Deployment of web client plugins in a virtualized computing environment

1. A method to deploy a web client plugin in a virtualized computing environment, the method comprising:

obtaining, by a virtual machine, information identifying the virtual machine at a management entity in the virtualized computing environment, wherein the virtual machine includes a guest operating system (OS), and the management entity, accessible by a web client, is configured to support functionalities to manage a plurality of objects in the virtualized computing environment, including the virtual machine;

generating, by the virtual machine, configuration information that includes the information identifying the virtual machine;

registering, with the management entity by the virtual machine, the configuration information to deploy the web client plugin as a web client extension that extends a functionality of the web client such that, in response to an access to the virtual machine via the web client plugin, the web client plugin is able to automatically identify the virtual machine based on the configuration information; and

registering, with the management entity, the virtual machine as a management extension that extends a functionality of the management entity with an extension key by

sending, to the management entity, a specification to notify the management entity that the virtual machine wishes to be registered as the management extension;

receiving, from the management entity, context and privilege information; and

based on the context and privilege information, sending, to the management entity, a request that includes the extension key.

2. The method of claim 1 , wherein obtaining the information identifying the virtual machine comprises one or more of:

receiving, from the management entity, a reference identifier that allows the web client plugin to identify the virtual machine as an object managed by the management entity; and

receiving, from the management entity, an identifier of the management entity that allows the web client plugin to identify the management entity.

3. The method of claim 2 , wherein obtaining the information identifying the virtual machine further comprises:

generating the extension key that allows the web client plugin to identify the virtual machine as the management extension.

4. The method of claim 1 , wherein the specification is an Open Virtualization Format (OVF) package that packages the virtual machine as a virtual appliance.

5. The method of claim 1 , wherein the context and privilege information includes one or more of: an authentication code and a thumbprint of a certificate.

6. The method of claim 1 , wherein registering the web client plugin further comprises:

sending, to the management entity, a request that includes a link to a web client plugin package that includes the configuration information.

7. The method of claim 1 , wherein prior to generating the configuration information, the method further comprises:

in response to determination that the web client plugin is previously deployed, retrieving, from the management entity, version information of the web client plugin; and

in response to determination that the web client plugin is outdated based on the version information, sending, to the management entity, a request to unregister the web client plugin.

8. The method of claim 1 , wherein the management entity supports an extension manager with which the web plugin is registered as the web client extension and with which the virtual machine is registered as the management extension.

9. The method of claim 1 , wherein the management entity supports a web client application server to support functionality of the web client plugin.

10. A non-transitory computer-readable storage medium that includes a set of instructions which, in response to execution by a processor, causes the processor to perform a method to deploy a web client plugin in a virtualized computing environment, the method comprising:

obtaining, by a virtual machine, information identifying the virtual machine at a management entity in the virtualized computing environment, wherein the virtual machine includes a guest operating system (OS), and the management entity, accessible by a web client, is configured to support functionalities to manage a plurality of objects in the virtualized computing environment, including the virtual machine;

generating, by the virtual machine, configuration information that includes the information identifying the virtual machine;

registering, with the management entity by the virtual machine, the configuration information to deploy the web client plugin as a web client extension that extends a functionality of the web client such that, in response to an access to the virtual machine via the web client plugin, the web client plugin is able to automatically identify the virtual machine based on the configuration information; and

registering, with the management entity, the virtual machine as a management extension that extends a functionality of the management entity with an extension key by

sending, to the management entity, a specification to notify the management entity that the virtual machine wishes to be registered as the management extension;

receiving, from the management entity, context and privilege information; and

based on the context and privilege information, sending, to the management entity, a request that includes the extension key.

11. The non-transitory computer-readable storage medium of claim 10 , wherein obtaining the information identifying the virtual machine comprises one or more of:

receiving, from the management entity, a reference identifier that allows the web client plugin to identify the virtual machine as an object managed by the management entity; and

receiving, from the management entity, an identifier of the management entity that allows the web client plugin to identify the management entity.

12. The non-transitory computer-readable storage medium 11 , wherein obtaining the information identifying the virtual machine further comprises:

generating the extension key that allows the web client plugin to identify the virtual machine as the management extension.

13. The non-transitory computer-readable storage medium 10 , wherein the specification is an Open Virtualization Format (OVF) package that packages the virtual machine as a virtual appliance.

14. The non-transitory computer-readable storage medium 10 , wherein the context and privilege information includes one or more of: an authentication code and a thumbprint of a certificate.

15. The non-transitory computer-readable storage medium 10 , wherein registering the web client plugin further comprises:

sending, to the management entity, a request that includes a link to a web client plugin package that includes the configuration information.

16. The non-transitory computer-readable storage medium 10 , wherein prior to generating the configuration information, the method further comprises:

in response to determination that the web client plugin is previously deployed, retrieving, from the management entity, version information of the web client plugin; and

in response to determination that the web client plugin is outdated based on the version information, sending, to the management entity, a request to unregister the web client plugin.

17. The non-transitory computer-readable storage medium 10 , wherein the management entity comprises:

an extension manager with which the web plugin is registered as the web client extension and with which the virtual machine is registered as the management extension.

18. A computer system for deploying a web client plugin in a virtualized computing environment, wherein the computer system comprises:

a processor;

a non-transitory computer-readable medium having stored thereon instructions that, in response to execution by the processor, cause the processor to:

obtain information identifying a virtual machine with a guest operating system (OS) at a management entity in the virtualized computing environment;

generate configuration information that includes the information identifying the virtual machine, wherein the management entity, accessible by a web client, is configured to support functionalities to manage a plurality of objects in the virtualized computing environment;

register, with the management entity, the configuration information to deploy the web client plugin as a web client extension that extends a functionality of the web client such that, in response to an access to the virtual machine via the web client plugin, the web client plugin is able to automatically identify the virtual machine based on the configuration information;

register, with the management entity, the virtual machine as a management extension that extends a functionality of the management entity with an extension key by

sending, to the management entity, a specification to notify the management entity that the virtual machine wishes to be registered as the management extension;

receiving, from the management entity, context and privilege information; and

based on the context and privilege information, sending, to the management entity, a request that includes the extension key.