> For the complete documentation index, see [llms.txt](https://docs.firefly.ai/llms.txt). Markdown versions of documentation pages are available by appending `.md` to page URLs; this page is available as [Markdown](https://docs.firefly.ai/integrations/data-sources/vsphere.md).

# VMware vSphere

Firefly integrates with VMware vSphere to pull inventory from your vCenter environment — virtual machines, hosts, clusters, datastores, networks, folders, tags, and IAM — directly into your Firefly Inventory. This enables you to view, codify, and govern on-prem and hybrid-cloud workloads alongside your public cloud assets, applying the same IaC, policy, and drift detection practices across your entire estate.

## Best Practices

1. For governance, mark your production integrations using the "Mark as Production" option during setup (or edit later in the Integrations window).
2. Use a dedicated vCenter service account for Firefly with read-only permissions rather than sharing an existing admin account.
3. Store vCenter credentials securely — Firefly encrypts them at rest, but rotate the password periodically per your security policy.

## Integration Method

vSphere is typically deployed on-prem or in a private network not directly reachable from Firefly's cloud. Integration is performed via the Firefly UI, with connectivity established through the **Firefly Private Connector** (relay tunnel) when vCenter is not internet-exposed.

### Prerequisites

* **vCenter** 7.0 or later
* **vCenter service account** with read access to the inventory you want Firefly to scan (Datacenter, VM, Host, Datastore, Network, Tag read permissions)
* **Firefly Private Connector** deployed in the network where vCenter is reachable — see [Firefly Private Connector](https://github.com/gofireflyio/firefly-private-connector) (required only if vCenter is not publicly reachable)
* **Network access** from the connector host to vCenter on port 443

### Setup Procedure

1. In Firefly, go to **Settings > Integrations**.
2. Select **Add New > vSphere**.
3. Enter the following fields:
   * **Name** — Integration name as it will appear in Firefly
   * **vCenter URL** — Hostname or relay endpoint (e.g. `https://vcenter.example.com` or `https://<tunnel-id>.relay.firefly.ai`)
   * **Username** — vCenter service account (e.g. `firefly-readonly@vsphere.local`)
   * **Password** — Service account password
   * **Mark as Production** *(optional)* — Flags this integration as a production environment in Firefly
4. Click **Save**. Firefly verifies the connection and begins scanning.
5. View discovered assets in the Inventory after several minutes.

### Editing Credentials

To rotate the password or update the vCenter URL:

1. Go to **Settings > Integrations > vSphere**.
2. On the integration menu, select **Edit**.
3. Update the relevant fields. The password is masked — re-enter it to update.
4. Click **Save**.

## Supported Resources

Firefly currently supports 27 vSphere resource types:

**Datacenter & Folder**

* `vsphere_datacenter`
* `vsphere_folder`

**Virtual Machine**

* `vsphere_virtual_machine`
* `vsphere_virtual_machine_snapshot`

**Datastore / Storage**

* `vsphere_datastore_cluster`
* `vsphere_vmfs_datastore`
* `vsphere_nas_datastore`
* `vsphere_vm_storage_policy`

**Network**

* `vsphere_distributed_virtual_switch`
* `vsphere_distributed_port_group`
* `vsphere_host_port_group`
* `vsphere_host_virtual_switch`

**Compute**

* `vsphere_compute_cluster`
* `vsphere_resource_pool`
* `vsphere_host`
* `vsphere_vapp_container`
* `vsphere_compute_cluster_vm_group`
* `vsphere_compute_cluster_host_group`
* `vsphere_compute_cluster_vm_affinity_rule`
* `vsphere_compute_cluster_vm_anti_affinity_rule`

**Tag**

* `vsphere_tag`
* `vsphere_tag_category`
* `vsphere_custom_attribute`

**IAM**

* `vsphere_role`
* `vsphere_entity_permissions`

**Content Library**

* `vsphere_content_library`
* `vsphere_content_library_item`

## vSphere Discovery Status

To scan your integration for changes and discover new assets on-demand:

### Procedure

1. Go to **Settings > Integrations > vSphere**.
2. Find the integration you want to scan.
3. For asset changes, on the integration menu, select **Scan Assets**.
4. For IaC stacks changes, on the integration menu, select **Scan Stacks**.
5. View changes in the Inventory and/or IaC Explorer after several minutes.

## Event-Driven Integration

Firefly polls the vCenter Events API to detect changes in your vSphere environment (VM lifecycle, power state, cluster events). A watermark mechanism ensures no events are missed or duplicated between polls.

## Codification

vSphere resources discovered in Inventory can be codified into Terraform using the [VMware vSphere Terraform provider](https://registry.terraform.io/providers/vmware/vsphere/latest/docs). Select an unmanaged vSphere resource in Inventory and choose **Codify** to generate the corresponding Terraform configuration.

## Additional Resources

* [VMware vSphere Terraform Provider](https://registry.terraform.io/providers/vmware/vsphere/latest/docs)
* [Firefly Private Connector](https://github.com/gofireflyio/firefly-private-connector) — Relay setup for on-prem vCenter
* [vCenter Documentation](https://docs.vmware.com/en/VMware-vSphere/index.html)


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