The vSphere Web Client displays a standard object workspace for each type of vSphere object. You can extend the existing object workspaces or create an object workspace for a custom vSphere object.
The object workspace is a collection of data views with a tabbed navigation structure. The workspace for a given vSphere object appears in the vSphere Web Client main workspace when the user selects an object when browsing the virtual infrastructure.
Each vSphere object type has Summary, Monitor, Configure, and Related Objects categorized object relations top-level tabs , and may contain additional sub-views within each tab. You can add extensions to create your own sub-views within any of the top-level tab views, or within specific sub-views. You can also create new object workspaces with the default top-level tab and sub-view structure.
You can either add a new data view to the existing object workspace for any type of vSphere object, or you can create an object workspace for a custom vSphere object.
In general, you add a data view extension to an existing object workspace to convey additional information about a vSphere object that is not included in an object's standard workspace. You might need to create an extension to the vSphere Web Client service layer, such as a Data Service adapter, to provide the data for your data view extension. See Developing Extensions to the Service Layer.
The vSphere Web Client SDK provides a set of extension points for each type of object in the vSphere environment, such as a virtual machine or host. Each extension point corresponds to a specific view in that object's workspace, to which you can add your own subordinate view extension.
When you create an object workspace, you use the XML extension templates included with the vSphere Web Client SDK. The XML extension templates create all of the standard top-level tabs and subordinate views in a standard object workspace, as well as defining a set of extension points for each. You then create data view extensions that reference the extension points that the template created to complete your object workspace.