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VMware vCenter sync

Danbyte imports a vCenter's inventory into the existing cluster/VM model — agentless, over the vSphere Automation REST API (/api/), one login session per sync pass. Enable the Virtualization sync toggle and add a source under Integrations → Virtualization sources; see External sync for the shared ground rules.

The connection

  • Host — the vCenter Server FQDN or IP. Default API port 443.
  • Auth — an SSO username and password (a read-only role is enough for inventory sync). Credentials are encrypted at rest and write-only.
  • Test connection reports the reachable host count.

What syncs in

vCenter object Danbyte object
Cluster (single-cluster vCenters; else the source name) Cluster (a VMware vCenter cluster type is created on demand)
Virtual machine Virtual machine (vCPUs, memory, disk, description)
VM annotation Description (blank-filled, never overwrites yours)
Ethernet adapter VM interface with its MAC
Virtual disk device Virtual disk (name, size, datastore, controller) — opt-in
Port-group VLAN VLAN (in the source's VLAN group) + the interface's access VLAN — opt-in
Standard / distributed switch Virtual switch — opt-in
VMware Tools reported IP IP address assigned to the interface
ESXi host linked to the Device of the same name

Guest identity uses the VM MoRef, whose numeric part is the stable id.

Disks, virtual switches and networks (opt-in)

Two per-source switches widen what a source imports:

  • Sync disks (on by default) — each VM's virtual disks become Virtual disk rows (shown on the VM's Overview): name, size, datastore, and controller. Optical drives are skipped.
  • Sync virtual switches & networks (off by default) — standard and distributed switches become Virtual switch rows, and each VLAN-tagged port-group becomes a VLAN in a VLAN group named after the source. A VM interface's access VLAN is blank-filled from the port-group tag (never overwriting a VLAN you set).

Once networks are synced, each virtual switch page has a Networks tab and Virtualization → Network topology draws the whole picture — switches, their networks (VLANs) as bars, and the VMs on each.

A switch's Uplinks · physical adapters link the switch to the real host NICs — the ESXi host is a Device, and you assign its physical interfaces as the switch's uplinks. This is the vCenter "Physical Adapters" layer: the uplink traces straight through to its cabled port, and the topology shows the adapters feeding each switch. The vSphere REST API doesn't expose standard-switch pNICs cleanly, so assign uplinks inline on the switch page for now.

Sync mode — who is the source of truth

  • Automatic (mirror) — the sync applies everything on a schedule: new VMs created, specs updated, vanished guests removed. vCenter is the source of truth.
  • Review (default) — polls on a schedule but only detects; changes land in a review inbox and apply on Accept. Danbyte stays the source of truth.
  • Manual — like Review, but detection runs only when you press Sync.

A new source defaults to Review, so a fresh connection never reshapes your inventory before you've seen what it would do.

What each side owns

  • vCenter owns a VM's existence, its host, power state, and — in Automatic mode — its specs (vCPU/RAM/disk).
  • You own everything else: role, platform, tags, custom fields, description, site, and the primary-IP choice. The sync never overwrites those in any mode.

Rules:

  • VMs, interfaces and IPs you already have are linked and blank-filled, never overwritten — and never deleted by sync. Only sync-created objects are removed (Automatic) or offered as removals (Review/Manual) when their guest disappears.
  • Guest IPs come from VMware Tools, so they only appear for running VMs with Tools present. An IP is only created when a containing prefix already exists — sync never invents address space. The first private IPv4 becomes the VM's primary IP (if it had none).
  • VM templates are skipped; the sync is read-only — Danbyte never changes the hypervisor.

See also