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Adapting VMware vSphere for state-of-the-art hardware
Tailor-Made
Working on the latest hardware means you also need the latest drivers, whether on an operating system like Windows or Linux or a virtualized solution like VMware vSphere. However, vSphere drivers come not as Windows files or Linux packages, but as vSphere Installation Bundles (VIBs); moreover, software components for hardware monitoring and configuration (known as CIM providers) are provided by hardware manufacturers as VIBs.
A VIB is kept in an ar archive, which contains the files themselves, an XML-formatted descriptor file, and a signature file (Listing 1).
Listing 1
VIB Content
01 $ ar -tv Adaptec_Inc_bootbank_scsi-aacraid_5.0.5.1.7.28700-1OEM.500.0.0.406165.vib 02 --------- 0/0 1356 Jan 1 01:00 1970 descriptor.xml 03 --------- 0/0 2122 Jan 1 01:00 1970 sig.pkcs7 04 --------- 0/0 53423 Jan 1 01:00 1970 scsi-aac
The signature file designates the acceptance level (Table 1). The administrator can configure a minimal acceptance level on each; host, by default, this is Partner Supported. If a VIB does not fulfill these requirements, it can't be installed. VIBs with an empty signature file are deemed to be Community Supported. A signature file is mandatory for the three higher levels: Partner Supported, VMware Accepted, and VMware Certified.
Table 1
Acceptance Levels
| Level | Description | Support |
|---|---|---|
| VMware Certified |
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