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Embedded adapters create resources through manual or auto-discovery. A particular embedded adapter might
support one or both resource creation methods.
Manual discovery
You send a request to the data source to return all available resources and select
the resources to add. This method is often referred to as discovering resources
or the discovery process.
Auto-discovery
The data collection process discovers new resources and creates the resources
for you. You do not need to manually add new resources.
You configure and manage embedded adapters in the user interface.
External Adapters
External adapters push data from outside sources. The key advantage of an external adapter is flexibility in
how the adapter is created and deployed.
External adapters use vCenter Operations Manager OpenAPI to send information. OpenAPI has a simple form,
which accepts data through an HTTP request, and an advanced form, which uses Java RMI.
External adapters use auto-discovery to create resources. With auto-discovery, the data collection process
discovers new resources and creates the resources for you. You do not need to manually add new resources.
You configure and manage external adapters outside of the user interface.
Types of Data that Adapters Collect
Adapters typically collect metrics, resource relationships, and change events from an external data source. Not
all adapters can collect all types of data.
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A metric is an instance of an attribute for a particular resource. For each metric,
vCenter Operations Manager Enterprise collects and stores multiple instances over time. Each piece of
data is called a metric observation or value.
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Resource relationships describe how resources are related to each other. For example, one resource might
be a child resource and another resource might be a parent resource.
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A change event is any change to the environment, such as a system reboot.
vCenter Operations Manager Enterprise stores metrics in the File System Database (FSDB).
vCenter Operations Manager Enterprise Standalone can store change events in a Microsoft SQL or Oracle
database. The vCenter Operations Manager Enterprise vApp stores change events in a PostgreSQL database.
VMware vCenter Operations Manager Enterprise Adapter Guide
10 VMware, Inc.