vmware_tools – Execute tasks inside a VM via VMware Tools

• Synopsis
• Requirements
• Parameters
• Examples
• Status

Synopsis

• Use VMware tools to run tasks in, or put/fetch files to guest operating systems running in VMware infrastructure.
• In case of Windows VMs, set ansible_shell_type to powershell.
• Does not work with ‘become’.

Requirements

The below requirements are needed on the local master node that executes this connection.

• pyvmomi (Python library)
• requests (Python library)

Parameters

Examples

# example vars.yml
---
ansible_connection: vmware_tools

ansible_vmware_host: vcenter.example.com
ansible_vmware_user: administrator@vsphere.local
ansible_vmware_password: Secr3tP4ssw0rd!12
ansible_vmware_validate_certs: no  # default is yes

# vCenter Connection VM Path Example
ansible_vmware_guest_path: DATACENTER/vm/FOLDER/{{ inventory_hostname }}
# ESXi Connection VM Path Example
ansible_vmware_guest_path: ha-datacenter/vm/{{ inventory_hostname }}

ansible_vmware_tools_user: root
ansible_vmware_tools_password: MyR00tPassw0rD

# if the target VM guest is Windows set the 'ansible_shell_type' to 'powershell'
ansible_shell_type: powershell


# example playbook_linux.yml
---
- name: Test VMware Tools Connection Plugin for Linux
  hosts: linux
  tasks:
    - command: whoami

    - ping:

    - copy:
        src: foo
        dest: /home/user/foo

    - fetch:
        src: /home/user/foo
        dest: linux-foo
        flat: yes

    - file:
        path: /home/user/foo
        state: absent


# example playbook_windows.yml
---
- name: Test VMware Tools Connection Plugin for Windows
  hosts: windows
  tasks:
    - win_command: whoami

    - win_ping:

    - win_copy:
        src: foo
        dest: C:\Users\user\foo

    - fetch:
        src: C:\Users\user\foo
        dest: windows-foo
        flat: yes

    - win_file:
        path: C:\Users\user\foo
        state: absent

Status

• This connection is not guaranteed to have a backwards compatible interface. [preview]
• This connection is maintained by the Ansible Community. [community]

Authors

• Deric Crago <deric.crago@gmail.com>