Content
<!-- mcp-name: io.github.vmware-skills/vmware-aiops -->
# VMware AIops
> **Author**: Wei Zhou, VMware by Broadcom — wei-wz.zhou@broadcom.com
> This is a community-driven project by a VMware engineer, not an official VMware product.
> For official VMware developer tools see [developer.broadcom.com](https://developer.broadcom.com).
English | [中文](README-CN.md)
AI-powered VMware vCenter/ESXi VM lifecycle and deployment tool — 60 tools.
> **Companion skills** handle everything else:
>
> | Skill | Scope | Install |
> |-------|-------|---------|
> | **[vmware-monitor](https://github.com/vmware-skills/VMware-Monitor)** | Read-only: inventory, health, alarms, events, metrics | `uv tool install vmware-monitor` |
> | **[vmware-storage](https://github.com/vmware-skills/VMware-Storage)** | Datastores, iSCSI, vSAN management | `uv tool install vmware-storage` |
> | **[vmware-vks](https://github.com/vmware-skills/VMware-VKS)** | Tanzu Namespaces, TKC cluster lifecycle | `uv tool install vmware-vks` |
>
> **Need read-only monitoring only?** Use [VMware-Monitor](https://github.com/vmware-skills/VMware-Monitor) — zero destructive code in the codebase.
[](https://clawhub.ai/skills/vmware-aiops)
[](https://skills.sh/vmware-skills/VMware-AIops)
[](https://github.com/vmware-skills/VMware-AIops)
[](LICENSE)
## ⚡ Quick Investigation Reports (read-only)
Triage → investigate → act, all in one conversation. Five opinionated read-only reports **aggregate and correlate server-side** and hand back a high-signal result (never raw inventory), so you can decide *where to look* before changing anything. Each renders a **self-contained offline HTML snapshot** with `--html` (no external assets; drill-down detail collapses in native `<details>`, zero JavaScript). All delegate to the [vmware-monitor](https://github.com/vmware-skills/VMware-Monitor) library using AIops's own vCenter connection.
| Question | Command | What it correlates |
|----------|---------|--------------------|
| **"What needs attention now?"** across all vCenters | `vmware-aiops attention` | Every vCenter merged into one globally-ranked issue list; unreachable targets degrade gracefully |
| **"Is anything on fire?"** across all clusters | `vmware-aiops summary` | Every cluster's hosts + VM power + live CPU/mem + alarms → ranked top-N issues + per-cluster status |
| **"What's happening around this VM?"** | `vmware-aiops investigate vm <name>` | VM state + host + cluster + backing datastores + snapshots + alarms + performance + a merged event timeline |
| **"What's happening around this host?"** | `vmware-aiops investigate host <name>` | Host state + cluster + the VMs it runs + mounted datastores + alarms + performance + correlated timeline |
| **"What's happening around this datastore?"** | `vmware-aiops investigate datastore <name>` | Capacity/free + mounting hosts + VMs it backs + alarms + correlated timeline |
```bash
vmware-aiops attention # what needs attention now, all vCenters
vmware-aiops investigate vm web-01 --hours 72 # everything around a VM, then act on it
vmware-aiops investigate vm web-01 --html # → offline snapshot in ~/vmware-health/
```
Via MCP these are the tools `cluster_health_summary`, `cross_vcenter_attention`, `vm_investigation_bundle`, `host_investigation_bundle`, `datastore_investigation_bundle`. (Requires `vmware-monitor` installed.)
### Quick Install (Recommended)
Works with Claude Code, Cursor, Codex, Gemini CLI, Trae, and 30+ AI agents:
```bash
# Via Skills.sh
npx skills add vmware-skills/VMware-AIops
# Via ClawHub
clawhub install @zw008/vmware-aiops
```
### PyPI Install (No GitHub Access Required)
```bash
# Install via uv (recommended)
uv tool install vmware-aiops
# Or via pip
pip install vmware-aiops
# China mainland mirror (faster)
pip install vmware-aiops -i https://pypi.tuna.tsinghua.edu.cn/simple
```
### Offline / Air-Gapped Install (from source)
This project uses the modern PEP 517 build system (hatchling), so there is **no
`setup.py`** by design — that is expected, not a missing file. If you cloned the
source and hit `ERROR: File "setup.py" or "setup.cfg" not found ... editable mode
currently requires a setuptools-based build`, your `pip` is older than 21.3 and
cannot do an *editable* (`-e`) install with a non-setuptools backend. Editable
mode is a developer convenience, not needed to run the tool — do one of:
```bash
# From the source tree — a normal (non-editable) install builds a wheel:
pip install . # NOT pip install -e .
# ...or upgrade pip first, and editable works too:
pip install --upgrade pip && pip install -e .
```
For a **truly air-gapped host**, build the wheels on a connected machine and copy
them over — the target then needs no network:
```bash
# On a connected machine, collect this package + its dependencies as wheels:
pip wheel . -w dist # → dist/*.whl (or: uv build, for just this package)
# Copy dist/ to the air-gapped host, then install offline:
pip install --no-index --find-links dist vmware-aiops
```
---
## Why this over other VMware MCP servers
Most open-source VMware MCP servers (e.g. `bright8192/esxi-mcp-server`,
`giuliolibrando/vmware-vsphere-mcp-server`) are **single-vCenter VM wrappers**:
list/power/snapshot a VM, basic monitoring, a `confirm=True` flag. They explicitly
do not cover networking, storage, Kubernetes, ops analytics, load balancing, or
compliance — and "logging is documented" is not an audit trail.
This is one skill in an **11-package family** that covers the whole estate and runs
every tool through a governed harness:
| | Other VMware MCP servers | This family |
|---|:---:|:---:|
| VM lifecycle + monitoring | ✅ | ✅ |
| NSX networking (segments/gateways/NAT/routing/IPAM) | ❌ | ✅ vmware-nsx |
| NSX security (DFW/groups/IDS-IPS/traceflow) | ❌ | ✅ vmware-nsx-security |
| Storage (datastore/iSCSI/vSAN) | ❌ | ✅ vmware-storage |
| Tanzu Kubernetes (Supervisor/Namespace/TKC) | ❌ | ✅ vmware-vks |
| Aria Operations (metrics/alerts/capacity) | ❌ | ✅ vmware-aria |
| AVI / NSX ALB load balancing + AKO | ❌ | ✅ vmware-avi |
| Compliance baselines + drift (CIS/SCG/等保/PCI) | ❌ | ✅ vmware-harden |
| **Governed harness** (unified audit, policy engine, token budget + runaway breaker, graduated risk tiers, undo-token, prompt-injection sanitize) | ❌ | ✅ vmware-policy on every tool |
If you only ever power-cycle VMs in one vCenter, a single-file server is fine. If you
run a real (regulated, NSX-segmented, multi-domain) VMware estate and need an AI
operator an auditor can sign off on, that's what this family is for — see
[docs/compliance-ready.md](../docs/compliance-ready.md).
## Capabilities Overview
### What This Skill Does
| Category | Tools | Count |
|----------|-------|:-----:|
| **VM Lifecycle** | power on/off, TTL auto-delete, clean slate | 6 |
| **Deployment** | OVA, template, linked clone, batch clone/deploy | 8 |
| **Guest Ops** | exec commands, upload/download files, provision | 5 |
| **Plan/Apply** | multi-step planning with rollback | 4 |
| **Cluster** | create, delete, HA/DRS config, add/remove hosts | 6 |
| **Datastore** | browse files, scan for images | 2 |
| **Network** | dvSwitch portgroup list/create, host VMkernel list/add/remove, DF-bit MTU-path ping | 6 |
### CLI vs MCP: Which Mode to Use
| Scenario | Recommended | Why |
|----------|:-----------:|-----|
| **Local/small models** (Ollama, Qwen <32B) | **CLI** | ~2K tokens context vs ~10K for MCP; small models struggle with many tool schemas |
| **Token-sensitive workflows** | **CLI** | SKILL.md + Bash tool = minimal overhead |
| **Cloud models** (Claude, GPT-4o) | Either | Both work; MCP gives structured JSON I/O |
| **Automated pipelines / Agent chaining** | **MCP** | Type-safe parameters, structured output, no shell parsing |
| **Monitoring / storage / K8s** | Companion skills | See [vmware-monitor](https://github.com/vmware-skills/VMware-Monitor), [vmware-storage](https://github.com/vmware-skills/VMware-Storage), [vmware-vks](https://github.com/vmware-skills/VMware-VKS) |
> **Rule of thumb**: Use CLI for cost efficiency and small models. Use MCP for structured automation with large models.
### Architecture
```
User (Natural Language)
↓
AI CLI Tool (Claude Code / Gemini / Codex / Aider / Continue / Trae / Kimi)
↓ reads SKILL.md / AGENTS.md / rules
↓
vmware-aiops CLI
↓ pyVmomi (vSphere SOAP API)
↓
vCenter Server ──→ ESXi Cluster ──→ VM
or
ESXi Standalone Host ──→ VM
```
### Version Compatibility
| vSphere / VCF Version | Support | Notes |
|----------------|---------|-------|
| VCF 9.1 / vSphere 9.1 | ✅ Full | Released 2026-05-12. pyVmomi `<10.0` resolves and connects via SOAP; new REST-only features (`PATCH /deployment/size`, IPv6-only GOSC) not yet wrapped — see [VCF Python SDK](https://developer.broadcom.com/sdks) for those. |
| VCF 9.0 / vSphere 9.0 | ✅ Full | pyVmomi 8.0.3+ connects against vSphere 9 SOAP API. From VCF 9, pyVmomi is also bundled inside the unified VCF Python SDK. |
| 8.0 / 8.0U1-U3 | ✅ Full | `CreateSnapshot_Task` deprecated → use `CreateSnapshotEx_Task` |
| 7.0 / 7.0U1-U3 | ✅ Full | All APIs supported |
| 6.7 | ✅ Compatible | Backward-compatible, tested |
| 6.5 | ✅ Compatible | Backward-compatible, tested |
> pyVmomi auto-negotiates the API version during SOAP handshake — no manual configuration needed. The same codebase manages 7.0 / 8.0 / 9.0 / 9.1 environments seamlessly.
#### Official Broadcom References
- **SDKs**: <https://developer.broadcom.com/sdks> — VCF Python SDK (recommended for VCF 9+, bundles pyVmomi + vSAN SDK), vSphere Automation SDK for Python (REST APIs)
- **REST APIs**: <https://developer.broadcom.com/xapis> — vSphere Automation API, VCF API, SDDC Manager API
- **CLI Tools**: <https://developer.broadcom.com/tools> — PowerCLI 9.1, ESXCLI, OVF Tool
---
## Common Workflows
### Deploy a Lab Environment
1. Browse datastore for OVA images → `vmware-aiops datastore browse <ds> --pattern "*.ova"`
2. Deploy VM from OVA → `vmware-aiops deploy ova ./image.ova --name lab-vm --datastore ds1`
3. Install software inside VM → `vmware-aiops vm guest-exec lab-vm --cmd /bin/bash --args "-c 'apt-get install -y nginx'" --user root`
4. Create baseline snapshot → `vmware-aiops vm snapshot-create lab-vm --name baseline`
5. Set TTL for auto-cleanup → `vmware-aiops vm set-ttl lab-vm --minutes 480`
### Batch Clone for Testing
1. Create plan: `vm_create_plan` with multiple clone + reconfigure steps
2. Review plan with user (shows affected VMs, irreversible warnings)
3. Apply: `vm_apply_plan` executes sequentially, stops on failure
4. If failed: `vm_rollback_plan` reverses executed steps
5. Set TTL on all clones for auto-cleanup
### Migrate VM to Another Host
1. Check VM info via `vmware-monitor` → verify power state and current host
2. Migrate: `vmware-aiops vm migrate my-vm --to-host esxi-02`
3. Verify migration completed
---
## VM Lifecycle
| Operation | Command | Confirmation | vCenter | ESXi |
|-----------|---------|:------------:|:-------:|:----:|
| Power On | `vm power-on <name>` | — | ✅ | ✅ |
| Graceful Shutdown | `vm power-off <name>` | Double | ✅ | ✅ |
| Force Power Off | `vm power-off <name> --force` | Double | ✅ | ✅ |
| Reset | plan action `reset` via `vm_create_plan` (MCP; no CLI command) | — | ✅ | ✅ |
| Suspend | plan action `suspend` via `vm_create_plan` (MCP; no CLI command) | — | ✅ | ✅ |
| Create VM | `vm create <name> --cpu --memory --disk` | — | ✅ | ✅ |
| Delete VM | `vm delete <name>` | Double | ✅ | ✅ |
| Reconfigure | `vm reconfigure <name> --cpu --memory` | Double | ✅ | ✅ |
| Create Snapshot | `vm snapshot-create <name> --name <snap>` | — | ✅ | ✅ |
| List Snapshots | `vm snapshot-list <name>` | — | ✅ | ✅ |
| Revert Snapshot | `vm snapshot-revert <name> --name <snap>` | Double | ✅ | ✅ |
| Delete Snapshot | `vm snapshot-delete <name> --name <snap> [--no-wait]` | Double | ✅ | ✅ |
| Task Status | `vm task-status <task-id>` | — | ✅ | ✅ |
| Clone VM | `vm clone <name> --new-name <new>` | Double | ✅ | ✅ |
| vMotion | `vm migrate <name> --to-host <host>` | Double | ✅ | ❌ |
| **Set TTL** | `vm set-ttl <name> --minutes <n>` | Double | ✅ | ✅ |
| **Cancel TTL** | `vm cancel-ttl <name>` | — | ✅ | ✅ |
| **List TTLs** | `vm list-ttl` | — | ✅ | ✅ |
| **Clean Slate** | `vm clean-slate <name> [--snapshot baseline]` | Double | ✅ | ✅ |
| **Guest Exec** | `vm guest-exec <name> --cmd /bin/bash --args "..." --user <account>` | Double | ✅ | ✅ |
| **Guest Exec (with output)** | MCP only: `vm_guest_exec_output` (`username` required) — no CLI command | — | ✅ | ✅ |
| **Guest Upload** | `vm guest-upload <name> --local f.sh --guest /tmp/f.sh --user <account>` | Double | ✅ | ✅ |
| **Guest Download** | `vm guest-download <name> --guest /var/log/syslog --local ./syslog --user <account>` | — | ✅ | ✅ |
> Guest Operations require VMware Tools running inside the guest OS, and the guest account is always named explicitly — `--user` on the CLI, `username` over MCP. There is no default, so no call runs as root without choosing root. `vm_guest_exec_output` (MCP only; the CLI has no equivalent) auto-detects Linux/Windows shell and captures stdout/stderr.
### Plan → Apply (Multi-step Operations)
For complex operations involving 2+ steps or 2+ VMs, use the plan/apply workflow instead of executing individually:
| Step | What Happens |
|------|-------------|
| 1. **Create Plan** | AI calls `vm_create_plan` — validates actions, checks targets in vSphere, generates plan with rollback info |
| 2. **Review** | AI shows plan to user: steps, affected VMs, irreversible warnings |
| 3. **Apply** | `vm_apply_plan` previews first; with `confirm=True` executes sequentially and stops on failure. Each gated step is checked as its own tool checks it; iSCSI/rescan steps are refused (use vmware-storage) |
| 4. **Rollback** (if failed) | Asks user whether to rollback, then `vm_rollback_plan` reverses executed steps (irreversible steps skipped); each destructive rollback step is checked first, and a refused check stops the rollback |
Plans stored in `~/.vmware-aiops/plans/`, auto-deleted on success, auto-cleaned after 24h.
## VM Deployment & Provisioning
| Operation | Command | Speed | vCenter | ESXi |
|-----------|---------|:-----:|:-------:|:----:|
| Deploy from OVA | `deploy ova <path> --name <vm>` | Minutes | ✅ | ✅ |
| Deploy from Template | `deploy template <tmpl> --name <vm>` | Minutes | ✅ | ✅ |
| Linked Clone | `deploy linked-clone --source <vm> --snapshot <snap> --name <new>` | Seconds | ✅ | ✅ |
| Attach ISO | `deploy iso <vm> --iso "[ds] path/to.iso"` | Instant | ✅ | ✅ |
| Convert to Template | `deploy mark-template <vm>` | Instant | ✅ | ✅ |
| Batch Clone | `deploy batch-clone --source <vm> --count <n>` | Minutes | ✅ | ✅ |
| Batch Deploy (YAML) | `deploy batch spec.yaml` | Auto | ✅ | ✅ |
## Cluster Management
| Operation | Command | Confirmation | vCenter | ESXi |
|-----------|---------|:------------:|:-------:|:----:|
| Cluster Info | `cluster info <name>` | — | ✅ | ❌ |
| Create Cluster | `cluster create <name> [--ha] [--drs]` | — | ✅ | ❌ |
| Delete Cluster | `cluster delete <name>` | Double | ✅ | ❌ |
| Add Host | `cluster add-host <cluster> --host <host>` | Double | ✅ | ❌ |
| Remove Host | `cluster remove-host <cluster> --host <host>` | Double | ✅ | ❌ |
| Configure HA/DRS | `cluster configure <name> [--ha/--no-ha] [--drs/--no-drs]` | Double | ✅ | ❌ |
> `remove-host` requires the host to be in **maintenance mode** first; the host is moved out of the cluster into the datacenter's host folder as a standalone host.
## Alarm Management
| Operation | Command | Confirmation | vCenter | ESXi |
|-----------|---------|:------------:|:-------:|:----:|
| List Triggered Alarms | `alarm list [--target <t>]` | — | ✅ | ❌ |
| Acknowledge Alarm | `alarm acknowledge <entity> <alarm>` | — | ✅ | ❌ |
| Clear (Reset) Alarms | `alarm reset <entity> <alarm>` | Double | ✅ | ❌ |
> **Blast radius**: vSphere has no per-alarm clear API. `alarm reset` uses `AlarmManager.ClearTriggeredAlarms`, which clears **all** triggered alarms matching the named alarm's entity type (host/VM/all) and current status (red/yellow) — not just the named one. The named alarm is looked up first (typos fail fast), and the output's `scope` field reports exactly what was cleared. Cleared alarms re-trigger automatically if their underlying condition persists.
## Datastore Browser
| Feature | vCenter | ESXi | Details |
|---------|:-------:|:----:|---------|
| Browse Files | ✅ | ✅ | List files/folders in any datastore path |
| Scan Images | ✅ | ✅ | Discover ISO, OVA, OVF, VMDK across all datastores |
## Scheduled Scanning & Notifications
| Feature | Details |
|---------|---------|
| Daemon | APScheduler-based, configurable interval (default 15 min) |
| Multi-target Scan | Sequentially scan all configured vCenter/ESXi targets |
| Scan Content | Each cycle: triggered alarms, vCenter events from the last `lookback_hours`, and new lines in the ESXi host logs `hostd`, `vmkernel`, `vpxa` |
| Host Logs | Read incrementally: each line is reported once per daemon run (a restarted daemon re-reads each log's last 500 lines once). A rotated log, or more than 500 new lines between cycles, adds an `info` row saying which lines were not scanned. Reading host logs needs the `Global.Diagnostics` privilege, which vCenter's Read-Only role does not include; a log that cannot be read becomes an `info` row with the reason, never a silent "all clear" |
| Log Analysis | Host-log lines matching error, fail, critical, panic, lost access, cannot, timeout, refused, corrupt — lines with critical/panic/corrupt are `critical`, the rest `warning` |
| Structured Log | JSONL output to `~/.vmware-aiops/scan.log` — every issue, `info` rows included |
| Webhook | Slack, Discord, or any HTTP endpoint. Receives every critical issue and every alarm/event warning; host-log warnings go to the scan log only, and `info` rows are never sent |
| Cycle Summary | One line per cycle in the daemon's log output: findings (and how many went to the webhook), unreadable host logs, logs with unscanned lines, failed passes. If any pass failed or a target could not be reached it reads `Scan INCOMPLETE`, never "all clear" |
| Daemon Management | `daemon start/stop/status`, PID file, graceful shutdown |
## Safety Features
| Feature | Details |
|---------|---------|
| **Dry-Run Mode** (**CLI only**) | `--dry-run` prints the exact API call without executing, on every CLI write except `deploy iso`, `deploy mark-template`, `vm cancel-ttl` and `vm guest-download` |
| **Plan → Confirm → Execute → Log** | CLI workflow: show current state, confirm changes, execute, audit log |
| **Double Confirmation** (**CLI only**) | Destructive and deploy CLI commands (`vm` power-off, delete, reconfigure, snapshot-revert/delete, clone, migrate, set-ttl, clean-slate, guest-exec, guest-upload; `deploy` ova, template, linked-clone, batch, batch-clone, mark-template; `cluster` delete, add-host, remove-host, configure, drs-rule-set/create/delete; `alarm reset`) require 2 sequential prompts and take no bypass flag |
| **Only destructive MCP tools confirm** | 22 of the 43 write tools an agent sees over MCP — every tool annotated destructive, plus `vm_migrate` and the network/DRS authoring tools — preview first and need `confirm=True`; the other 21 (creates, clones, deploys, power-on, reconfigure, snapshot create, host add, template and ISO operations, guest download, plan creation, alarms) act on the first call. There is no approval tier and no read-only switch. What decides whether a write lands is the privilege of the vCenter account, and what records it is the audit trail. See [What protects you](#what-protects-you) |
| **Rejection Logging** | Declined CLI confirmations are recorded in the audit trail |
| **Audit Trail** | All operations logged to `~/.vmware-aiops/audit.log` (JSONL) with before/after state |
| **Input Validation** | VM name, CPU (1-128), memory (128-1048576 MB), disk (1-65536 GB) validated |
| **Password Protection** | `.env` file loading with permission check; never in shell history |
| **SSL Self-signed Support** | `verify_ssl: false` — only for ESXi with self-signed certs in isolated labs; production should use CA-signed certificates |
| **Prompt Injection Protection** | vSphere event messages and host logs are truncated, stripped of control characters, and wrapped in boundary markers before output |
| **Webhook Data Scope** | Disabled by default. When configured, the daemon posts to your URL only: every critical issue (alarms, events, ESXi log lines matching critical/panic/corrupt, targets it could not connect to) and every alarm/event warning — host-log warnings stay in the scan log, and `info` rows are never sent. Each issue carries its entity name and message: sanitized alarm, event, or ESXi log text, or the connection error, which can include host names, IP addresses, and user names. No credentials from the skill's config or `.env` are sent |
| **Task Waiting** | All async operations wait for completion and report result |
| **State Validation** | Pre-operation checks (VM exists, power state correct) |
### vCenter vs ESXi Comparison
| Capability | vCenter | ESXi Standalone |
|------------|:-------:|:----:|
| vMotion migration | ✅ | ❌ |
| Cross-host clone | ✅ | ❌ |
| Cluster management | ✅ | ❌ |
| All VM lifecycle ops | ✅ | ✅ |
| OVA/Template/Linked Clone deploy | ✅ | ✅ |
| Datastore browsing & image scan | ✅ | ✅ |
| Snapshots | ✅ | ✅ |
| Guest operations | ✅ | ✅ |
> Inventory, alarms, events, sensors, host services, and scanning are now in [vmware-monitor](https://github.com/vmware-skills/VMware-Monitor).
### What protects you
The table above lists two different surfaces and it is worth being blunt about
which protections apply to which, because getting this wrong is worse than
having no protection at all — a guardrail you believe in is one you stop
compensating for.
**On the CLI**, a destructive command asks twice and takes no bypass flag, and
`--dry-run` previews every write except `deploy iso`, `deploy mark-template`,
`vm cancel-ttl` and `vm guest-download`. That defends a mistyped command typed by a
human. It does not defend against an agent, which satisfies both prompts with
`yes |`.
**Over MCP**, every tool annotated destructive, plus `vm_migrate` and the network/DRS
authoring tools — 22 of the 43 write tools, including
`vm_power_off`, `vm_migrate`, `cluster_delete`, the snapshot, guest, TTL, Clean
Slate and plan tools — takes one argument, `confirm`, whose default is a
no-write preview: a bare call returns its blast radius and changes nothing.
`confirm=True` re-measures and is refused, with a teaching error audited as a
failure, if the preview found a blocker (a VM without running VMware Tools, a
target host in maintenance mode, a cluster that still has hosts, a missing or
duplicated snapshot) or could not read something. `vm_delete` also takes the
preview's `acknowledge_with` echoed back, and is refused if the VM changed
since, is powered on or suspended. The other 21 write tools — creates, clones,
deploys, power-on, reconfigure, snapshot create, host add, template and ISO operations,
guest download, plan creation, alarms — act on the first call. A confirmation is not authorization, which is
why the `VMWARE_READ_ONLY` switch stays removed (it was enforced on the MCP path
only, and any agent with a shell walked around it via the CLI). What the preview
buys is narrower: an agent does not destroy something it has not looked at.
**What actually decides whether a write lands is the vCenter/ESXi service
account.** Give the skill an account with the privileges the work needs and no
more; vCenter refuses the rest itself, on every surface, with no way around it
from inside this skill. **To run an agent read-only, give it a read-only vCenter
role** — one decision, enforced where it is made. Every call is then recorded in
`~/.vmware/audit.db` before the caller sees a result, which is how you find out
what happened. Optional `deny` rules in `~/.vmware/rules.yaml`, checked before
every MCP call, can refuse operations — for example, writes to targets labelled
`environment: production`. The shipped baseline denies nothing, and the rules
run inside the same process: a guardrail on top of RBAC, not a replacement.
**`vm_guest_exec` is the one to think hardest about.** It runs a caller-supplied
command inside the guest OS with the credentials handed to it — its `username`
is required (no default account); nothing bounds what the command may be. The guest account is
a *separate* authorization boundary from the vCenter one — a read-only vCenter
role does not constrain what this tool does inside a VM. The skill stores no
guest credentials: over MCP they are tool arguments the agent sees (the audit row
redacts the password). Pass a least-privilege guest account, and do not hand the
agent guest credentials it does not need. `vm_guest_upload` reads any local file
the server process can read.
The full inventory of which tools are gated and which are not is in
[references/capabilities.md](skills/vmware-aiops/references/capabilities.md#what-gates-a-write),
where the numbers are checked against the live tool registry by the test suite
rather than maintained by hand.
---
## Troubleshooting
### "VM not found" error
VM names are case-sensitive in vSphere. Use exact name from `vmware-monitor inventory vms`.
### Guest exec returns empty output
Use `vm_guest_exec_output` instead of `vm_guest_exec` — it auto-captures stdout/stderr. Basic `vm_guest_exec` only returns exit code.
### Deploy OVA times out
Large OVA files (>10GB) may exceed the default 120s timeout. The upload happens via HTTP NFC lease — ensure network between the machine running vmware-aiops and ESXi is stable.
### Plan apply fails mid-way
Run `vmware-aiops plan list` to see failed plan status. Ask user if they want to rollback with `vm_rollback_plan`. Irreversible steps (delete_vm) are skipped during rollback.
### Connection refused / SSL error
1. Verify target is reachable: `vmware-aiops doctor`
2. For self-signed certs: set `verify_ssl: false` in config.yaml (lab environments only)
---
## Supported AI Platforms
| Platform | Status | Config File | AI Model |
|----------|--------|-------------|----------|
| **Claude Code** | ✅ Native Skill | `skills/vmware-aiops/SKILL.md` | Anthropic Claude |
| **Gemini CLI** | ✅ Context file + MCP | `skills/vmware-aiops/SKILL.md` | Google Gemini |
| **OpenAI Codex CLI** | ✅ Skill + AGENTS.md | `skills/vmware-aiops/SKILL.md` | OpenAI GPT |
| **Aider** | ✅ Conventions | `skills/vmware-aiops/SKILL.md` | Any (cloud + local) |
| **Continue CLI** | ✅ Rules | `skills/vmware-aiops/SKILL.md` | Any (cloud + local) |
| **Trae IDE** | ✅ Rules | `skills/vmware-aiops/SKILL.md` | Claude/DeepSeek/GPT-4o/Doubao |
| **Kimi Code CLI** | ✅ Skill | `skills/vmware-aiops/SKILL.md` | Moonshot Kimi |
| **MCP Server** | ✅ MCP Protocol | `vmware_aiops/mcp_server/` | Any MCP client |
| **Python CLI** | ✅ Standalone | N/A | N/A |
### Platform Comparison
| Feature | Claude Code | Gemini CLI | Codex CLI | Aider | Continue | Trae IDE | Kimi CLI |
|---------|-------------|------------|-----------|-------|----------|----------|----------|
| Cloud AI | Anthropic | Google | OpenAI | Any | Any | Multi | Moonshot |
| Local models | — | — | — | Ollama | Ollama | — | — |
| Skill system | SKILL.md | Context file | SKILL.md | — | Rules | Rules | SKILL.md |
| MCP support | Native | Native | Via Skills | Third-party | Native | — | — |
| Free tier | — | 60 req/min | — | Self-hosted | Self-hosted | — | — |
### MCP Server Integrations
The vmware-aiops MCP server works with **any MCP-compatible agent or tool**. Ready-to-use configuration templates are in [`examples/mcp-configs/`](examples/mcp-configs/).
| Agent / Tool | Local Model Support | Config Template | Integration Guide |
|-------------|:-------------------:|-----------------|-------------------|
| **[Xiaoguai (小怪)](https://github.com/xiaoguai-agent/xiaoguai)** | ✅ Self-hosted, any LLM | [MCP setup](https://github.com/xiaoguai-agent/xiaoguai/blob/main/docs/book/src/api/mcp.md) | [Guide](https://github.com/xiaoguai-agent/xiaoguai) |
| **[Goose](https://github.com/block/goose)** | ✅ Ollama, LM Studio | [`goose.json`](examples/mcp-configs/goose.json) | [Guide](docs/integrations/goose.md) |
| **[LocalCowork](https://github.com/Liquid4All/localcowork)** | ✅ Fully offline | [`localcowork.json`](examples/mcp-configs/localcowork.json) | [Guide](docs/integrations/localcowork.md) |
| **[mcp-agent](https://github.com/lastmile-ai/mcp-agent)** | ✅ Ollama, vLLM | [`mcp-agent.yaml`](examples/mcp-configs/mcp-agent.yaml) | [Guide](docs/integrations/mcp-agent.md) |
| **VS Code Copilot** | — | [`vscode-copilot.json`](examples/mcp-configs/vscode-copilot.json) | [Guide](docs/integrations/vscode-copilot.md) |
| **[Cursor](https://www.cursor.com)** | — | [`cursor.json`](examples/mcp-configs/cursor.json) | [Guide](docs/integrations/cursor.md) |
| **Continue** | ✅ Ollama | [`continue.yaml`](examples/mcp-configs/continue.yaml) | [Guide](docs/integrations/continue.md) |
| **Claude Code** | — | [`claude-code.json`](examples/mcp-configs/claude-code.json) | — |
> **[Xiaoguai (小怪)](https://github.com/xiaoguai-agent/xiaoguai)** — a self-hostable, audit-first agent platform (Rust, single binary + embedded SQLite) from the same maintainer. It runs the vmware-aiops MCP server as one of its toolboxes; being both an MCP *consumer* and an MCP *server*, its HMAC-chained audit log and human-on-the-loop approval gates line up with this skill's own audit + confirm design. See its [MCP integration guide](https://github.com/xiaoguai-agent/xiaoguai/blob/main/docs/book/src/api/mcp.md).
**Fully local operation** (no cloud API required):
```bash
# Aider + Ollama + vmware-aiops (via SKILL.md)
aider --conventions skills/vmware-aiops/SKILL.md --model ollama/qwen2.5-coder:32b
# Any MCP agent + local model + vmware-aiops MCP server
# See examples/mcp-configs/ for your agent's config format
```
---
## Installation
### Step 0: Prerequisites
```bash
# Python 3.10+ required
python3 --version
# Node.js 18+ required for Gemini CLI and Codex CLI
node --version
```
### Step 1: Clone & Install Python Backend
All platforms share the same Python backend.
```bash
git clone https://github.com/vmware-skills/VMware-AIops.git
cd VMware-AIops
python3 -m venv .venv
source .venv/bin/activate
pip install -e .
```
### Step 2: Configure
```bash
mkdir -p ~/.vmware-aiops
cp config.example.yaml ~/.vmware-aiops/config.yaml
# Edit config.yaml with your vCenter/ESXi targets
```
Set passwords via `.env` file (recommended):
```bash
# Use the template
cp .env.example ~/.vmware-aiops/.env
# Edit and fill in your passwords, then lock permissions
chmod 600 ~/.vmware-aiops/.env
```
> **Security note**: Prefer `.env` file over command-line `export` to avoid passwords appearing in shell history. The `.env` file should have `chmod 600` (owner-only read/write).
Password environment variable naming convention:
```
VMWARE_{TARGET_NAME_UPPER}_PASSWORD
# Replace hyphens with underscores, UPPERCASE
# Example: target "home-esxi" → VMWARE_HOME_ESXI_PASSWORD
# Example: target "prod-vcenter" → VMWARE_PROD_VCENTER_PASSWORD
```
### Security Best Practices
- **NEVER** hardcode passwords in scripts or config files
- **NEVER** pass passwords as command-line arguments (visible in `ps`)
- **ALWAYS** use `~/.vmware-aiops/.env` with `chmod 600`
- **ALWAYS** configure connections via `config.yaml` — credentials are loaded from `.env` automatically
- **Config File Contents**: `config.yaml` stores target hostnames, ports, and a reference to the `.env` file. It does **not** contain passwords or tokens. All secrets are stored exclusively in `.env`
- **TLS**: Enabled by default. Disable only for ESXi hosts with self-signed certificates in isolated lab environments
- **Webhook**: Disabled by default. When enabled, the daemon posts to your own configured URL only — no third-party service — every critical issue (alarms, events, ESXi log lines matching critical/panic/corrupt, targets it could not connect to) and every alarm/event warning — host-log warnings stay in the scan log, and `info` rows are never sent. Payloads carry the full issue text (entity names, alarm names, event messages, ESXi log excerpts, connection errors), which can include host names, IP addresses, and user names; they carry no credentials from your config or `.env`
- **Least Privilege**: Use a dedicated vCenter service account with minimal permissions. For monitoring-only use cases, prefer the read-only [VMware-Monitor](https://github.com/vmware-skills/VMware-Monitor)
- **Prompt Injection Protection**: All vSphere-sourced content is truncated, stripped of control characters, and wrapped in boundary markers before output
- **Code Review**: We recommend reviewing the [source code](https://github.com/vmware-skills/VMware-AIops) and commit history before deploying in production
- **Production Safety**: For production environments, use the read-only [VMware-Monitor](https://github.com/vmware-skills/VMware-Monitor) instead. AI agents can misinterpret context and execute unintended destructive operations — real-world incidents have shown that AI-driven infrastructure tools without proper isolation can delete production databases and entire environments. VMware-Monitor eliminates this risk at the code level: no destructive functions exist in its codebase
### Step 3: Connect Your AI Tool
Choose one (or more) of the following:
---
#### Option A: Claude Code
**Method 1: Skills.sh or ClawHub (recommended)**
Either installer places the skill in Claude Code's skills directory for you:
```bash
npx skills add vmware-skills/VMware-AIops
# or
clawhub install @zw008/vmware-aiops
```
**Method 2: Manual skill install**
```bash
git clone https://github.com/vmware-skills/VMware-AIops.git
cd VMware-AIops
# Copy the skill into Claude Code's personal skills directory
mkdir -p ~/.claude/skills/vmware-aiops
cp -r skills/vmware-aiops/. ~/.claude/skills/vmware-aiops/
```
For tool access (not just skill context), also register the MCP server:
```bash
claude mcp add vmware-aiops -- vmware-aiops mcp
```
Restart Claude Code, then:
```
> Show me all VMs on esxi-lab.example.com
```
**Submit to Official Marketplace**
This plugin can also be submitted to the [Anthropic official plugin directory](https://clau.de/plugin-directory-submission) for public discovery.
---
#### Option B: Gemini CLI
```bash
# Install Gemini CLI
npm install -g @google/gemini-cli
# Load the skill as project context (Gemini CLI reads GEMINI.md on startup)
cp skills/vmware-aiops/SKILL.md ./GEMINI.md
```
For tool access (not just context), register the MCP server in `~/.gemini/settings.json`:
```json
{
"mcpServers": {
"vmware-aiops": {
"command": "vmware-aiops",
"args": ["mcp"],
"env": { "VMWARE_AIOPS_CONFIG": "~/.vmware-aiops/config.yaml" }
}
}
}
```
Then start Gemini CLI:
```
gemini
> Show me all VMs on my ESXi host
```
---
#### Option C: OpenAI Codex CLI
```bash
# Install Codex CLI
npm i -g @openai/codex
# Or on macOS:
# brew install --cask codex
# Copy skill to Codex skills directory
mkdir -p ~/.codex/skills/vmware-aiops
cp skills/vmware-aiops/SKILL.md ~/.codex/skills/vmware-aiops/SKILL.md
# Copy AGENTS.md to project root
cp skills/vmware-aiops/SKILL.md ./AGENTS.md
```
Then start Codex CLI:
```bash
codex --enable skills
> List all VMs on my ESXi
```
---
#### Option D: Aider (supports local models)
```bash
# Install Aider
pip install aider-chat
# Install Ollama for local models (optional)
# macOS:
brew install ollama
ollama pull qwen2.5-coder:32b
# Run with cloud API
aider --conventions skills/vmware-aiops/SKILL.md
# Or with local model via Ollama
aider --conventions skills/vmware-aiops/SKILL.md \
--model ollama/qwen2.5-coder:32b
```
---
#### Option E: Continue CLI (supports local models)
```bash
# Install Continue CLI
npm i -g @continuedev/cli
# Copy rules file
mkdir -p .continue/rules
cp skills/vmware-aiops/SKILL.md .continue/rules/vmware-aiops.md
```
Configure `~/.continue/config.yaml` for local model:
```yaml
models:
- name: local-coder
provider: ollama
model: qwen2.5-coder:32b
```
Then:
```bash
cn
> Check ESXi health and alarms
```
---
#### Option F: Trae IDE
Copy the rules file to your project's `.trae/rules/` directory:
```bash
mkdir -p .trae/rules
cp skills/vmware-aiops/SKILL.md .trae/rules/project_rules.md
```
Trae IDE's Builder Mode reads `.trae/rules/` Markdown files at startup.
> **Note**: You can also install Claude Code extension in Trae IDE and use `.claude/skills/` format directly.
---
#### Option G: Kimi Code CLI
```bash
# Copy skill file to Kimi skills directory
mkdir -p ~/.kimi/skills/vmware-aiops
cp skills/vmware-aiops/SKILL.md ~/.kimi/skills/vmware-aiops/SKILL.md
```
---
#### Option H: MCP Server (Glama / Claude Desktop)
The MCP server exposes VMware operations as tools via the [Model Context Protocol](https://modelcontextprotocol.io). Works with any MCP-compatible client (Claude Desktop, Cursor, etc.).
**After `uv tool install vmware-aiops`, start the MCP server with one command** (v1.5.15+):
```bash
# Recommended — single command, no network re-resolve
vmware-aiops mcp
# With a custom config path
VMWARE_AIOPS_CONFIG=/path/to/config.yaml vmware-aiops mcp
```
**Claude Desktop config** (`claude_desktop_config.json`):
```json
{
"mcpServers": {
"vmware-aiops": {
"command": "vmware-aiops",
"args": ["mcp"],
"env": {
"VMWARE_AIOPS_CONFIG": "/path/to/config.yaml"
}
}
}
}
```
<details>
<summary>Alternative: uvx (no install) or legacy entry point</summary>
```bash
# Run without installing (requires PyPI access each launch)
uvx --from vmware-aiops vmware-aiops mcp
# Legacy entry point (still works, kept for backward compatibility)
vmware-aiops-mcp
```
> **Behind a corporate TLS proxy?** uvx may fail with `invalid peer certificate: UnknownIssuer`.
> Use the recommended `vmware-aiops mcp` form above (no network needed), or set `UV_NATIVE_TLS=true`.
</details>
---
#### Option I: Standalone CLI (no AI)
```bash
# Already installed in Step 1
source .venv/bin/activate
vmware-aiops vm power-on my-vm --target home-esxi
vmware-aiops deploy ova ./ubuntu.ova --name my-vm --target home-esxi
vmware-aiops datastore browse datastore1 --target home-esxi
```
---
## Update / Upgrade
Already installed? Re-run the install command for your channel to get the latest version:
| Install Channel | Update Command |
|----------------|----------------|
| ClawHub | `clawhub install @zw008/vmware-aiops` |
| Skills.sh | `npx skills add vmware-skills/VMware-AIops` |
| Git clone | `cd VMware-AIops && git pull origin main && uv pip install --no-sources -e .` (without `--no-sources`, uv looks for a sibling `../VMware-Monitor` checkout) |
| uv | `uv tool install vmware-aiops --force` |
Check your current version: `vmware-aiops --version`
---
## Chinese Cloud Models
For users in China who prefer domestic cloud APIs or have limited access to overseas services.
### DeepSeek
Cost-effective, strong coding capability.
```bash
# Set DeepSeek API key (get from https://platform.deepseek.com)
export DEEPSEEK_API_KEY="your-key"
# Run with Aider
aider --conventions skills/vmware-aiops/SKILL.md \
--model deepseek/deepseek-coder
```
Persistent config `~/.aider.conf.yml`:
```yaml
model: deepseek/deepseek-coder
conventions: skills/vmware-aiops/SKILL.md
```
### Qwen (Alibaba Cloud)
Alibaba Cloud's coding model, free tier available.
```bash
# Set DashScope API key (get from https://dashscope.console.aliyun.com)
export DASHSCOPE_API_KEY="your-key"
aider --conventions skills/vmware-aiops/SKILL.md \
--model qwen/qwen-coder-plus
```
Or via OpenAI-compatible endpoint:
```bash
export OPENAI_API_BASE="https://dashscope.aliyuncs.com/compatible-mode/v1"
export OPENAI_API_KEY="your-dashscope-key"
aider --conventions skills/vmware-aiops/SKILL.md \
--model qwen-coder-plus-latest
```
### Doubao (ByteDance)
```bash
export OPENAI_API_BASE="https://ark.cn-beijing.volces.com/api/v3"
export OPENAI_API_KEY="your-ark-key"
aider --conventions skills/vmware-aiops/SKILL.md \
--model your-doubao-endpoint-id
```
### With Continue CLI
Configure `~/.continue/config.yaml`:
```yaml
# DeepSeek
models:
- name: deepseek-coder
provider: openai-compatible
apiBase: https://api.deepseek.com/v1
apiKey: your-deepseek-key
model: deepseek-coder
# Qwen
models:
- name: qwen-coder
provider: openai-compatible
apiBase: https://dashscope.aliyuncs.com/compatible-mode/v1
apiKey: your-dashscope-key
model: qwen-coder-plus-latest
```
---
## Local Models (Aider + Ollama)
For fully offline operation — no cloud API, no internet, full privacy.
**Aider + Ollama + local Qwen/DeepSeek** is ideal for air-gapped environments.
### Step 1: Install Ollama
```bash
# macOS
brew install ollama
# Linux — download from https://ollama.com/download and install manually
# See https://github.com/ollama/ollama for platform-specific instructions
```
### Step 2: Pull a model
| Model | Command | Size | Note |
|-------|---------|------|------|
| **Qwen 2.5 Coder 32B** | `ollama pull qwen2.5-coder:32b` | ~20GB | Best local coding model |
| **Qwen 2.5 Coder 7B** | `ollama pull qwen2.5-coder:7b` | ~4.5GB | Low-memory option |
| **DeepSeek Coder V2** | `ollama pull deepseek-coder-v2` | ~8.9GB | Strong reasoning |
| **CodeLlama 34B** | `ollama pull codellama:34b` | ~19GB | Meta coding model |
> **Hardware**: 32B → ~20GB VRAM (or 32GB RAM for CPU). 7B → 8GB RAM.
### Step 3: Run with Aider
```bash
pip install aider-chat
ollama serve
# Aider + local Qwen (recommended)
aider --conventions skills/vmware-aiops/SKILL.md \
--model ollama/qwen2.5-coder:32b
# Aider + local DeepSeek
aider --conventions skills/vmware-aiops/SKILL.md \
--model ollama/deepseek-coder-v2
# Low-memory option
aider --conventions skills/vmware-aiops/SKILL.md \
--model ollama/qwen2.5-coder:7b
```
Persistent config `~/.aider.conf.yml`:
```yaml
model: ollama/qwen2.5-coder:32b
conventions: skills/vmware-aiops/SKILL.md
```
### Local Architecture
```
User → Aider CLI → Ollama (localhost:11434) → Qwen / DeepSeek local model
│ ↓
│ reads AGENTS.md instructions
│ ↓
└──────────────────────────────→ vmware-aiops CLI ──→ ESXi / vCenter
```
> **Tip**: Local models are fully offline — perfect for air-gapped environments or strict data compliance.
---
## CLI Reference
```bash
# Diagnostics
vmware-aiops doctor # Check environment, config, connectivity
vmware-aiops doctor --skip-auth # Skip vSphere auth check (faster)
# MCP Config Generator
vmware-aiops mcp-config generate --agent goose # Generate config for Goose
vmware-aiops mcp-config generate --agent claude-code # Generate config for Claude Code
vmware-aiops mcp-config list # List all supported agents
# VM operations
vmware-aiops vm power-on my-vm # Power on
vmware-aiops vm power-off my-vm # Graceful shutdown (2x confirm)
vmware-aiops vm power-off my-vm --force # Force power off (2x confirm)
vmware-aiops vm create my-new-vm --cpu 4 --memory 8192 --disk 100 # Create VM
vmware-aiops vm delete my-vm # Delete VM (asks twice; --dry-run previews)
vmware-aiops vm reconfigure my-vm --cpu 4 --memory 8192 # Reconfigure (2x confirm)
vmware-aiops vm snapshot-create my-vm --name "before-upgrade" # Create snapshot
vmware-aiops vm snapshot-list my-vm # List snapshots
vmware-aiops vm snapshot-revert my-vm --name "before-upgrade" # Revert snapshot
vmware-aiops vm snapshot-delete my-vm --name "before-upgrade" # Delete snapshot (waits ≤30 min for consolidation)
vmware-aiops vm snapshot-delete my-vm --name "old-big" --no-wait # Fire async, return a task id
vmware-aiops vm task-status task-1234 # Poll an async task by id
vmware-aiops vm clone my-vm --new-name my-vm-clone # Clone VM
vmware-aiops vm migrate my-vm --to-host esxi-02 # vMotion
vmware-aiops vm set-ttl my-vm --minutes 60 # Auto-delete in 60 min
vmware-aiops vm cancel-ttl my-vm # Cancel TTL
vmware-aiops vm list-ttl # Show all TTLs
vmware-aiops vm clean-slate my-vm --snapshot baseline # Revert to baseline (2x confirm)
# Guest Operations (requires VMware Tools in guest)
vmware-aiops vm guest-exec my-vm --cmd /bin/bash --args "-c 'whoami'" --user root
vmware-aiops vm guest-upload my-vm --local ./script.sh --guest /tmp/script.sh --user root
vmware-aiops vm guest-download my-vm --guest /var/log/syslog --local ./syslog.txt --user root
# Plan → Apply (multi-step operations)
vmware-aiops plan list # List pending/failed plans
# Deploy
vmware-aiops deploy ova ./ubuntu.ova --name my-vm --datastore ds1 # Deploy from OVA
vmware-aiops deploy template golden-ubuntu --name new-vm # Deploy from template
vmware-aiops deploy linked-clone --source base-vm --snapshot clean --name test-vm # Linked clone (seconds)
vmware-aiops deploy iso my-vm --iso "[datastore1] iso/ubuntu-22.04.iso" # Attach ISO
vmware-aiops deploy mark-template golden-vm # Convert VM to template
vmware-aiops deploy batch-clone --source base-vm --count 5 --prefix lab # Batch clone
vmware-aiops deploy batch deploy.yaml # Batch deploy from YAML spec
# Cluster
vmware-aiops cluster info my-cluster # Cluster details (HA/DRS status)
vmware-aiops cluster create my-cluster --ha --drs # Create cluster with HA+DRS
vmware-aiops cluster delete my-cluster # Delete cluster (2x confirm)
vmware-aiops cluster add-host my-cluster --host esxi-03 # Add host to cluster (2x confirm)
vmware-aiops cluster remove-host my-cluster --host esxi-03 # Remove host (2x confirm)
vmware-aiops cluster configure my-cluster --ha --drs # Configure HA/DRS (2x confirm)
# Alarm management
vmware-aiops alarm list # List triggered alarms
vmware-aiops alarm acknowledge esxi-01 "Host memory usage" # Acknowledge alarm
vmware-aiops alarm reset esxi-01 "Host memory usage" # Clear alarms (2x confirm; clears ALL matching entity type + status)
# Datastore (browse and scan only — iSCSI/vSAN moved to vmware-storage)
vmware-aiops datastore browse datastore1 --path "iso/" # Browse datastore
vmware-aiops datastore scan-images --target home-esxi # Scan all datastores for images
# Scan
vmware-aiops scan now # One-time scan of alarms and events (host logs: daemon only)
# Daemon
vmware-aiops daemon start # Start scanner
vmware-aiops daemon status # Check status
vmware-aiops daemon stop # Stop daemon
# Companion skills for other operations:
# vmware-monitor: inventory, alarms, events, sensors
# vmware-storage: datastores, iSCSI, vSAN
# vmware-vks: Tanzu/TKC cluster lifecycle
```
---
## Configuration
See `config.example.yaml` for all options.
| Section | Key | Default | Description |
|---------|-----|---------|-------------|
| targets | name | — | Friendly name |
| targets | host | — | vCenter/ESXi hostname or IP |
| targets | type | vcenter | `vcenter` or `esxi` |
| targets | port | 443 | Connection port |
| targets | verify_ssl | true | Verify the target's TLS certificate (set false only for self-signed lab hosts) |
| scanner | interval_minutes | 15 | Scan frequency |
| scanner | severity_threshold | warning | Min severity: critical/warning/info |
| scanner | lookback_hours | 1 | How far back to scan |
| scanner | log_types | — | Not read by any code — the daemon always reads the hostd, vmkernel and vpxa host logs. Setting it changes nothing |
| notify | log_file | ~/.vmware-aiops/scan.log | JSONL log output |
| notify | webhook_url | — | Webhook endpoint (Slack, Discord, etc.) |
---
## Project Structure
```
VMware-AIops/
├── skills/ # Skills index (npx skills add)
│ └── vmware-aiops/
│ ├── SKILL.md # Slimmed-down skill (progressive disclosure)
│ └── references/ # Detailed docs loaded on-demand
│ ├── capabilities.md # Full capabilities tables
│ ├── cli-reference.md # Complete CLI reference
│ └── setup-guide.md # Install, security, AI platforms
├── vmware_aiops/ # Python backend
│ ├── config.py # YAML + .env config
│ ├── connection.py # Multi-target pyVmomi
│ ├── cli/ # Typer CLI (double confirm)
│ ├── ops/ # Operations
│ │ ├── inventory.py # VMs, hosts, datastores, clusters
│ │ ├── health.py # Alarms, events, sensors
│ │ ├── vm_lifecycle.py # VM CRUD, snapshots, clone, migrate
│ │ ├── vm_deploy.py # OVA, template, linked clone, batch deploy
│ │ └── datastore_browser.py # Datastore browsing, image discovery
│ ├── scanner/ # Log scanning daemon
│ ├── notify/ # Notifications (JSONL + webhook)
│ └── mcp_server/ # MCP server wrapper
│ ├── server.py # FastMCP server with tools
│ └── __main__.py
├── examples/mcp-configs/ # MCP client config templates
├── tests/ # Test suite
├── smithery.yaml # Smithery marketplace config
├── RELEASE_NOTES.md
├── config.example.yaml
└── pyproject.toml
```
## API Coverage
Built on **pyVmomi** (vSphere Web Services API / SOAP).
| API Object | Usage |
|------------|-------|
| `vim.VirtualMachine` | VM lifecycle, snapshots, clone, migrate |
| `vim.HostSystem` | ESXi host info, sensors, services |
| `vim.Datastore` | Storage capacity, type, accessibility |
| `vim.host.DatastoreBrowser` | File browsing, image discovery (ISO/OVA/VMDK) |
| `vim.OvfManager` | OVA import and deployment |
| `vim.ClusterComputeResource` | Cluster, DRS, HA |
| `vim.Network` | Network listing |
| `vim.alarm.AlarmManager` | Active alarm monitoring |
| `vim.event.EventManager` | Event/log queries |
## Related Projects
| Skill | Scope | Tools | Install |
|-------|-------|:-----:|---------|
| **[vmware-aiops](https://github.com/vmware-skills/VMware-AIops)** | VM lifecycle, deployment, guest ops, cluster, datastore browse, triage | 49 | `uv tool install vmware-aiops` |
| **[vmware-monitor](https://github.com/vmware-skills/VMware-Monitor)** | Read-only monitoring, alarms, events, investigation bundles | 27 | `uv tool install vmware-monitor` |
| **[vmware-storage](https://github.com/vmware-skills/VMware-Storage)** | Datastores, iSCSI, vSAN | 11 | `uv tool install vmware-storage` |
| **[vmware-vks](https://github.com/vmware-skills/VMware-VKS)** | Tanzu Namespaces, TKC cluster lifecycle | 20 | `uv tool install vmware-vks` |
| **[vmware-nsx](https://github.com/vmware-skills/VMware-NSX)** | NSX networking: segments, gateways, NAT, routing, IPAM | 33 | `uv tool install vmware-nsx-mgmt` |
| **[vmware-nsx-security](https://github.com/vmware-skills/VMware-NSX-Security)** | DFW policies/rules, security groups, Traceflow, IDS/IPS | 21 | `uv tool install vmware-nsx-security` |
| **[vmware-aria](https://github.com/vmware-skills/VMware-Aria)** | Aria Operations metrics, alerts, capacity, anomalies | 28 | `uv tool install vmware-aria` |
| **[vmware-avi](https://github.com/vmware-skills/VMware-AVI)** | AVI (NSX ALB) load balancing, AKO Kubernetes ops | 28 | `uv tool install vmware-avi` |
| **[vmware-harden](https://github.com/vmware-skills/VMware-Harden)** | Compliance baselines (CIS / vSphere SCG / 等保 / PCI-DSS), drift detection | 6 | `uv tool install vmware-harden` |
---
## Troubleshooting & Contributing
If you encounter any errors or issues, please send the error message, logs, or screenshots to **zhouwei008@gmail.com**. Contributions are welcome — feel free to join us in maintaining and improving this project!
## License
MIT
Connection Info
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