Obtaining User and Group Information from UserDirectory

The UserDirectory managed object allows a client application to obtain information about users and groups on a VMware vSphere server. Properties and results vary, depending on whether the server is a vCenter Server or an ESXi system.

  • vCenter Server system. Domain controller, Active Directory, or local Windows account repository.
  • ESXi host. Linux password file in /etc/passwd on the host.

For example, vCenter Server user accounts can be managed in a Windows Active Directory server or domain controller from which the domainList property of UserDirectory is derived. For ESXi systems, the domainList property is empty.

Figure 1. UserDirectory Managed Object