Adding a Global View Extension

In the vSphere Web Client, a global view extension is a way to create a free-form data view. You can use a global view extension to create your own custom solution for the vSphere Web Client user interface. A global view extension can have nearly any function, including aggregating data about different types of vSphere objects onto a single screen, or displaying data from sources outside the vSphere environment.

A global view can be a simple single-level data view that uses the entire vSphere Web Client main workspace, or a complex nested view with its own internal navigation structure and organization. There are few restrictions on creating a global view extension.

Global views are displayed in the vSphere Web Client main workspace, but exist outside of the Virtual Infrastructure hierarchy. The user selects a global view directly, either through a pointer in the Object Navigator or a shortcut on the vSphere Web Client Home Screen.

To create a global view extension, you must define the extension using XML in the plug-in module manifest file, and create the Flex and ActionScript that appear in the main workspace.

This chapter contains the following topics:

■	Scenarios for Creating a Global View Extension

■	Defining a Global View Extension

■	Creating the Global View Flex Classes

■	Making a Global View Accessible to Users