Goodbye vSphere C# Client

So for as long as I’ve been using VMware, the Windows C# client has been a staple of my workflow. Even when VMware started transitioning to the icky Flash based interface, I know many MANY people still used the C# client. Between dodgy performance, reliance on Flash (and all it’s security problems), re-jiggered UI, difficulty in finding objects, no VUM interface, etc. The Flash based interface went over like a lead balloon in the vSphere community. To VMware’s credit they did make improvements over the years, but it was still Flash based and slow.

Today VMware is announcing that in their upcoming release of vSphere, the Windows C# client will no longer be offered. Yes, after years of warning us about the client going it, it is now dead. Buried, and one for the history books.

Now you ask, what will it be replaced with? Yes, they will now offer a full HTML5 client.  A while back VMware released a HTML5 ‘fling’ (which is unsupported for production usage) for embedded host management. Frankly I’ve been too busy to try it, plus customers can’t use it in production. Although it does appear to have made it into vSphere 6.0 U2.

Other enterprise products have had HTML5 interfaces for years (e.g. Nutanix), and I’m so glad I can stop installing Flash on servers. So I do welcome this change in VMware management. But the proof will be in the pudding, on how well they implement it. Will it be performant? Will it be intuitive? Can we manage VUM, SRM, and third party products? How about third party plug-ins that still rely on Flash? Only time will tell how these are addressed. I was on the vExpert call earlier this week that VMware hosted, and the community was very concerned about the usability and knowing which plug-ins will or won’t work.

I welcome the change, but only time will tell how well VMware can execute. As a side note, Nutanix never has had a vCenter plug-in. We have a comprehensive HTML5 interface called PRISM that manages our HCI solution. So unlike other vendors, you won’t have to play a waiting game with vSphere .Next and wait for any updated Nutanix plug-in. Once our QA tests vSphere v.Next and we whitelist the ISO, you will be good to go.

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