VMware vSphere SDKs and Tools 8.0

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Remote Plug-in Deployment Example with Simultaneous Users

After being detected, a remote plug-in will be scheduled for deployment in the vSphere Client. The deployment of a remote plug-in, on a high level, consists of the following stages:
  • vCenter Server downloads the remote plug-in manifest.
  • vCenter Server parses the plug-in manifest.
  • vCenter Server configures the VMware reverse HTTP proxy to route plug-in UI traffic.
After these stages complete successfully, the vSphere Client UI displays a notification message that the remote plug-in is installed.
This example shows in more detail how the deployment process works, in a situation involving three users simultaneously accessing the data center. The initial state consists of the following:
  • Three vCenter Server instances in an ELM environment: vCENTER-0, vCENTER-1, and vCENTER-2.
  • Three users are accessing the data center: Alpha, Blue, and Claire.
  • Blue and Claire are already browsing the vSphere UI loaded from
    vCENTER-0
    • Blue is looking at the summary page of
      VM-1
       managed by
      vCENTER-1
      .
    • Claire is looking at the summary page of
      VM-2
       managed by
      vCENTER-2
      .
  • Alpha is about to install a plug-in from Example Company:
This diagram shows the initial state of the deployment example.
  1. Alpha installs and configures the back-end server for the
    ExampleCo
     plug-in:
    This diagram shows step 1 of the deployment example.
  2. Alpha registers the
    ExampleCo
     plug-in with the
    vCENTER-1
     ExtensionManager by using Example Company's plug-in installer:
    This diagram shows step 2 of the deployment example.
  3. The plug-in registration triggers notifications to all linked vCenter Server instances:
    This diagram shows step 3 of the deployment example.
  4. The
    vsphere-ui
     service in each vCenter Server instance downloads the plug-in manifest JSON of the
    ExampleCo
     plug-in from the plug-in manifest URL in the extension registration record:
    This diagram shows step 4 of the deployment example.
  5. The vsphere-ui service in
    vCENTER-0
     sends notifications to currently logged in vSphere Client users (Blue and Claire). Each user sees a blue notification banner at the top of the screen:
    This diagram shows step 5 of the deployment example.
  6. When Blue refreshes the vSphere Client UI in the browser, the
    ExampleCo
     plug-in is loaded for this user. The plug-in adds a card that extends the summary page of VMs. Because
    VM-1
     is managed by
    vCENTER-1
    , which has the
    ExampleCo
     plug-in registered, Blue sees the newly added card:
    This diagram shows step 6 of the deployment example.
  7. When Claire refreshes the vSphere Client UI in the browser, the
    ExampleCo
     plug-in can now be loaded for this user. However, Claire is looking at
    VM-2
    , which is managed by
    vCENTER-2
    . Because
    vCENTER-2
     does not have the
    ExampleCo
     plug-in registered, Claire does not see the newly added card.
    If Claire later navigates to a VM on
    vCENTER-1
    , the vSphere Client will display the card added by the
    ExampleCo
     plug-in.
    This diagram shows step 7 of the deployment example.
  8. Alpha logs in to the vSphere UI connected to
    VCENTER-0
    :
    This diagram shows step 8 of the deployment example.
  9. Alpha has completed the login and has loaded the vSphere Client UI, which displays the home screen of the vSphere Client.
    VCENTER-0
     deployed the
    ExampleCo
     plug-in prior to the login, so Alpha sees the new home page menu item and the shortcut link immediately:
    This diagram shows step 9 of the deployment example.

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