It’s an exciting time! We have started the process of open sourcing our vSphere Automation SDKs! The first ones to be released are the Software Development Kits (SDKs) for REST and Python: https://vmware.github.io/vsphere-automation-sdk
Alan Renouf, the Product Line Manager for the vSphere Automation SDKs (among other things), has a great post detailing the significance of it over on the VMware Open Source blog: https://blogs.vmware.com/opensource/2017/03/09/integration-vmware-vsphere-using-new-open-sourced-software-development-kits
What to Expect
Open sourcing these SDKs are going to have a considerable impact on how they’re consumed, so what should you be expecting with these changes?
The biggest impact: these SDKs are available on GitHub, with no authentication required. Users can clone or download the repository locally or even fork it to their own GitHub account. The use of modern Github integrated tools can ensure these SDKs fit well into your development tooling and procedures.
The first part leads to the next big impact: the frequency of updates. These SDKs being on GitHub allow us to release updates, bug fixes, and other corrections on a much quicker basis!
One of the other big impacts this change is going to have is on contributions. We are actively seeking contributions! Regardless of whether it’s a new sample, an update, or even a request, we want to hear from you! We are dedicated in making these samples relevant to you and making your development experience easier and better than ever before. Please, let us know how we can help you do this.
Getting Started
There are a lot of ways to get started with this new method of access. The easiest way is to check each repo’s README and follow the instructions there.
However, let’s walk through an example. One of the simplest ways, downloading it directly from the SDK’s repo.
Using the vSphere Automation SDK for Python:
Repository Link: https://github.com/vmware/vsphere-automation-sdk-python
Click the “Clone or Download” button, selecting the “Download ZIP” option.
Find the downloaded zip file and expand it.
Contributions
If you happen to hit an issue when using one of the SDKs in your environment, or if you’re doing something that doesn’t already exist as a sample, there’s a good chance someone else could benefit from that input. Therefore, we highly encourage contributions to these SDKs.
Each SDK will have the contribution and/or issue process documented in the README. However, I’ll provide an overview of both the sample and issue submission process.
Sample Submission:
- Include information as part of the resource or folder’s README:
- Author Name (basic contact info)
- Date
- Description (high level description)
- Known Limitations or Dependencies
- vSphere Version/s Developed and/or Tested (suggested, but not mandatory)
- SDK Version/s Developed and/or Tested (suggested, but not mandatory)
- Language Version/s Developed and/or Tested (suggested, but not mandatory)
Contribution Process:
- Follow the GitHub process
- Use one branch per sample or change-set
- Use one commit and pull request per sample
- Post the sample output along with the pull request
- If including a license with the sample, use the project license
Issue Submission: Each repo has their own “Issues” tab and should be used to submit any issues or requests
- Once on the “Issues” tab, click the green “New issue” button
- Provide a title and as much detail as possible in the comment section
If you’re submitting a sample, we also recommend adding them to the VMware Code Sample Exchange!
Wrap-Up
This transition to open source is a big step for us at VMware. This is also just one of the first steps of many which are focused on helping to enable developers and automation focused admins!
Keep an eye on this blog, the Open Source blog, and especially the vSphere Automation SDK page for all the exciting updates and additional news.
