VMware Web Client Fling

VMware Web Client Fling

This post will be nice and easy! I heard from a colleague that there was a new Web Client out this week. I thought this was to do with the Host Web Client now built into 6.0 Update 2 but no, it's the potential replacement for the awful vCenter Web Client. Finally a HTML 5 version. I know it would be early days and not fully featured but I was curious to see what it was like in my Lab.

Links:
https://blogs.vmware.com/vsphere/2016/03/vsphere-html5-web-client-fling-getting-started.html
https://labs.vmware.com/flings/vsphere-html5-web-client

You deploy an OVF but for the windows version you also download a BAT file. I tried running the script on my workstation but got path errors. Then as I read through the release notes realized it needs to be run on the vCenter server itself. I did this and got path errors again. It creates files but not the ones you're looking for!! Then an updated Blog post out of VMware admitted you need to edit the script to change the path if you installed vCenter somewhere other than the C: drive, like most of us do in the real world!! I edited the following two lines and it 66% worked but still gave an error.

REM Path to javas' keytool
SET KEYTOOL=E:\Program Files\VMware\vCenter Server\jre\bin\keytool.exe

REM Path to vecs binary
SET VECS_CLI=E:\Program Files\VMware\vCenter Server\vmafdd\vecs-cli.exe

C:\temp\ks>server-configure.bat

Generating store.jks file...

Generating webclient.properties file...

Creating ds.properties file...

The system cannot find the path specified.

Done.

There is another Path that needs changing:

E:/ProgramData/VMware/vCenterServer/cfg/store.jks >> %PROPFILE%

echo keystore.jks.path=/etc/vmware/vsphere-client/store.jks >> %PROPFILE%

and further down:

echo Creating ds.properties file...

SET CLIENT_DIR=E:\ProgramData\VMware\vCenterServer\cfg\vsphere-client

Once I had all four of these paths updated from C: to E:, I ran the script using an elevated command prompt and it generated the three files. 

Finally it works(!!):

C:\temp\ks>server-configure.bat

Generating store.jks file...

Generating webclient.properties file...

Creating ds.properties file...

        1 file(s) copied.

Done.

I uploaded the three files into the directory paths you've to create and started up the web service. 

vcsa:~ # /etc/init.d/vsphere-client start

Starting vSphere Client Web Server

vSphere Client Web Server successfully started in 87 seconds

The interface is VERY responsive compared to the current clunky one. 

It's still got a ways to go but I could see myself using this interface whereas I've given up on the current web interface and revert to the C# client wherever possible! I hope it matures quickly and makes it into the next vCenter version. Give it a shot if you get a chance!

Notes [Update]:
URL is https://<ip of web client appliance ip address>:9443/ui
To get at the management interface of the appliance to apply upgrades:
https://<ip of web client appliance ip address>:5480
user: root   pass: monova