Managing VMware Content Libraries

This chapter contains the following sections:

About VMware Content Libraries

Content libraries are container objects for VM templates and other types of files. You can create and manage a content library from a single VMware vCenter server instance. You can also share library templates to other VMware vCenter instances if HTTP(s) traffic is enabled between them.


Note

VMware content library discovery is only supported for VMware vCenter version 6.0 or later.

Cisco UCS Director lets you discover and view reports for the following types of content libraries

  • Local library - You can use a local library to store items in a single VMware vCenter instance. You can publish the local library so that users from other systems can subscribe to the library and access the available templates.

  • Subscribed library - You can subscribe to a published local library. You must synchronize subscribed libraries to access their contents and available templates. Automatic synchronization is performed at regular intervals in VMware vCenter.


Note

To perform content library inventory discovery, the Cisco UCS Director and VMware vCenter systems must have the same NTP server configured.

You can use the templates in content libraries to deploy virtual machines across VMware vCenter servers.

See Creating Catalogs for Content Library-Based VM Provisioning.

Viewing VMware Content Library Items Reports

You can view the contents of a content library by viewing the content library items report. The content library items report displays VM templates and other files that are available in the content library.

Procedure
    Step 1   Choose Virtual > Compute.
    Step 2   On the Compute page, choose the cloud.
    Step 3   On the Compute page, click Content Libraries.
    Step 4   Click the row with the content library for which you want to view a report.
    Step 5   Click View Details.

    The content library items report displays all the files available in the content library including information such as the file type, size, creation date, last modified date, and last sync date.

    Syncing VMware Content Libraries

    Cisco UCS Director lets you synchronize a subscribed VMware content library to display the latest content and templates available.

    Before You Begin

    Verify that the Cisco UCS Director and VMware vCenter systems have the same NTP server configured for content library inventory discovery.

    Procedure
      Step 1   Choose Virtual > Compute.
      Step 2   On the Compute page, choose the cloud.
      Step 3   On the Compute page, click Content Libraries.
      Step 4   Click the row with the subscribed content library that you want to sync.
      Step 5   Click Sync.
      Step 6   Click Submit.