Types of vSphere Web Client Extensions

You can create several types of extensions to the vSphere Web Client user interface. Each type of extension has different requirements for its metadata definition, and some extensions can require you to provide Flex components to serve as new GUI elements.

To build a complete extension solution for the vSphere Web Client, you might need to include multiple types of extensions in your user interface plug-in module. For a more complete discussion of the individual extensions required for common solutions, see Plug-In Modules in a Complete Solution.

You can create the following types of extensions to the vSphere Web Client user interface.

A global view extension is a free-form, general-purpose data view that appears in the vSphere Web Client main workspace. Unlike the object workspaces for objects in the virtual infrastructure, a global view extension does not need to follow any particular structure of tabs or sub-tabs. The structure of your global view can be simple or complex, depending on how you create the Flex classes for the extension. See Architecting Data Views for more information on creating Flex classes for data view extensions.

Users can access global views through pointers in either the Object Navigator or the Home Screen. For users to access your global view extension, you must also create extensions that add a pointer to the Object Navigator, Home Screen, or both.

See Adding a Global View Extension.

When the user selects a vSphere object in the Object Navigator, that object’s workspace appears in the vSphere Web Client main workspace. Each object workspace contains a hierarchy of nested data views in a series of tabs and sub-tabs. See Browsing the Virtual Infrastructure.

You can add new data views to the tabs and sub-tab screens in any object workspace. The vSphere Web Client provides extension points for specific locations in each object workspace. For more information on extension points, see Defining Extensions.

When you create a data view extension for an object workspace, you must also provide the Flex and ActionScript classes that appear as the new GUI element in the interface. As a best practice, create these Flex classes by using the same architecture, libraries, and services as the existing data views in the vSphere Web Client. See Architecting Data Views.

You can also add entirely new object workspaces, with the default structure and tab screens, to the interface. In general you create object workspace extensions to support new object types that you have added to the vSphere environment.

See Adding to vCenter Object Workspaces.

The Object Navigator is the main navigation interface in the vSphere Web Client. The Object Navigator control always appears on the left side of the vSphere Web Client screen.

The Object Navigator control’s top level contains pointers to the major solutions and applications in the vSphere Web Client, such as the vCenter browser and the Administration application. You can extend the top level of the Object Navigator with a pointer to your own solution or global view.

The user browses the virtual infrastructure by using the Object Navigator vCenter page. The vCenter page shows the objects in the vSphere environment in inventory trees and inventory lists. You can extend this level of the Object Navigator with a new inventory list. In general, you add a new inventory list to represent a new or custom type of object in the environment. You can also create your own categories of lists in the Object Navigator vCenter page.

You create most Object Navigator extensions simply by defining the extensions using metadata, in the plugin.xml manifest file. Most Object Navigator extensions do not require that you create Flex components.

See Extending the Object Navigator.

Actions represent the commands and requests that the users can send to make changes to the virtual infrastructure in the vSphere environment. All actions in the vSphere Web Client are governed by the Actions Framework. The Actions Framework determines which actions appear in the vSphere Web Client user interface, in toolbars and context menus. You can add actions to the vSphere Web Client by creating an extension to the Actions Framework.

When you create an action extension, you must also provide the ActionScript classes that are called when the user performs the action. You must also extend the vSphere Web Client service layer with a Java service. The Java service performs the action operation in the vSphere environment.

See Creating Action Extensions.

vSphere uses a graph of related objects to model the objects that make up the virtual infrastructure. When the user selects an object in the GUI, the vSphere Web Client can provide a list of any objects that are related to the currently selected object. For example, a user can access information about the virtual machines related to a given host object. These lists appear in the Object Navigator control and in the Related Objects tab in the selected object’s workspace.

You can create extensions that define new relationships between vSphere objects, or relationships between a new type of vSphere object that you have created and the existing objects in the vSphere environment. You create relation extensions by using only the metadata definition. You do not need to create a Flex or ActionScript class.

See Creating a New Relation Between vSphere Objects.

You can create extensions that add a shortcut to the vSphere Web Client Home Screen. Home Screen shortcuts can provide the user with a pointer to any data view in the vSphere Web Client, including global views, specific inventory lists, or a top level solution application in the vSphere Web Client.

You create Home screen shortcut extensions by using only the metadata definition. You do not need to create a Flex or ActionScript class.

See Creating Home Screen Shortcuts.

Each object workspace in the vSphere Web Client contains a list view that displays information about each individual object of that type in the virtual infrastructure. You can create a list view extension for your own custom object type, or extend the existing list views for any type of vSphere object. When you extend an existing vSphere object list view, you can add new data columns to appear in the list.