The object navigator is the main navigation interface in the vSphere Web Client. The object navigator control always appears on the left side of the vSphere Web Client screen.

The top level of the object navigator contains pointers to the major solutions and applications in the vSphere Web Client, such as the vCenter Server navigator and the Administration application. You can extend the top level of the object navigator with a pointer to your own solution or global view.

You can navigate to the objects in the virtual infrastructure by using the object navigator vCenter Server page. The vCenter Server page shows the objects in the vSphere environment in inventory trees and inventory lists. You can extend this level of the object navigator with an inventory list. In general, you add a new inventory list to represent a new or custom type of object in the environment. You can also create your own categories of lists in the object navigator vCenter Server page.

You create most object navigator extensions by defining the extensions metadata, in the plugin.xml manifest file. Most object navigator extensions do not require that you create visual components.