# VMware vSphere API Reference Documentation

Welcome to the VMware vSphere API Reference documentation. This API reference provides comprehensive information about all data structures available through the vSphere API:

- Managed object types
- Data object types
- Properties
- Enumerations
- Faults

The vSphere API is exposed as a Web service, running on VMware vSphere server systems. The API provides access to the vSphere management components—the managed objects that you can use to manage, monitor, and control life-cycle operations of virtual machines and other virtual infrastructure components (datacenters, datastores, networks, and so on).

This vSphere API Reference is a core component of the VMware vSphere Web Services SDK. You can use the vSphere Web Services SDK to create custom solutions for managing virtual components, and to integrate existing datacenter management solutions with VMware technologies. For example, using the vSphere API, you can quickly create, customize, or migrate virtual machines.

## What’s New in vSphere API
?

Descriptions in the API Reference use the label “Since vSphere API
” to identify new managed object types, data object types, properties, and methods. The following summary pages provide listings of new API elements:

- New and Changed Managed Object Types
- New and Changed Data Object Types
- New and Changed Enumerated Types
- New Fault Types

The following links provide access to the API Versions Reference page, which lists all of the API elements. This reference page shows which versions of the API support the various elements. The API elements are organized by type.

- API Versions Reference:

- Managed Objects
- Data Objects
- Enumerated Types
- Faults

## Navigating the API Reference

The vSphere API Reference is an HTML frameset. Click an entry in the left-hand pane to display information in the right-hand pane. To find the description of a specific object type, click the appropriate category name and then refine your search by entering the object name in the search text field.

To quickly find an entry, start typing its name in the Quick Index field.

# For More Information

For conceptual and “how to” information, see one of these vSphere Web Services SDK technical publications:

- Developer’s Setup Guide. Provides information about setting up Java and C# development environments for the vSphere Web Services SDK.
- Programming Guide. Overview of the VMware vSphere object model, how to create client applications, and how to use the various managed objects.

The most recent published versions of these guides are available at:

http://www.vmware.com/support/developer/vc-sdk