Managed Object - FileManager(vim.FileManager)

Property of
ServiceContent
See also
Datacenter
Since
VI API 2.5


Managed Object Description

This managed object type provides a way to manage and manipulate files and folders on datastores. The source and the destination names are in the form of a URL or a datastore path.

A URL has the form

scheme://authority/folder/path?dcPath=dcPath&dsName=dsName
where
  • scheme is http or https.
  • authority specifies the hostname or IP address of the VirtualCenter or ESX server and optionally the port.
  • dcPath is the inventory path to the Datacenter containing the Datastore.
  • dsName is the name of the Datastore.
  • path is a slash-delimited path from the root of the datastore.
  • A datastore path has the form

    [datastore] path
    where
  • datastore is the datastore name.
  • path is a slash-delimited path from the root of the datastore.
  • An example datastore path is "[storage] path/to/file.extension". A listing of all the files, disks and folders on a datastore can be obtained from the datastore browser.
    See HostDatastoreBrowser

    Properties

    Name Type Description
    None

    Methods

    Methods defined in this Managed Object
    ChangeOwner, CopyDatastoreFile_Task, DeleteDatastoreFile_Task, MakeDirectory, MoveDatastoreFile_Task

    ChangeOwner(changeOwner)

    Change the owner for a file.

    This method is currently not supported.

    Required Privileges
    Dynamic - See discussion above
    Since
    vSphere API 4.0

    Parameters

    NameTypeDescription
    _thisManagedObjectReference A reference to the FileManager used to make the method call.
    namexsd:string


    datacenter* PManagedObjectReference
    to a Datacenter


    ownerxsd:string


    *Need not be set P Required privilege: System.View

    Return Value

    Type Description
    None

    Faults

    Type Description
    FileFault
    InvalidDatastore
    RuntimeFaultThrown if any type of runtime fault is thrown that is not covered by the other faults; for example, a communication error.
    UserNotFound

    Events

    Type
    None

    Show WSDL type definition



    CopyDatastoreFile_Task(copyFile)

    Copies the source file or folder to the destination.

    If the destination file does not exist, it is created. If the destination file exists, the force parameter determines whether to overwrite it with the source or not. Folders can be copied recursively. In this case, the destination, if it exists, must be a folder, else one will be created. Existing files on the destination that conflict with source files can be overwritten using the force parameter. Files and disks are always copied in binary format during recursive copy.

    If source (or destination) name is specified as a URL, then the corresponding datacenter parameter may be omitted.

    If any intermediate level folder specified by the source and destination does not exist, a FileNotFound fault is thrown.

    If a file of a virtual machine is overwritten on the destination datastore as a result of the force parameter, it may corrupt that virtual machine.

    If the source is an extent of a virtual disk, this operation treats the extent as a file.

    If source and destination resolve to the same file system location, the call has no effect.

    It is important to note that this operation will provide transactional guarantees only for a file. No guarantees are provided when copying a folder. If the intent is to clone a virtual machine registered in the inventory, with transactional guarantees, please refer to CloneVM_Task.

    Datastore.FileManagement privilege is required on both source and destination datastores.

    Required Privileges
    Dynamic - See discussion above

    Parameters

    NameTypeDescription
    _thisManagedObjectReference A reference to the FileManager used to make the method call.
    sourceNamexsd:string

    The name of the source, either a URL or a datastore path referring to the file or folder to be copied.
    sourceDatacenter* PManagedObjectReference
    to a Datacenter

    If sourceName is a datastore path, the datacenter for that datastore path. Not needed when invoked directly on ESX. If not specified on a call to VirtualCenter, sourceName must be a URL.
    destinationNamexsd:string

    The name of the destination, either a URL or a datastore path referring to the destination file or folder.
    destinationDatacenter* PManagedObjectReference
    to a Datacenter

    If destinationName is a datastore path, the datacenter for that datastore path. Not needed when invoked directly on ESX. If not specified on a call to VirtualCenter, it is assumed that the destination path belongs to the source datacenter.
    force*xsd:boolean

    If true, overwrite any identically named file at the destination. If not specified, it is assumed to be false.
    *Need not be set P Required privilege: System.View

    Return Value

    Type Description
    ManagedObjectReference
    to a SmsTask
    This method returns a Task object with which to monitor the operation.

    Faults

    Type Description
    CannotAccessFileThrown if the source cannot be accessed because of insufficient permissions.
    FileAlreadyExistsThrown if a file with the given name already exists at the destination, and the force flag is false.
    FileFaultThrown if there is a generic file error
    FileLockedThrown if the source file or folder is currently locked or in use.
    FileNotFoundThrown if the file or folder specified by sourceName is not found, or, any intermediate level folder specified by the destinationName is not found.
    InvalidDatastoreThrown if the operation cannot be performed on the source or destination datastores. Typically, a specific subclass of this exception is thrown.
    NoDiskSpaceThrown if there is not enough space available at the destination datastore.
    RuntimeFaultThrown if any type of runtime fault is thrown that is not covered by the other faults; for example, a communication error.

    Events

    Type
    None



    DeleteDatastoreFile_Task(deleteFile)

    Deletes the specified file or folder from the datastore. If a file of a virtual machine is deleted, it may corrupt that virtual machine. Folder deletes are always recursive. The datacenter parameter may be omitted if a URL is used to name the file or folder.

    If the source is an extent of a virtual disk, this operation treats the extent as a file.

    It is important to note that this operation will provide transactional guarantees only for a file. No guarantees are provided when deleting folders. If the intent is to delete a virtual machine registered in the inventory, please refer to Destroy_Task.

    Requires Datastore.FileManagement privilege on the datastore.

    Required Privileges
    Dynamic - See discussion above

    Parameters

    NameTypeDescription
    _thisManagedObjectReference A reference to the FileManager used to make the method call.
    namexsd:string

    The name of the file or folder, either a URL or a datastore path referring to the file or folder to be deleted.
    datacenter* PManagedObjectReference
    to a Datacenter

    If name is a datastore path, the datacenter for that datastore path. Not needed when invoked directly on ESX. If not specified on a call to VirtualCenter, name must be a URL.
    *Need not be set P Required privilege: System.View

    Return Value

    Type Description
    ManagedObjectReference
    to a SmsTask
    This method returns a Task object with which to monitor the operation.

    Faults

    Type Description
    CannotDeleteFileThrown if the delete operation on the file or folder fails.
    FileFaultThrown if there is a generic file error
    FileLockedThrown if the source file or folder is currently locked or in use.
    FileNotFoundThrown if the file or folder specified by name is not found.
    InvalidDatastoreThrown if the operation cannot be performed on the datastore. Typically, a specific subclass of this exception is thrown.
    RuntimeFaultThrown if any type of runtime fault is thrown that is not covered by the other faults; for example, a communication error.

    Events

    Type
    None



    MakeDirectory(makeDirectory)

    Create a folder using the specified name. If the parent or intermediate level folders do not exist, and the parameter createParentDirectories is false, a FileNotFound fault is thrown. If the intermediate level folders do not exist, and the parameter createParentDirectories is true, all the non-existent folders are created.

    Requires Datastore.FileManagement privilege on the datastore.

    Required Privileges
    Dynamic - See discussion above

    Parameters

    NameTypeDescription
    _thisManagedObjectReference A reference to the FileManager used to make the method call.
    namexsd:string

    The name of the folder, either a URL or a datastore path referring to the folder to be created.
    datacenter* PManagedObjectReference
    to a Datacenter

    If name is a datastore path, the datacenter for that datastore path. Not needed when invoked directly on ESX. If not specified on a call to VirtualCenter, name must be a URL.
    createParentDirectories*xsd:boolean

    If true, any non-existent intermediate level folders will be created. If not specified, it is assumed to be false.
    *Need not be set P Required privilege: System.View

    Return Value

    Type Description
    None

    Faults

    Type Description
    CannotCreateFileThrown if the create operation on the folder fails.
    FileAlreadyExistsThrown if a file or folder with the given name already exists at the destination.
    FileFaultThrown if there is a generic file error
    FileNotFoundThrown if the createParentDirectories is false and a intermediate level folder specified by name is not found.
    InvalidDatastoreThrown if the operation cannot be performed on the datastore. Typically, a specific subclass of this exception is thrown.
    RuntimeFaultThrown if any type of runtime fault is thrown that is not covered by the other faults; for example, a communication error.

    Events

    Type
    None

    Show WSDL type definition



    MoveDatastoreFile_Task(moveFile)

    Moves the source file or folder to the destination.

    If the destination file does not exist, it is created. If the destination file exists, the force parameter determines whether to overwrite it with the source or not. If the source path is a folder, then the destination path must not exist; the destination cannot be overwritten even with a force flag in that case. Folder moves are recursive, treating all files and disks to move as binary.

    If source (or destination) name is specified as a URL, then the corresponding datacenter parameter may be omitted.

    If any intermediate level folder specified by the source and destination does not exist, a FileNotFound fault is thrown.

    If a file of a virtual machine is moved, it may corrupt that virtual machine. If a file of a virtual machine is overwritten on the destination datastore as a result of the force parameter, it may corrupt that virtual machine.

    If the source is an extent of a virtual disk, this operation treats the extent as a file.

    If source and destination resolve to the same file system location, the call has no effect.

    It is important to note that this operation will provide transactional guarantees only for a file. No guarantees are provided for folder moves. If the intent is to move a virtual machine registered in the inventory, with transactional guarantees, please refer to RelocateVM_Task. If the intent is to rename a virtual machine registered in the inventory, please refer to Rename_Task.

    Datastore.FileManagement privilege is required on both source and destination datastores.

    Required Privileges
    Dynamic - See discussion above

    Parameters

    NameTypeDescription
    _thisManagedObjectReference A reference to the FileManager used to make the method call.
    sourceNamexsd:string

    The name of the source, either a URL or a datastore path referring to the file or folder to be moved.
    sourceDatacenter* PManagedObjectReference
    to a Datacenter

    If sourceName is a datastore path, the datacenter for that datastore path. Not needed when invoked directly on ESX. If not specified on a call to VirtualCenter, sourceName must be a URL.
    destinationNamexsd:string

    The name of the destination, either a URL or a datastore path referring to the destination file or folder.
    destinationDatacenter* PManagedObjectReference
    to a Datacenter

    If destinationName is a datastore path, the datacenter for that datastore path. Not needed when invoked directly on ESX. If not specified on a call to VirtualCenter, it is assumed that the destination path belongs to the source datacenter.
    force*xsd:boolean

    If true, overwrite any identically named file at the destination. If not specified, it is assumed to be false.
    *Need not be set P Required privilege: System.View

    Return Value

    Type Description
    ManagedObjectReference
    to a SmsTask
    This method returns a Task object with which to monitor the operation.

    Faults

    Type Description
    CannotAccessFileThrown if the source file or folder cannot be moved because of insufficient permissions.
    FileAlreadyExistsThrown if a file with the given name already exists at the destination, and the force flag is false. For folders, if the destination exists, this fault is thrown regardless.
    FileFaultThrown if there is a generic file error
    FileLockedThrown if the source file or folder is currently locked or in use.
    FileNotFoundThrown if the file or folder specified by sourceName is not found, or, any intermediate level folder specified by the destinationName is not found.
    InvalidDatastoreThrown if the operation cannot be performed on the source or destination datastores. Typically, a specific subclass of this exception is thrown.
    NoDiskSpaceThrown if there is not enough space available on the destination datastore.
    RuntimeFaultThrown if any type of runtime fault is thrown that is not covered by the other faults; for example, a communication error.

    Events

    Type
    None