Before you start setting up your development environment, you must download the vSphere Web Client SDK to your working machine and have access to a vCenter Server for Windows or a vCenter Server Appliance instance.

To create a vSphere Web Client extension, your development environment must include the following items.

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A development environment capable of developing Web applications by using ActionScript and MXML, or JavaScript and HTML. You can use the Eclipse Integrated Development Environment or Spring Tools Suite. The vSphere Web Client SDK includes tools and plug-ins for the both IDEs to aid you in creating vSphere Web Client plug-ins.

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A development environment capable of developing Java-based Web applications. You can again use the Eclipse IDE or the Spring Tools Suite. The vSphere Web Client contains tools and plug-ins for both IDEs to aid you in creating services compatible with the vSphere Web Client Virgo server framework.

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Access to avCenter Server for Windows or a vCenter Server Appliance instance to register your extension and in this way allow the vSphere Web Client to download and install the plug-in.

You can set up the vSphere Web Client SDK on a machine with Windows or Mac OS operating systems. Before you begin the SDK setup, you can set up your Java environment and Apache Ant, install and configure the Eclipse IDE and the Adobe Flex SDK.