get_vm_properties.py

"""
This file provides the get_properties function for import into another module.
"""

from __future__ import print_function
from pyVmomi import vmodl, vim


def get_properties(content, viewType, props, specType):
    # Build a view and get basic properties for all Virtual Machines
    """
    Obtains a list of specific properties for a particular Managed Object Reference data object.

    :param content: ServiceInstance Managed Object
    :param viewType: Type of Managed Object Reference that should populate the View
    :param props: A list of properties that should be retrieved for the entity
    :param specType: Type of Managed Object Reference that should be used for the Property Specification
    """
    objView = content.viewManager.CreateContainerView(content.rootFolder, viewType, True)
    tSpec = vim.PropertyCollector.TraversalSpec(name='tSpecName', path='view', skip=False, type=vim.view.ContainerView)
    pSpec = vim.PropertyCollector.PropertySpec(all=False, pathSet=props, type=specType)
    oSpec = vim.PropertyCollector.ObjectSpec(obj=objView, selectSet=[tSpec], skip=False)
    pfSpec = vim.PropertyCollector.FilterSpec(objectSet=[oSpec], propSet=[pSpec], reportMissingObjectsInResults=False)
    retOptions = vim.PropertyCollector.RetrieveOptions()
    totalProps = []
    retProps = content.propertyCollector.RetrievePropertiesEx(specSet=[pfSpec], options=retOptions)
    totalProps += retProps.objects
    while retProps.token:
        retProps = content.propertyCollector.ContinueRetrievePropertiesEx(token=retProps.token)
        totalProps += retProps.objects
    objView.Destroy()
    # Turn the output in retProps into a usable dictionary of values
    gpOutput = []
    for eachProp in totalProps:
        propDic = {}
        for prop in eachProp.propSet:
            propDic[prop.name] = prop.val
        propDic['moref'] = eachProp.obj
        gpOutput.append(propDic)
    return gpOutput


def main():
    print('''
    This module contains the function to get the properties of an object from vSphere.
    Import this function when needed.
    Example usage:
    retProps = get_properties(content, [vim.VirtualMachine], ['name', 'snapshot'], vim.VirtualMachine)
    retProps = get_properties(content, [vim.VirtualMachine], ['name', 'network'], vim.VirtualMachine)
    ''')

# Start program
if __name__ == "__main__":
    main()