VMware vSphere Plugin Installation#

This guide provides detailed instructions for installing the EDA Connect VMware vSphere plugin.

Prerequisites#

Before installing or deploying the VMware vSphere plugin components, ensure that:

• The Cloud Connect Core application is properly installed in the cluster (see Cloud Connect Installation)
• You have read-only access credentials to the VMware vCenter environment

Installation Steps#

To deploy the VMware vSphere plugin, complete the following tasks:

1. Deploy the plugin EDA app
2. Deploy the plugin instance

Step 1: Connect VMware vSphere Plugin App Deployment#

The VMware vSphere plugin app is an application in the EDA app ecosystem. It can be easily installed using the EDA Store UI.

Installation Using EDA Store UI#

1. Navigate to the EDA Store in the EDA UI
2. Locate the VMware vSphere Plugin App
3. Click Install
4. Complete the installation

Installation Using Kubernetes API#

If you prefer installing the plugin using the Kubernetes API, you can do so by creating the following Workflow resource:

apiVersion: appstore.eda.nokia.com/v1
kind: AppInstaller
metadata:
  name: vmware-plugin
  namespace: eda-system
spec:
  operation: install
  apps:
    - appId: vmware.eda.nokia.com
      catalog: eda-catalog-builtin-apps
      version:
        type: alias
        version: latest

kubectl apply -f - <<EOF
apiVersion: appstore.eda.nokia.com/v1
kind: AppInstaller
metadata:
  name: vmware-plugin
  namespace: eda-system
spec:
  operation: install
  apps:
    - appId: vmware.eda.nokia.com
      catalog: eda-catalog-builtin-apps
      version:
        type: alias
        version: latest

EOF

Step 2: Connect VMware vSphere Plugin Deployment#

Create a Secret for VMware Credentials#

A prerequisite for creating a vmwarePluginInstance resource is a Secret resource with username and password fields that contain the account information for an account that can connect to the VMware vCenter environment and has read-only access to the cluster so that it can monitor the necessary resources.

apiVersion: v1
kind: Secret
type: Opaque
metadata:
  name: my-vmware-creds
  namespace: eda-system
  labels:
    "eda.nokia.com/backup": "true"
data: 
  username: YWRtaW4K # base64 encoded
  password: YWRtaW4K # base64 encoded

kubectl apply -f - <<EOF
apiVersion: v1
kind: Secret
type: Opaque
metadata:
  name: my-vmware-creds
  namespace: eda-system
  labels:
    "eda.nokia.com/backup": "true"
data: 
  username: YWRtaW4K # base64 encoded
  password: YWRtaW4K # base64 encoded

EOF

echo -n myUsernameOrPassword | base64

Create the VMware Plugin Instance#

As the VMware vSphere plugins are managed through the operator, you can use the EDA UI to create a new VmwarePluginInstance resource under the * System Administration > Connect > VMware Plugins* menu item.

As an alternative, you can also create the same VmwarePluginInstance using the following custom resource example. Make sure to replace the specified values with their relevant content.

apiVersion: vmware.eda.nokia.com/v2
kind: VmwarePluginInstance
metadata:
  name: my-vmware-plugin-instance # A unique name for the plugin resource (can be the same as the spec.name, or different)
  namespace: eda-system # The system namespace.
spec:
  pluginNamespace: eda # The namespace in the EDA deployment holding the fabric associated with this plugin
  externalId: example-external-id # A unique Identifier for the plugin (can be same as the name)
  heartbeatIntervalSeconds: 30
  name: example-vSphere # A unique name for the plugin
  vcsaHost: example-host # The IP address of the vCenter Server
  vcsaTlsVerify: true # To verify TLS of the VCSA
  vcsaCertificate: "" # If the VCSA certificate is self signed, add it here to be able to verify from the plugin
  authSecretRef: my-vmware-creds # Credentials are hosted in a separate Secret
  operationalMode: Unrestricted # The operational mode of the plugin, can be ConnectManagedOnly, EDAManagedOnly or Unrestricted

kubectl apply -f - <<EOF
apiVersion: vmware.eda.nokia.com/v2
kind: VmwarePluginInstance
metadata:
  name: my-vmware-plugin-instance # A unique name for the plugin resource (can be the same as the spec.name, or different)
  namespace: eda-system # The system namespace.
spec:
  pluginNamespace: eda # The namespace in the EDA deployment holding the fabric associated with this plugin
  externalId: example-external-id # A unique Identifier for the plugin (can be same as the name)
  heartbeatIntervalSeconds: 30
  name: example-vSphere # A unique name for the plugin
  vcsaHost: example-host # The IP address of the vCenter Server
  vcsaTlsVerify: true # To verify TLS of the VCSA
  vcsaCertificate: "" # If the VCSA certificate is self signed, add it here to be able to verify from the plugin
  authSecretRef: my-vmware-creds # Credentials are hosted in a separate Secret
  operationalMode: Unrestricted # The operational mode of the plugin, can be ConnectManagedOnly, EDAManagedOnly or Unrestricted
EOF

Configuration Parameters#

The VmwarePluginInstance resource supports the following key parameters:

Post-Installation Verification#

After deploying the plugin, verify that it is running:

kubectl get pods -n eda-system | grep vmware

Check that the plugin has registered with Connect:

kubectl get connectplugins -n <plugin-namespace>

You should see your VMware plugin listed with status information.

Next Steps#

After installation, proceed to:

• Configure distributed Port Groups in vCenter
• Set up Custom Attributes for EDA-managed mode (if required)
• Make sure LLDP is enabled on the distributed vSwitch (at least advertise in Discovery protocol settings)
• Review the VMware vSphere Plugin documentation for usage and operational modes