VMware releases useful tools named flings. Those tools help not only in daily activities but also simplify migration or upgrade vSphere environment. Some tools are included in later version of VMware product after testing and solving potential problems/bugs during "fling phase" 🙂 In this post I will show my favorite fling tools that I often use.

vSphere HTML5 Web Client

VMware vSphere 6.5 provides a new web GUI based on HTML 5 (H5) and JavaScript. A new version of this fling is released every week. If you want to test it under vSphere 6.0 or just want to use the latest version (vSphere 6.5 provides few version older - stability) you can download this fling and easily deploy because it is shared as a appliance.

Note: A fully supported version of the HTML5 client is released with vSphere 6.5. Above fling can be used only for test purpose, however during deployment there are not required any changes in your environment.

Useful resources:

H5 Client Deployment Instructions and Helpful Hints

vSphere HTML5 Web Client website

My favorite vSphere 6.5 features

Overview of vSphere HTML5 Web Client

ESXi Embedded Host Client

The ESXi Embedded Host Client is a native HTML and JavaScript application and is served directly from your ESXi host! It should perform much better than any of the existing solutions. This tool is already released in 5.5 U3, 6.0 U2 and 6.5. However, you can download the latest version as a fling. E.g. yesterday VMware released vSphere 6.0 Update 3 that includes ESXi Embedded Host Client version 1.14. Currently (26th Feb) you can download version 1.16 from fling website.

If you still do not use this client but you have a correct vSphere version, please follow to https://fqdn_of_ESXi/ui and enjoy 🙂

Useful resources:

Introduction to ESXi Embedded Host Client

ESXi Embedded Host Client website

SDDC Discovery Tool

This tool is important for because I'm a Settlersoman - a Settler in the SDDC world 😉 This fling discovers all of the products installed in the environment by recursive probing. Looks similar to vROps SDDC Management Pack.

Useful resources:

SDDC Discovery Tool website

SDDC Discovery Tool Deployment Instructions

Onyx for the Web Client

If you are a power-shell geek, this fling can be useful. Onyx for the Web Client is a fling that translates actions taken in the vSphere Web Client to PowerCLI.Net code.

Note: Currently it supports only vSphere 6.0.

Useful resources:

Onyx for the Web Client Tool website

Onyx for the Web Client Tool Deployment Instructions

VMware vSphere Compatibility Predictor

This Fling was released some days ago. The fling scans all PSCs connected to a single PSC. It will detect the versions of all the vCenter Servers connected to PSCs and all the Solutions connected to vCenter Servers. This fling is useful to check compatibility before upgrading vSphere 5.5 & vSphere 6.0 to vSphere 6.5.

Useful resources:

How to prepare for a VMware upgrade?

VMware vSphere Compatibility Predictor website

Cluster Rules Manager (CRM) At last VMware released (a few days ago - 21th Feb) a tool to simplify migration DRS rules between vCenters. This fling provides some useful features: Auditing anti-affinity across VMs in a vCenter Server

Importing DRS affinity rules from multiple vCenter servers

Exporting DRS affinity rules to new vCenter from the vCenter for which DRS Useful resources: Cluster Rules Manager (CRM) website Cluster Rules Manager (CRM) Deployment Instructions IOInsight This fling is similar (or replacement) to VMware I/O Analyzer. IOInsight captures I/O traces from ESXi and generates various aggregated metrics that represent the I/O behavior. A good tool to better tune and size a storage performance and capacity. It is provided as a virtual appliance. Useful resources: IOInsight website IOInsight Deployment Instructions

Conclusion

I like using flings and I often check if there are any new versions or just a new tool available on VMware fling website. I showed above the most used flings by me, however you can find another tools useful for VDI or vROps.