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Table Of Contents
Configuring Adapters 2
vCenter Operations Manager uses adapters to exchange information with the data collection landscape.
Configuring adapters involves defining and maintaining adapter instances and credentials.
This chapter includes the following topics:
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“How Adapters Collect and Process Data,” on page 13
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“Defining Adapter Instances,” on page 14
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“Modifying Adapter Instances,” on page 16
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“Customize an Adapter Kind Icon,” on page 17
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“Suppress No Data Receiving Alerts,” on page 17
How Adapters Collect and Process Data
Adapters work with the vCenter Operations Manager Collector to collect and process data.
The Collector acts as a gateway between vCenter Operations Manager and its adapters. The adapters connect
to and collect data from data sources, transform the data into a format that vCenter Operations Manager can
consume, and pass the data to the Collector for final processing.
Depending on the data source and the adapter implementation, an adapter might collect data by making API
calls, using a command-line interface, or sending database queries. Some adapters collect data for each resource
independently and other adapters extract data for all resources based on a specified time range.
vCenter Operations Manager uses embedded adapters and external adapters. Embedded adapters are the most
common type of adapter implementation.
Embedded Adapters
An embedded adapter is a Java component that runs as a plug-in in the Collector. Embedded adapters actively
connect to a data source and pull values from it.
Advantages of embedded adapters include better maintainability, control, and visibility into the management
of the adapter and the data that it collects. Embedded adapters also use common functions, such as job
scheduling, that are already part of the Collector.
VMware, Inc.
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