Introduction to the VMware Automations PowerPack

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This section describes how to use the automation policies, automation actions, and custom action type found in the VMware Automations PowerPack

This PowerPack is available with a ScienceLogic SL1 Standard solution. Contact your ScienceLogic Customer Success Manager or Customer Support to learn more.

What is the VMware Automations PowerPack?

The VMware Automations PowerPack includes an automation policy that:

  • Enriches SL1 events for VMware devices (for example, from the VMware vSphere Base  PowerPack) by automatically collecting diagnostic logs from the VMware vSphere Web Services API.

    For information about this API, see the VMware vSphere Web Services API documentation.

  • Associates events from the VMware vSphere Base Pack PowerPack to automation actions

The VMware Automations is executed on the SL1 All-In-One Appliance or Data Collector.

In addition to using the standard content, you can use the content in the VMware Automations PowerPack to:

  • Create your own automation policies that include the pre-defined action
  • Use the supplied “Get VMware Diagnostic Logs” custom action type to configure your own automation action by supplying a set of parameters for diagnostic log collection

Installing the VMware Automations PowerPack

Before completing the steps in this section, you must import and install the latest version of the VMware AutomationsPowerPack.

The VMware Automations PowerPack requires SL1 version 8.10.0 or later. For details on upgrading SL1, see the appropriate SL1Release Notes.

You must also install the Datacenter Automation Utilities PowerPack, which provides the output formats for the automation actions included in this PowerPack.

By default, installing a new version of a PowerPack overwrites all content from a previous version of that PowerPack that has already been installed on the target system. You can use the Enable Selective PowerPack Field Protection setting in the Behavior Settings page (System > Settings > Behavior) to prevent new PowerPacks from overwriting local changes for some commonly customized fields. For more information, see the section on Global Settings.

To download and install the PowerPack:

  1. Search for and download the PowerPack from the PowerPacks page (Product Downloads > PowerPacks & SyncPacks) at the ScienceLogic Support Site.
  2. In SL1, go to the PowerPacks page (System > Manage > PowerPacks).
  3. Click the Actions button and choose Import PowerPack. The Import PowerPack dialog box appears.
  4. Click [Browse] and navigate to the PowerPack file from step 1.
  5. Select the PowerPack file and click Import. The PowerPack Installer modal displays a list of the PowerPack contents.
  6. Click Install. The PowerPack is added to the PowerPacks page.

If you exit the PowerPack Installer modal without installing the imported PowerPack, the imported PowerPack will not appear in the PowerPacks page. However, the imported PowerPack will appear in the Imported PowerPacks modal. This page appears when you click the Actions menu and select Install PowerPack.

If you will have the VMware: vSphere Base Pack PowerPack installed and are monitoring your VMware devices, no other configuration is necessary. The automation policies in the VMware: vSphere Base Pack PowerPack will run in response to aligned events.