View vSphere Integrated Containers Information in the HTML5 vSphere Client

If you have installed the HTML5 plug-in for vSphere Integrated Containers, you can find information about your vSphere Integrated Containers deployment in the HTML5 vSphere Client.

IMPORTANT: Do not perform operations on virtual container hosts (VCHs) or container VMs in the vSphere Client inventory views. Specifically, using the vSphere Client inventory views to power off, power on, or delete the VCH endpoint VM, or to modify the VCH resource pool or folder, can cause vSphere Integrated Containers Engine to not function correctly. Always use the vSphere Integrated Containers plug-in for the vSphere Client or vic-machine to perform operations on VCHs. The vSphere Client does not allow you to delete container VMs, but do not use the vSphere Client to power container VMs on or off. Always use Docker commands or vSphere Integrated Containers Management Portal to perform operations on containers.

NOTE: More functionality will be added to the vSphere Integrated Containers plug-in in future releases.

Prerequisites

• You are running vCenter Server 6.7 or vCenter Server 6.5.0d or later. The vSphere Integrated Containers view does not function with earlier versions of vCenter Server 6.5.0.
• You installed the HTML5 plug-in for vSphere Integrated Containers.

Procedure

1. Log in to the HTML5 vSphere Client and click the vSphere Client logo in the top left corner.

2. Under Inventories, click vSphere Integrated Containers.

   The vSphere Integrated Containers view presents the number of VCHs and container VMs that you have deployed to this vCenter Server instance.

3. Click vSphere Integrated Containers in the main panel and select the Summary tab.

   The Summary tab shows the following information:

   • The version of the vSphere Integrated Containers plug-in for the vSphere Client.
   • The number of VCHs registered with this vCenter Server instance.
   • The version of the vSphere Integrated Containers appliance to which the client plug-in is connected.

   • The IP address of the vSphere Integrated Containers appliance. You can click on the IP address to go to the vSphere Integrated Containers Getting Started page.

     This information allows you to know which appliance instance is providing the vSphere Integrated Containers API endpoint. This is useful in environments in which you have deployed multiple appliances. The appliance that the client connects to might not be the one that was most recently registered with vCenter Server. Consequently, if you have deployed different versions of the appliance to vCenter Server, it is useful to know which one the client is connecting to.

4. Select the Virtual Container Hosts tab.

   The Virtual Container Hosts tab provides information about the VCHs that are registered with this vCenter Server instance:

   • Lists all VCHs by name. You can click the VCH name to go to the Summary tab for the VCH endpoint VM.
   • Indicates that the VCH is running correctly.
   • Displays the DOCKER_HOST environment variable that container developers use to connect to this VCH.
   • Provides the link to the VCH Admin Portal for this VCH.

5. (Optional) Click the 3 vertical dots next to a VCH.

   • Select Delete to remove the VCH.

   • Select Download VCH certificate to download the server certificate for the VCH. Container developers might require the server certificate when they run Docker commands in --tlsverify client mode, if you use certificates that are not signed by a trusted certificate authority.

     NOTE: You cannot download client certificates for VCHs from the vSphere Client. vSphere administrators distribute client certificates directly.

6. Select the Containers tab.

   The Containers tab shows information about all of the container VMs that are running in this vCenter Server instance, for all VCHs:

   • Lists all containers by name.
   • Indicates whether the container VM is powered on or off.
   • Provides information about the memory, CPU, and storage consumption of the container VM.
   • Lists the port number and the protocol of any mapped ports that the container VM exposes.
   • Provides links to the Summary tabs for the VCH that manages the container VM and for the VM itself.
   • Displays the image from which this container VM was created.