Remote Plug-in Deployment Example with Simultaneous Users

After being detected, a remote plug-in will be scheduled for deployment in the vSphere Client. The deployment of a remote plug-in, on a high level, consists of the following stages:

  • vCenter Server downloads the remote plug-in manifest.

  • vCenter Server parses the plug-in manifest.

  • vCenter Server configures the VMware reverse HTTP proxy to route plug-in UI traffic.

After these stages complete successfully, the vSphere Client UI displays a notification message that the remote plug-in is installed.

This example shows in more detail how the deployment process works, in a situation involving three users simultaneously accessing the data center. The initial state consists of the following:

  • Three vCenter Server instances in an ELM environment: vCENTER-0, vCENTER-1, and vCENTER-2.

  • Three users are accessing the data center: Alpha, Blue, and Claire.

  • Blue and Claire are already browsing the vSphere UI loaded from vCENTER-0

    • Blue is looking at the summary page of VM-1 managed by vCENTER-1.

    • Claire is looking at the summary page of VM-2 managed by vCENTER-2.

  • Alpha is about to install a plug-in from Example Company:

This diagram shows the initial state of the deployment example.

  1. Alpha installs and configures the back-end server for the ExampleCo plug-in:

    This diagram shows step 1 of the deployment example.

  2. Alpha registers the ExampleCo plug-in with the vCENTER-1 ExtensionManager by using Example Company's plug-in installer:

    This diagram shows step 2 of the deployment example.

  3. The plug-in registration triggers notifications to all linked vCenter Server instances:

    This diagram shows step 3 of the deployment example.

  4. The vsphere-ui service in each vCenter Server instance downloads the plug-in manifest JSON of the ExampleCo plug-in from the plug-in manifest URL in the extension registration record:

    This diagram shows step 4 of the deployment example.

  5. The vsphere-ui service in vCENTER-0 sends notifications to currently logged in vSphere Client users (Blue and Claire). Each user sees a blue notification banner at the top of the screen:

    This diagram shows step 5 of the deployment example.

  6. When Blue refreshes the vSphere Client UI in the browser, the ExampleCo plug-in is loaded for this user. The plug-in adds a card that extends the summary page of VMs. Because VM-1 is managed by vCENTER-1, which has the ExampleCo plug-in registered, Blue sees the newly added card:

    This diagram shows step 6 of the deployment example.

  7. When Claire refreshes the vSphere Client UI in the browser, the ExampleCo plug-in can now be loaded for this user. However, Claire is looking at VM-2, which is managed by vCENTER-2. Because vCENTER-2 does not have the ExampleCo plug-in registered, Claire does not see the newly added card.

    If Claire later navigates to a VM on vCENTER-1, the vSphere Client will display the card added by the ExampleCo plug-in.

    This diagram shows step 7 of the deployment example.

  8. Alpha logs in to the vSphere UI connected to VCENTER-0:

    This diagram shows step 8 of the deployment example.

  9. Alpha has completed the login and has loaded the vSphere Client UI, which displays the home screen of the vSphere Client. VCENTER-0 deployed the ExampleCo plug-in prior to the login, so Alpha sees the new home page menu item and the shortcut link immediately:

    This diagram shows step 9 of the deployment example.