1.5
Table Of Contents
- vCloud API Programming Guide
- Contents
- vCloud API Programming Guide
- About the VMware vCloud API
- Hello vCloud: A Simplified RESTful Workflow
- Exploring a Cloud
- Provisioning an Organization with vApps, Templates, and Media
- Deploying and Operating vApps
- Summary of vCloud API vApp and Virtual Machine Operations Requests
- Create a vApp From a Template
- Compose a vApp From Existing Virtual Machines
- Recompose a vApp to Add or Remove Virtual Machines
- Operate a vApp
- Configuring vApps and Virtual Machines
- Retrieve the Configuration Links for a vApp
- Retrieve the Configuration Links for a Virtual Machine
- Retrieve or Update a Modifiable Section
- Update a vApp Network Configuration
- Update the NetworkConnectionSection of a Virtual Machine
- Retrieve or Modify the CPU Configuration of a Virtual Machine
- Retrieve or Modify the GuestCustomizationSection of a Virtual Machine
- Retrieve or Modify ProductSection Elements
- Retrieve or Modify Groups of Related Sections in a Virtual Machine
- Retrieve or Modify the Hard Disk Configuration of a Virtual Machine
- Creating, Provisioning, and Managing Organizations
- Summary of Administrative Requests
- Administrator Credentials and Privileges
- Organization Administration
- Network Administration
- vDC Administration
- Catalog Administration
- User and Group Administration
- Working With Roles and Rights
- Controlling Access to vApps and Catalogs
- Using vCloud API Extensions to Provision and Manage a Cloud
- Working With Object Metadata
- Using the Query Service
- Configuring and Using Blocking Tasks and Notifications
- XML Representations in the vCloud API
- Index
Capturing and Importing vApps
You can capture a vApp to create a vApp template from it. If you are a system administrator, you can also
import vApps and vApp templates from vSphere.
Every vDC includes a Link of the following form:
<Link
rel="add"
type="application/vnd.vmware.vcloud.captureVAppParams+xml"
href="https://vcloud.example.com/api/vdc/5/action/captureVApp"/>
You can POST a CaptureVAppParams request to this link to capture an undeployed vApp. The operation returns
a VAppTemplate that you can add to a catalog. Instantiating this template recreates the vApp from which it was
captured. Most elements of a vApp template are read-only, but you can instantiate a template, modify the
resulting vApp, and then capture it to create a modified version of the template.
For more information and an example, see the captureVApp operation in the schema reference.
Importing vApps or vApp Templates from vSphere
A system administrator can import vApps and vApp templates from vSphere. See “Import a Virtual Machine
from vCenter,” on page 189.
Cataloging vApp Templates and Media Images
Catalogs can contain references to vApp templates and media images. A system administrator or a privileged
member of the organization that owns the catalog can create and remove these references.
Although you can retrieve references to vApp templates and media images directly from the vDC to which
they were uploaded, it is common practice to place references to such assets in one of an organization’s catalogs.
When you place the references in a catalog, the assets are easier to discover, because a catalog can include assets
from all vDCs in an organization. You also have more flexible administrative control over them, because you
can restrict access to catalogs and the items in them to specific users and groups. Assets such as vApp templates
are not enabled for most uses until you include them in a catalog. For example, you cannot instantiate a vApp
template that is not included in a catalog. A media image that is not included in a catalog cannot be copied or
inserted by anyone but its owner.
Add an Item to a Catalog
A catalog can contain references to vApp templates and media images from any vDC in an organization. A
vApp template or media image can be listed in at most one catalog.
Prerequisites
Verify that you are logged in as a user with the Catalog Author role, as an organization administrator, or as a
system administrator.
Procedure
1 Retrieve the XML representation of your organization and look for links to the catalogs and vDCs it
contains.
Links to catalogs have the following form:
<Link rel="down"
type="application/vnd.vmware.vcloud.catalog+xml"
name="CatalogName"
href="https://vcloud.example.com/api/catalog/32"/>
vCloud API Programming Guide
70 VMware, Inc.