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VMware VirtualCenter 1.1 Support Documentation


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Finishing VirtualCenter Web Service Installation

After installing the SDK component, it is recommended that you perform and/or verify the steps in the following sections:

Verifying VirtualCenter Web Service Installation

Verifying VirtualCenter Web Service Installation

After installing the VirtualCenter Web service, you can verify that it is installed and working correctly using the following steps.

  1. Validate that VirtualCenter is installed and running correctly by opening a VirtualCenter client and connecting to the VirtualCenter server. If VirtualCenter is not running, the Web service will not function. Log in with the same username and password that you entered during installation to make sure that those are valid.
  2. Open Internet Explorer on the Windows machine on which the two services are running and open the following URL.

    C:\Documents and Settings\All Users\Application Data\VMware\VMware VirtualCenter\VMA\login\login.html

  3. Optionally, enable access from remote locations.
    1. Using a text editor, open the vmaConfig.xml file to include the URL path.

      The file is located at: C:\Documents and Settings\All Users\Application Data\VMware\VMware VirtualCenter\VMA

      This file is designated as hidden. Make sure your Windows Explorer is set to view hidden files if you cannot see it.

    2. Add the following:

      <vma>
      <service>
      ...
      <docRoot>C:\Documents and Settings\All Users\Application
      Data\VMware\VMware VirtualCenter\VMA\login</docRoot>
      </service>
      ...
      </vma>

    3. Save the file.
    4. Restart the Web service.
    5. Type the Web service URL directly into your browser specifying the Web service host machine. For example:

      https://<webservicemachine>:8443/login.html

      Note: Use caution when putting the docRoot element into vmaConfig.xml. Since this allows access to all files below the specified directory, a mistake in the docRoot directory path or placing documents in the directory that should not be present in it, can result in documents not intended for public access becoming inadvertently accessible.

  4. Enter the login information

    1. Type your user name and password.
    2. Type the Web service URL, for example:

      https://localhost:8443

      Note: 8443 is the default port number. If you entered a different port number during installation, use that instead.

      If the Web service is installed correctly, an XML message or file is displayed in the browse. This indicates that the Web service is operating and responding to queries.

      If VirtualCenter does not accept the username and password you entered, the XML message indicates permission denied.

      If VirtualCenter does accept the username and password you entered, an XML file similar to the one below, showing the top-level information paths available through the Web service.

      If you see a page not-found message ensure that you have the correct port number by reviewing the vmaConfig.xml file.

      If you get different behavior, ensure that the username and password you entered during installation are valid within VirtualCenter. Even if you enter an acceptable username and password through the browser, if the Web service itself is not configured with valid credentials, it will not operate correctly. If necessary, modify the Web service configuration as described in Changing VMware Web Service Options After Installation, or uninstall and re-install the Web service.

      <?xml version="1.0" encoding="UTF-8" ?>
      - <env:Envelope xmlns:xsd="http://www.w3.org/2001/
      XMLSchema" xmlns:env="http://schemas.xmlsoap.org/soap/
      envelope/" xmlns:xsi="http://www.w3.org/2001/XMLSchema-
      instance">
      - <env:Body>
      - <GetContentsResponse env:encodingStyle="http://
      schemas.xmlsoap.org/soap/encoding/"
      xmlns="urn:vma1">
      - <returnval>
      <handle>vma-0000-0000-0000</handle>
      <vHandle>vma-0000-0000-0000@fd0b16f9a6000002</
      vHandle>
      - <body xsi:type="Container">
      - <item>
      <key>vma-0000-0000-0001</key>
      <name>vcenter</name>
      <type>Container</type>
      - <perm>
      <key>Administrators</key>
      <rights>Admin</rights>
      </perm>
      </item>
      - <item>
      <key>vma-0000-0000-0002</key>
      <name>webservice</name>
      <type>Container</type>
      </item>
      - <item>
      <key>vma-0000-0000-0008</key>
      <name>host</name>
      <type>Container</type>
      </item>
      - <item>
      <key>vma-0000-0000-0009</key>
      <name>vm</name>
      <type>Container</type>
      </item>
      - <item>
      <key>vma-0000-0000-000a</key>
      <name>unknownVM</name>
      <type>Container</type>
      </item>
      - <item>
      <key>vma-stats-conf</key>
      <name>perf</name>
      <type>Container</type>
      </item>
      - <item>
      <key>vma-datastore</key>
      <name>datastore</name>
      <type>DatastoreInfoList</type>
      </item>
      - <item>
      <key>vma-global-conf</key>
      <name>customProperty</name>
      <type>CustomPropertyList</type>
      </item>
      - <item>
      <key>vma-0000-0000-0013</key>
      <name>event</name>
      <type>Container</type>
      </item>
      - <item>
      <key>vma-0000-0000-0018</key>
      <name>task</name>
      <type>Container</type>
      </item>
      - <item>
      <key>vma-0000-0000-0019</key>
      <name>schedule</name>
      <type>Container</type>
      </item>
      - <item>
      <key>vma-0000-0000-001a</key>
      <name>template</name>
      <type>Container</type>
      </item>
      </body>
      </returnval>
      </GetContentsResponse>
      </env:Body>
      </env:Envelope>

  5. Once you have been properly authenticated through the browser interface, review the information available through the Web service and confirm that it matches the VirtualCenter client.

    To do this: append paths to the URL. For example:

    https://localhost:8443/vcenter

    This address returns an XML representation of the VirtualCenter hierarchy. Drill down further by, for example, appending the name of a farm: /vcenter/test-farm. Browsing top-level paths /host or /vm displays lists of the hosts or UUIDs of virtual machines being managed by VirtualCenter. Drilling down displays XML documents with host and virtual machine details.

Changing VMware Web Service Options After Installation

Changing VMware Web Service Options After Installation

The Web service provides an command line command, vma, for making selected configuration modifications.

To use the vma command:

  1. Stop the Web service.
    1. Select Start > Programs > Administrative Tools > Services.
    2. Right click the Web service and select Stop .

  2. Start the command line window.

    Select Start > Run. Type cmd. Click OK.

  3. Change to the Web service application data directory:

    cd c:\Documents And Settings\All Users\Application Data\VMware\VMware VirtualCenter\VMA

  4. Execute the vma.exe command at the prompt:

    c:\Program Files\VMware\VMware VirtualCenter\

    vma.exe can be invoked in to ways: with and without the -update option. To view help information on the vma command, type: vma -help.

    • Executing the vma command without the -update option: runs the Web service.

      The only option permitted in this mode is -config <config-filename>. This option specifies a configuration file for the Web service to use. If -config is not specified, the service looks for the default configuration file, vmaConfig.xml, in the current directory.

    • Executing the vma command with the -update option: updates the specified configuration information and exits. The configuration information that can be updated is listed in the table below.

      For example, to connect to the VirtualCenter server as a user other than the one you specified in the installation, type in the terminal window:

      vma -update -username <username> -password <password>

      where <username> is the new user name and <password> is the new password. The changes are written to the vmaConfig.xml file.

      The following table lists the vma -update command options.

       vma Option
       Description
       -help
       Lists the options for this command.
       -config <config-file>
       Update the Web service to use the specified alternate VMA configuration file. The default file is vmaConfig.xml.
       -VMAport <port>
       Update the Web service to use the specified the port number for the VMA server; the default is 8443.
       -username <username>
       Update the Web service to use the specified the user name to connect to the VirtualCenter server.
       -password <password>
       Update the Web service to use the specified the password for the user that connects to the VirtualCenter server.
       -hostname <hostname>
       Update the Web service to use the specified the name of the VirtualCenter server. Typically, it is the same machine on which the Web service is installed, or localhost.
       -port <port>
       Update the Web service to use the specified the port number of the VirtualCenterserver. The default port number is 905.
       -subject
       For internal use.
       -sslCert <sslcert>
       Update the Web service to use the specified the SSL certificate file.
       -sslCAChain <sslcachain>
       Update the Web service to use the specified the SSL certificate CA chain file.
       -sslPrivateKey <sslprivatekey>
       Update the Web service to use the specified the SSL private key file.
       -sslPassphrase <sslpassphrase>
       Update the Web service to use the specified the SSL passphrase for private key.

  5. Restart the Web service for changes to take effect.
    1. Select Start > Programs > Administrative Tools > Services.
    2. Right click the Web service and select Start.
  6. Edit the vmaConfig.xml as needed.

    Although most Web service configuration options should be set through the vma.exe -update command, certain options can only be set by editing vmaConfig.xml directly.

    • Non-SSL port

      By default, the Web service is bound to an SSL port. To configure the Web service to listen on a non-SSL port, for example 8443, add the following to vmaConfig.xml.

      <vma>
      <service>
      ...
      <port>8443</port>
      ...
      </service>
      ...
      </vma>

    • Log Level

      There are three levels of logging available for the Web service: error, info, and verbose. Info is the default level. This is reflected by the following link in vmaConifg.xml.

      <eventlog level="info" />

Updating VMware SDK Digital Certificates

Updating VMware SDK Digital Certificates

Periodically, for security reasons, you may choose to update your Web service digital certificates. You can modify or create your own. Only PEM format certificates are supported. The required certificates are:

  • server Certificate— stored in vmaConfig.xml as <sslCert>
  • server CA Chain — stored in vmaConfig.xml as <sslCAChain>
  • server private Key — stored in the registry under HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Vmware, Inc.\VMWare SDK\CertInfo

Note: When you create the certificate files, place the privateKey in a separate file and store it separately from the other Web service digital certificates.

To change the digital certificates, from the Windows machine on which the Web service is installed:

  1. Start the command line window.

    Select Start > Run. Type cmd. Click OK.

  2. Change to the Web service application data directory:

    cd c:\Documents And Settings\All Users\Application Data\VMware\VMware VirtualCenter\VMA

  3. Execute the vma.exe command at the prompt:

    c:\Program Files\VMware\VMware VirtualCenter\
    vma.exe -update -sslCert <sslCert file>
    vma.exe -update -sslCert <sslCert file>
    vma.exe -update -sslCAChain <sslCAChain file>
    vma.exe -update -sslPrivateKey <private key file>
    vma.exe -update -sslPassphrase <pass phrase if one exists>

    For example:

    vma.exe -update -sslCert certificate.pem
    vma.exe -update -sslCAChain root.pem
    vma.exe -update -sslPrivateKey key.pem
    vma.exe -update -sslPassphrase authentication

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