"Virtual Machine Instances" relating to "Windows server" or a "Linux server", how?

[Marc De Mol]

"Virtual Machine Instances" (VMI) are like the name implies, the machines, a "Windows server" or a "Linux server" are the systems that are installed on those MVI's, how are they supposed to be related?

In our discovery, I have none related, I only find a couple Linux servers having a "Serial number" found by the OS on one side corresponding to the VMI "Bios UUID" but even these are not having a relationship between the 2 records.

Many VMI and servers share the same name but none are related in any form.

I went looking for a means for a pattern to be able to do this and came up empty as well, none of the ID's found on both side seem to always match.

When discussing with our vCenter experts, they didn't have an idea either, they also explained that VMI's move not only within the cluster, also between clusters.

Anybody found a way of relating these 2 sides of a same coin?

I found some questions on the value of the VMI, some even ignoring the records. I'm interested in them as they have good information coming from vCenter on the configuration that I trust more than what I find on the server record coming from IP discovery or operational input. 

[CMDB Whisperer]

I believe the Object ID parameter on the Server should map to the UUID of the VMI.  And this should actually result in the creation of a CI relationship between the two automatically, if I recall correctly.  The relationship type is "Instantiates::Instantiated by" as shown in the diagram below.  You can find more information here.

[Alexander Hoene]

Hello Marc,

as I remember from our discovery practise the instances have to be discovered from both sides (VM plattform, server instance) to be connected.

Have you tried to discover your windows and linux servers as a CI?

Regards

Alex

[Marc De Mol]

Hi Alexander,

Indeed, I was only comparing the records found by both IP based discovery (the guests) and the vCenter discovery (the VMI's)

[Marc De Mol]

Hi Paul,

Thanks for the insight!

<object_id/> is only found on ESX servers though.

For all others, this attribute is empty