modules for the solution onto a scope in vCenter Server
- monitoring changes to the agent virtual machines and scope in vCenter Server, and reporting them back to the solution
vSphere ESX Agent Manager exposes a SOAP-based API similar to the VIM API, that solutions use to register and monitor agents. The SDK includes a Model-View-Controller framework and library functions for developing vSphere extensions that interface with the vSphere Web Services (VIM) API. It is bundled in the vSphere Management SDK.
The EAM service endpoint is
For more information about using the ESX Agent Manager, see the following publication:
- Developing and Deploying vSphere Solutions, vServices, and ESX Agents