pyVmomi is the Python SDK for the VMware vSphere API that allows you to manage ESX, ESXi, and vCenter.

Getting Started

To get started, see the getting started guide. You'll need Python, pip, and the samples project.

• http://vmware.github.io/pyvmomi-community-samples/
• community discussion on IRC freenode.net channels #pyvmomi and #pyvmomi-dev
• community email is on nabble

Don't know what pip is? Any serious python developer should know, so here's a throrough intro to pip that we like.

Installing

The master is code that is in development, official releases are tagged and posted to pypi

• The official release is available using pip, just run pip install --upgrade pyvmomi.
• To install the version in github use python setup.py develop for development install or python setup.py install.

Testing

Unit tests can be invoked by using the tox command. You may have to configure multiple python interpreters so that you can test in all the environments listed in tox.ini or you will have to run tox with the -e flag to run only in your version of python. For example, if you only have Python 2.7 then tox -e py27 will limit your test run to Python 2.7.

Contributing

• Research open issues
• Follow the contribution standards
• Coordinate with other developers on the project.

Documentation

For general language neutral documentation of vSphere Management API see:

• vSphere WS SDK API Docs

Python Support

• pyVmomi 6.5 supports 2.7, 3.3, 3.4 and 3.5
• pyVmomi 6.0.0.2016.4 and later support 2.7, 3.3 and 3.4
• pyVmomi 6.0.0 and later support 2.7, 3.3 and 3.4
• pyVmomi 5.5.0-2014.1 and 5.5.0-2014.1.1 support Python 2.6, 2.7, 3.3 and 3.4
• pyVmomi 5.5.0 and below support Python 2.6 and 2.7

Compatibility Policy

pyVmomi versions are marked vSphere_version-release . Pyvmomi maintains minimum backward compatibility with the previous _four_ releases of vSphere and it's own previous four releases. Compatibility with much older versions may continue to work but will not be actively supported.

For example, version v6.0.0 is most compatible with vSphere 6.0, 5.5, 5.1 and 5.0. Initial releases compatible with a version of vSphere will bare a naked version number of v6.0.0 indicating that version of pyVmomi was released simultaneously with the GA version of vSphere with the same version number.

Related Projects

• VMware vSphere Automation SDK for Python: https://developercenter.vmware.com/web/sdk/65/vsphere-automation-python
• Samples Project: https://github.com/vmware/pyvmomi-community-samples
• Feature Incubator: pyvmomi-tools https://github.com/vmware/pyvmomi-tools

Have fun!