You can create a local content library by using the

POST https://<vcenter_ip_address_or_fqdn>/api/content/local-library

HTTP request.

To make the library content available for other

vCenter Server

instances across the

vSphere Automation

environment, you must publish the library. Depending on your workflow, select a method for publishing the local library. You can publish a local library that exists in your

vSphere Automation

environment by using the

POST https://<vcenter_ip_address_or_fqdn>/api/content/local-library/<

library_id

>?action=publish

HTTP request.

You can subscribe to local content libraries. When you subscribe to a library, you must specify the backing storage for the library content. If the library requires basic authentication, you must also provide the correct user name and password. You can create a subscribed library by using the

POST https://<vcenter_ip_address_or_fqdn>/api/content/subscribed-library

HTTP request.

When you subscribe to a published library, you can configure the settings for downloading and updating the library content. You can force the synchronization of a subscribed library by using the

POST https://<vcenter_ip_address_or_fqdn>/api/content/subscribed-library/<

library_id

>?action=sync

HTTP request.

You can update the settings of content library types in your virtual environment. You can update the settings of a local library by using the

PATCH https://<vcenter_ip_address_or_fqdn>/api/content/local-library/<

library_id

>

HTTP request. You can update the settings of a subscribed library by using the

PATCH https://<vcenter_ip_address_or_fqdn>/api/content/subscribed-library/<

library_id

>

HTTP request.

You can free storage space in your virtual environment by removing the subscribed library content that you no longer need.

You can create a subscribed library with the option to download the library content on demand. As a result, only the metadata for the library items is stored in the associated with the subscribed library storage. When you want to deploy a virtual machine from a VM temple in the subscribed library, you must synchronize the subscribed library to download the entire published library content. When you no longer need the VM template, you can use the

POST https://<vcenter_ip_address_or_fqdn>/api/content/subscribed-library/<

library_id

>?action=evict

HTTP request. You must provide the subscribed library ID to this function. As a result, the subscribed library content that is cached on the backing storage is deleted.

If the subscribed library is not configured to synchronize on demand, an exception is thrown. In this case the subscribed library always attempts to have the most recent published library content.

When you no longer need a content library, you can use the

Delete

operation on either the

Local Library

or the

Subscribed Library

service depending on the library type. You can delete a local library by using the

DELETE https://<vcenter_ip_address_or_fqdn>/api/content/local-library/<

library_id

>

HTTP request. You can delete a subscribed library by using the

DELETE https://<vcenter_ip_address_or_fqdn>/api/content/subscribed-library/<

library_id

>

HTTP request.