如何通过API/SDK/REST获取vSphere Build Version？已知PowerCLI可实现

Absolutely! You’ve got plenty of alternatives to PowerCLI for pulling vSphere build versions via APIs, SDKs, or REST calls. Let’s walk through the most reliable options:

1. vSphere REST API (REST/JSON) #

The vSphere REST API offers a straightforward way to fetch build version details directly from vCenter Server. You can use tools like curl, Postman, or any HTTP client to call the relevant endpoint:

For vCenter Server, send a GET request to this endpoint:

curl -k -u "your-username:your-password" "https://<vcenter-fqdn>/api/appliance/system/version"

(The -k flag skips SSL verification for testing—remove it in production environments with valid certificates.)

The response will include structured data with fields like:

• version: Full vSphere version string (e.g., "7.0.3")
• build: The specific build number (e.g., "19193900")
• product: The product name (e.g., "VMware vCenter Server")

2. vSphere SDKs (e.g., Python's pyVmomi) #

If you prefer programmatic access, VMware’s official SDKs let you retrieve build info directly in code. Here’s a quick example using pyVmomi (the Python SDK for vSphere):

from pyVim.connect import SmartConnect, Disconnect
import ssl

# Disable SSL verification (only for testing; use valid certs in production)
ssl_context = ssl._create_unverified_context()

# Connect to vCenter or standalone ESXi host
service_instance = SmartConnect(
    host="<vcenter-or-esxi-fqdn>",
    user="your-username",
    pwd="your-password",
    sslContext=ssl_context
)

# Fetch version and build details
about_info = service_instance.RetrieveContent().about
print(f"Product: {about_info.name}")
print(f"Version: {about_info.version}")
print(f"Build Number: {about_info.build}")

# Clean up the connection
Disconnect(service_instance)

This script works for both vCenter Server and standalone ESXi hosts, returning the same core version/build metadata as PowerCLI.

3. Standalone ESXi Host REST API #

If you’re targeting a standalone ESXi host (not managed by vCenter), you can use its built-in REST API with a similar endpoint:

curl -k -u "root:your-password" "https://<esxi-fqdn>/rest/appliance/system/version"

The response structure matches the vCenter API, making it easy to parse build numbers consistently across environments.

Note: All these methods require credentials with at least read-only access to the vSphere environment. API endpoints may have minor variations across vSphere versions, so double-check the official documentation for your specific release.

内容的提问来源于stack exchange，提问作者Quirinux