URL Syntax for HTTP Access

The URL specification in an HTTP request to a vSphere server includes one of the following keywords, which determines the type of access.

■	Datastore Access (/folder)

■	Host File Access (/host)

■	Update Package Access (/tmp)

Datastore Access (/folder)

An HTTP request for datastore access uses the following syntax:

http-method http[s]://server/folder[[/path]?dcPath=path[&dsName=name]]

http-method	One of the methods GET, HEAD, PUT, or DELETE.
http:// or https://	Access protocol (standard access or secure access).
server	ESX/ESXi or vCenter Server target system. The server value can be an IP address or a DNS name.
/folder	Specifies datastore access on an ESX/ESXi or vCenter Server system. The datastore URL can include the following optional elements: ■ path – Path to a file or directory in the datastore, relative to the root of the datastore. ■ dcPath – Inventory path to a datacenter. Specify the datacenter path as a name-value pair in the request. For a datacenter named Datacenter located in the root folder, the dcPath value is MyDatacenter. For a datacenter named YourDatacenter located in the folder NorthAmerica which is located in the root folder, the cdPath value is NorthAmerica/YourDatacenter. ■ dsName – Datastore associated with the datacenter. Specify the datastore name as a name-value pair in the request.

The following examples illustrate the syntax. If the target server is an ESX/ESXi system, dcPath=DCPATH& is optional and defaults to dcPath=ha-datacenter.

Example	Description
/folder	Directory listing of known datacenters on this server.
/folder?dcPath=path	Directory listing of all datastores available at the specified datacenter.
/folder?dcPath=path&dsName=name	Top-level directory listing of the datastore.
/folder/path?dcPath=path&dsName=name	Directory listing of all files in a datastore directory.
/folder/path/disk-flat.vmdk?dcPath=path&dsName=name	Access individual files.

Host File Access (/host)

An HTTP request for access to ESX/ESXi configuration files uses the following syntax:

GET http[s]://my_system/host

http-method http[s]://my_system/host/file

Syntax Element	Description
http-method	One of GET, HEAD, or PUT, depending on the type of configuration file (see HTTP Host Access (/host URL)).
http:// or https://	Access protocol (standard access or secure access).
esx-server	IP address or a DNS name.
/host	List of configuration files that you can access. (Use /host to retrieve the list.)
/host/file	A specific ESX/ESXi configuration file.

HTTP Host Access (/host URL) shows ESX host configuration files and the corresponding HTTP/HTTPS methods for access. The set of files might change from version to version.

HTTP Host Access (/host URL) 

Configuration File	HTTP Access Method(s)	Configuration File	HTTP Access Method(s)
hostAgentConfig.xml	GET, HEAD, PUT	ipmi0_sel.raw	GET, HEAD
sfcb.cfg	GET, HEAD, PUT	ipmi0_sel	GET, HEAD
openwsman.conf	GET, HEAD, PUT	ipmi0_sdr_content.raw	GET, HEAD
license.cfg	GET, HEAD, PUT	ipmi0_sdr_header.raw	GET, HEAD
vmware.lic	GET, HEAD, PUT	ipmi0_sensor_readings.raw	GET, HEAD
vmware_config	GET, HEAD, PUT	ipmi1_sel.raw	GET, HEAD
vmware_configrules	GET, HEAD, PUT	ipmi1_sel	GET, HEAD
proxy.xml	GET, HEAD, PUT	ipmi1_sdr_content.raw	GET, HEAD
snmp.xml	GET, HEAD, PUT	ipmi1_sdr_header.raw	GET, HEAD
syslog.conf	GET, HEAD, PUT	ipmi1_sensor_readings.raw	GET, HEAD
ssl_cert	GET, HEAD, PUT	ipmi2_sel.raw	GET, HEAD
ssl_key	PUT	ipmi2_sel	GET, HEAD
hosts	GET, HEAD, PUT	ipmi2_sdr_content.raw	GET, HEAD
motd	GET, HEAD, PUT	ipmi2_sdr_header.raw	GET, HEAD
vpxa.cfg	GET, HEAD, PUT	ipmi2_sensor_readings.raw	GET, HEAD
esx.conf	GET, HEAD, PUT	ipmi3_sel.raw	GET, HEAD
config.log	GET, HEAD	ipmi3_sel	GET, HEAD
messages	GET, HEAD	ipmi3_sdr_content.raw	GET, HEAD
hostd.log	GET, HEAD	ipmi3_sdr_header.raw	GET, HEAD
vpxa.log	GET, HEAD	ipmi3_sensor_readings.raw	GET, HEAD

Update Package Access (/tmp)

An HTTP request for update package access uses the following syntax:

PUT http[s]://esx-server/tmp/file-path

http:// or https://	Access protocol.
esx-server	IP address or a DNS name.
/tmp/file-path	Target file on an ESX/ESXi system.

Privilege Requirements for HTTP Access

HTTP access to a vSphere file is access to a datastore object that is associated with the folder structure in the vSphere inventory. HTTP access requires the same privileges needed to obtain these files using any other mechanism, such as the vSphere Client. Privileges Required for HTTP Access Datastore Objects shows the required privileges.

Privileges Required for HTTP Access Datastore Objects 

Object Associated with File	Portion of URL	Required Privileges
Root folder	/folder	System.View
Datacenter	?dcPath	Datastore.Browse
		Datastore.FileManagement
Datastore	&dsName	Datastore.Browse
		Datastore.FileManagement
Host	/host	Host.Config.AdvancedConfig
	/tmp/	Host.Config.SystemManagement