In the vSphere Client , you can create global view extensions to create custom solutions for the user interface.

A global view extension can have nearly any function, including aggregating data about different types of vSphere objects onto a single screen, or displaying data from sources outside the vSphere environment. A global view can be a simple single-level data view that uses the entire vSphere Client main workspace, or a complex nested view with its own internal navigation structure and organization. Creating a global view extension has a few restrictions.

Global views are displayed in the vSphere Client main workspace, but exist outside of the virtual infrastructure hierarchy. The user selects a global view directly, either through a pointer in the object navigator or a shortcut on the vSphere Client home screen.

To create a global view extension, you must define the extension by using the XML elements in the plug-in module manifest file, and create the HTML code that appears in the main workspace.

Use Cases

You can use global view extensions to create dashboard-style data views or console-style applications.

A dashboard aggregates data from different sources in the vSphere environment together in one unified data view. For example, you can create a dashboard that provides status information about all custom company-branded objects in the vSphere environment.

Console-style applications are displayed in the vSphere Client main content area. For example, the vSphere Client Task Console and Event Console are console-style applications.

Creating Global View Extensions

You create global view extensions by using the vise.global.views extension point. To define a global view extension, you must use the com.vmware.vsphere.client.htmlbridge.HtmlView class for the <componentClass> property of the extension object. For more information about the properties of this HTML object, see Properties of the HtmlView Extension Object.

Since there is no context object for a global view extension, the global view document is opened with a request that contains only the locale parameter.

Accessing Data

Each global view extension is an independent HTML element that must communicate with the vSphere environment to retrieve data, or send commands, that the view requires. The vSphere Client development kit includes an MVC framework and a JavaScript library that you can use when creating global view extensions. The JavaScript code can use REST-based Ajax queries to retrieve data from the vSphere environment and call actions on objects in the virtual infrastructure by using the callActionsController() function.

You can create a global view extension by using any pattern or framework, but using the vSphere Client development kit MVC framework and the Data Access Manager is a best practice. See Creating Data View Extensions.

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