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Exploring new VCSA VAMI API w/PowerCLI: Part 3

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In Part 3, we are going to look at auditing the different ways you can access the VCSA which includes direct console access (TTY1), Direct-Console UI (TTY2), whether the Bash Shell is enabled and remote SSH access. This is especially useful if you need to ensure certain interfaces like SSH is always disabled and you can even create scheduled task that would periodically run the PowerCLI script and generate either an email or some other notification when a particular access interface is enabled when it is not supposed to be.

VAMI UI Area of Focus

We will be retrieving the two access configurations properties shown in the VAMI UI today as well as two additional properties that are not displayed.

VAMI APIs Used

  • GET /appliance/access/consoleui
  • GET /appliance/access/dcui
  • GET /appliance/access/shell
  • GET /appliance/access/ssh

PowerCLI Function

Sample Output


The output is fairly straight forward, just boolean specifying whether each of the access types are either enabled or disabled. To make changes to any of these settings, you just need to use the PUT operation against the specific access endpoint that you wish to enable or disable. I will leave that as an exercise for the reader.

Exploring new VCSA VAMI API w/PowerCLI: Part 2

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In Part 2 of this series, we take a look at how to monitor the health of your vCenter Server Appliance (VCSA) by retrieving some of the health metrics that are exposed by the Virtual Appliance Management Interface (VAMI).

VAMI UI Area of Focus

Regardless if you have an Embedded VCSA, External PSC or External VCSA node, there are four basic health metrics that are shown in the VAMI UI today: overall health of the system, CPU, memory and the last time the health check was performed. If you are running an Embedded VCSA or External VCSA, there is an additional health metric for the vCenter Server Database (VCDB) as shown in the screenshot below. Interestingly, while going through the health APIs, I also found a few more metrics that are currently not displayed in the VAMI UI today. These additional metrics include Swap, Storage and Software packages which can also be useful to monitor, especially on the storage front.

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Exploring new VCSA VAMI API w/PowerCLI: Part 1

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One of the most most exciting developments in vSphere 6.5 with respect to Automation is the introduction of several new REST APIs included in the vCenter Server Appliance (VCSA). In addition to covering some of the existing capabilities like vSphere Content Library and Tagging, customers will now have access to a new basic Virtual Machine management API that has been greatly simplified compared to the traditional vSphere SOAP API and access to the VCSA's Virtual Appliance Management Interface API, also known to most as the VAMI.

I am particular excited about the VAMI REST API as this is where customers will be able to manage the entire full lifecycle of their VCSA/PSC which will eventually include all Day 2 operations as well as Install, Upgrade, Migrate and Recovery capabilities. This initial release of the VAMI REST API covers most of the functionality found in the current VAMI UI by going to https://[VCSA]:5480 after your VCSA or PSC has been deployed.

Not having spent a whole lot of time with the new VAMI REST API, I figured a good way for me to learn more about the APIs was to consume it and what better way than using PowerCLI? With PowerCLI 6.5 R1 (Windows version) release, there is a new Connect-CisServer and Get-CisService cmdlet that provides you access to these new REST APIs including the VAMI APIs. As I explore the new VAMI APIs, I plan to create a new VAMI PowerCLI Module that contains functions exerising some of the new APIs that you see today in the VAMI UI.

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