Chapter 1. VMware Infrastructure Overview

This chapter first introduces the basics of virtualization, including its definition, history, benefits, and various VMware products/solutions. It then focuses on the VMware Infrastructure family of products, covering ESX/ESXi hypervisor, VirtualCenter management server, and the VI Client. Finally, this chapter discusses various VMware management APIs, including the VMware Infrastructure SDK (VI SDK), which is the major focus of this book.

This chapter shows how the VI SDK fits into the big picture of the VMware strategy of virtualization management.