vSphere Plugin User Guide: Installing the Local vSphere Plugin

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The Pure Storage Plugin for the vSphere Client provides the ability to VMware users to have insight into and control of their Pure Storage FlashArray environment while directly logged into the vSphere Client. The Pure Storage plugin extends the vSphere Client interface to include environmental statistics and objects that underpin the VMware objects in use and to provision new resources as needed.

Starting in vSphere 8.0, VMware no longer supports local plugins to be installed in vCenter (Pure Storage vSphere Plugin versions 4.5.2 and below). Please use the remote versions of Pure Storage's vSphere plugin (Pure Storage vSphere Plugin versions 5.0.0 and above). For more information please refer to this VMware KB.

For information on installation of vSphere Client Plugin version 5.0.0 and newer, please follow vSphere Plugin User Guide: Installing the vSphere Plugin with the Pure Storage VMware Appliance article.

Installing with the FlashArray Web Interface

Installing the vSphere Client Plugin can be accomplished directly from the FlashArray Web Interface with a few simple steps. This option is used most often when customer environments are unable to utilize the PowerShell or vRealize Orchestrator options due to software or firewall limitations.

Step 1: Login to the Pure Storage FlashArray Web Interface (GUI).

Step 2: In the left hand pane of the GUI select the Settings option.

Step 3: After you have selected Settings in the right hand pane you will then select the Software option (shown below).

Step 4: Once in the Software section you will see an option on the top right of the lower pane titled "vSphere Plugin".

Step 5: In the top right hand of that section you will note a radio button resembling pencil and paper icon, select that icon to edit the vSphere Plugin options (shown below).

Step 6: An embedded window is opened allowing you to fill in the vCenter Server details where the vSphere Client Plugin will be installed. Once completed select Save.

Step 7: Once the vCenter details have been saved, and the plugin status verified on the vCenter Server, an option will be displayed to Install.

Please note the Available Version on the FlashArray. If the available version is not listed you will need to open a ticket with Pure Storage Support to have the desired version loaded onto the FlashArray.

Step 8: After the install has been completed you will note that the Version on vCenter is now populated and the Install radio button will have changed to Uninstall.

Step 9: Verify the installation is successful by logging out of the vCenter Server and back in again. Note that this process in the FlashArray UI is only an installer, once you navigate from this page the credentials are not stored. This is not a persistent connection to vCenter, just a one-time install process. All management of the plugin is now done from with the vSphere Client itself. This allows you to install the vSphere Plugin to many vCenters from the same FlashArray.

When utilizing the Flash Client there are times where you may need to restart the vSphere Web Client service (vsphere-client) for the Plugin to appear.

Installing with PowerShell

If your FlashArray does not contain the version of the Pure Storage vSphere Plugin you need, and you prefer a self-service option, you can quickly install the plugin by using the "Install-PfavSpherePlugin" cmdlet in PowerShell.

In order to utilize this method the vCenter Server must be able to route to https://pure-vmware-plugin-repository.s3-us-west-1.amazonaws.com via port 443.

Installing the Pure Storage PowerShell Module

In order to use the aforementioned cmdlet you need to first ensure you have the Pure Storage module installed and loaded.

The first step is to ensure you have installed the VMware PowerCLI module on the server. Without this module installed the Pure Storage commands will not work:

PS C:\> Install-Module VMware.PowerCLI

After the VMware PowerCLI module has been installed you can then install the Pure Storage module on the server and load it for use:

PS C:\> Install-Module PureStorage.FlashArray.VMware
PS C:\> Import-Module PureStorage.FlashArray.VMware

Updating the Pure Storage Module

The Pure Storage PowerShell module is actively maintained and thus updating every so often is recommended. This will ensure you have the most recent fixes and features available when utilizing this module. This process is relatively quick and requires only a single command:

PS C:\> Update-Module Purestorage.FlashArray.VMware

Listing Available Plugin Versions

If you would like to know which versions are available for download, for both the Flash and HTML-5 client, you can execute the following command:

PS C:\> Get-PfavSpherePlugin

Source Type   Version
------ ----   -------
Pure1  Flash  3.1.3
Pure1  HTML-5 4.3.1

vSphere Client Plugin Installation Steps

Once you have installed the required modules on the server, and know which version you want installed, you can then install the vSphere Client Plugin using the PowerShell cmdlet "Install-PfavSpherePlugin".

Step 1: Connect to the vCenter Server that you want to install the plugin on (one example below):

PS C:\> Connect-VIServer Ip.Address.Goes.Here

Step 2: Install the vSphere Client Plugin:

Installing the HTML-5 version:

PS C:\> Install-PfavSpherePlugin -html

Installing the Flash Client version:

PS C:\> Install-PfavSpherePlugin -flash

Step 3: Verify the installation is successful by logging out of the vCenter Server and back in again.

When utilizing the Flash Client there are times where you may need to restart the vSphere Web Client service (vsphere-client) for the Plugin to appear.

Installing with vRealize Orchestrator

Another quick and easy way to install the Pure Storage vSphere Plugin can be done by using the "Install Pure Storage vSphere Client Plugin" workflow available in VMware's vRealize Orchestrator (vRO).

This workflow is available in Pure Storage vRO Plugin 3.5 and later.

In order to utilize this method the vCenter Server must be able to route to https://pure-vmware-plugin-repository.s3-us-west-1.amazonaws.com via port 443.

Workflow Overview

The following is the logic built into the aforementioned workflow:

Check to make sure vCenter 6.5 or later is installed. If not, then that vCenter Server will be skipped.
Check to make sure the plugin is not already installed. If the plugin already exists it must be an older version. If it is newer (or the same version) that vCenter Server will be skipped.
It will then register the plugin. vCenter will then subsequently download the plugin and make it available in the vSphere Client.

This workflow is designed to install the HTML-5 plugin, this cannot be used for the Flash Client installation.

vSphere Client Plugin Installation Steps

Step 1: Login to the vRealize Orchestrator Client.

Step 2: Under the Library section in the left hand pane, select Workflows.

Step 3: In the right hand pane search for the following terms: Pure_Storage and vSphere.

Step 4: With the "Install Pure Storage vSphere Client Plugin" workflow available, select RUN.

Step 5: Click the "+" sign and add the vCenter Server(s) you wish to install the vSphere Client Plugin on.

Step 6: Select RUN.

Step 7: Monitor the workflow until a status of COMPLETED is reported (as shown below).

If the installation is unsuccessful for any reason, you can refer to the Logs section that is selected in the screenshot above to troubleshoot the issue further.

Step 8: If you are logged into the vCenter Server, utilizing versions 6.5 or 6.7, then you will need to log out and login again to complete the vSphere Client Plugin deployment.