VMware Host - List running VMs

VMware Host - List Running VMs

Declaration

<AMVMWAREVM ACTIVITY="unregister_vm" HOSTTYPE="text (options)" 
SERVER="text" USERNAME="text" PASSWORD="text (encrypted)" 
CONNECTIONTIMEOUT="number" VMPATH="text" 
TIMEOUT="number" />

Description: Retrieves all running virtual machines and populates a dataset with the results. The dataset returns plenty of information, such as path, display name, power state, allocated memory and CPU count. Can also determine if the running VM is paused, recording, replaying, suspended and much more.

Practical Usage

Ideally used as a means to manage multiple VMs in a running state.

Connection Parameters

Property	Type	Required	Default	Markup	Description
Connection					Indicates where this activity's connection properties should originate from. Different parameters become active depending on the option selected. This is a visual parameter used only during design-time, therefore, contains no properties or markups. The available options are: Host (Default) - A custom set of credentials will be entered for this activity. This option is normally selected if only a single activity is needed to perform an operation. Session - Credentials derive from a session created in a previous step with the use of the Connect activity. This allows several activities to be linked to a single session, eliminating redundancy. Multiple sessions can exist in a single task.
Session	Text	Yes if Connection set to Session	VMOpsSession1	SESSION="VMO101"	The name of a session (created in a previous step) in which to link this activity. This parameter is active only if the Connection parameter is set to Session.
Host type	Text (options)	Yes if Connection set to Host	VIServer	HOSTTYPE="Server" HOSTTYPE="Workstation" HOSTTYPE="VIServer" HOSTTYPE="Player"	The type of VM host to establish a connection with. This parameter is active only if the Connection parameter is set to Host. The available options are: VMware Server (1.0x) VMware Workstation VMware VI Server (ESX/ESXi, vCenter, VMware Server 2.0)(Default) VMware Player
Host name	Text	Yes	(Empty)	SERVER="host.server.com"	The hostname or IP address of the computer where the virtual machine is located. This parameter is active only if the Host type parameter is set to VMware Server or VMware VI Server.
Username	Text	No	(Empty)	USERNAME="MsPacman"	The username identifying a valid user account on the machine. This parameter is active only if the Host type parameter is set to VMware Server or VMware VI Server.
Password	Text	No	(Empty)	PASSWORD="encrypted"	The password identifying a valid user account on the machine. This parameter is active only if the Host type parameter is set to VMware Server or VMware VI Server.
Connection Timeout (seconds)	Number	No	60	CONNECTIONTIMEOUT="20"	The maximum time out value in seconds that this activity should wait for a response from the host.

Virtual Machine

Property	Type	Required	Default	Markup	Description
Create and populate dataset with Virtual Machine information	Text	Yes	(Empty)	RESULTATASET="theDataset"	The name of the dataset in which to create and populate with the list of running VMs. More details regarding the fields that this dataset creates can be found below under Notes.

Description tab - A custom description can be provided on the Description tab to convey additional information or share special notes about a task step.

Error Causes tab - Specify how this step should behave upon the occurrence of an error. (Refer to Task Builder > Error Causes Tab for details.)

On Error tab - Specify what AWE should do if this step encounters an error as defined on the Error Causes tab. (Refer to Task Builder > On Error Tab for details.)

Datasets

A dataset is a multiple column, multiple row container object. This activity creates and populates a dataset containing a specific set of fields in addition to the standard dataset fields. The table below describes these fields (assuming the dataset assigned is named theDataset).

Name	Type	Return Value
theDataset.CPUCount	Number	Returns the number of processors.
theDataset.IsPaused	True/False	Returns whether the running VM is paused. True if it paused, false if it is not paused.
theDataset.IsRecording	True/False	Returns true if the running VM is recording, false if it is not.
theDataset.IsReplaying	True/False	Returns true if the running VM is replaying, otherwise returns false.
theDataset.IsRunning	True/False	Returns true if the VM is running, false if it is not.
theDataset.IsSuspended	True/False	Returns true if the running VM is suspended, false if it is not.
theDataset.MemorySize	Number	Returns the total memory size allocated to the running VM.
theDataset.PathName	Text	Returns the path of the running VM. Example: [HPvd01_001] WinServer2008x64_1/WinServer2008x64.vmx
theDataset.PowerState	Number	Returns the power state of the running VM.

Expressions, Variables and Functions

All text fields allow the use of expressions such as variables, functions or extended functions, which can be entered by surrounding the expression in percentage signs (example: %FileDateTime(myVar)% or %myVar%, %Left('Text',2)%). To help construct these expressions, you can open Expression Builder from these fields by clicking theInsert Expression (%)button or by pressing F2.