VMware ESXi Discovery FAQ: Supported Versions, Data Captured, CI Relationships
Getting VMware infrastructure into a CMDB accurately means answering a set of specific questions: which ESXi versions are supported, what data actually gets captured for each VM, and how the relationships between VMs, hosts, and clusters are represented. This FAQ covers those questions for Virima 6.1.1. For the full walkthrough of how VMware discovery works end to end, see the companion guide: VMware and ESXi CMDB Discovery: How to Get Complete Visibility into Your Virtualized Infrastructure.
Which VMware ESXi Versions Does Virima Discover?
Virima 6.1.1 discovers ESXi hosts through the VMware vSphere API, which is consistent across ESXi 6.x, 7.x, and 8.x releases. Any ESXi host that exposes the standard vSphere API endpoint is a valid discovery target. This includes both vCenter-managed hosts and standalone ESXi hosts running without a vCenter instance.
The vSphere API compatibility means Virima does not require version-specific connectors or agents. When VMware releases new ESXi point versions, the existing API-based discovery continues to capture host and VM data without requiring a Virima update, as long as VMware maintains backward compatibility in the API (which it has across all 6.x through 8.x releases).
Looking for quick answers? See the full vCenter discovery walkthrough in the guide.
Does Virima Discover VMware vCenter Environments?
Yes. Virima 6.1.1 connects to the vCenter Server API to enumerate the full managed inventory: all registered ESXi hosts, vSphere clusters, resource pools, and every virtual machine managed by that vCenter instance. A single vCenter discovery scan covers the complete managed estate under that vCenter server. For a deeper look at how vCenter-based discovery captures host attributes and cluster membership, see the companion guide.
Can Virima Discover Standalone ESXi Hosts That Are Not Managed by vCenter?
Yes. Virima 6.1.1 supports dedicated standalone ESXi host discovery. This covers ESXi hosts in lab environments, edge sites, and remote offices where a full vCenter deployment is not present. Discovery connects directly to the ESXi host management API, capturing the ESXi Host CI and all VMs running on it, with proper “Runs On” relationships between each VM and its host.
Standalone ESXi hosts require their own credentials (a vSphere user account with read access on the host). These are separate from vCenter credentials and must be configured in a dedicated discovery profile.
The guide covers the standalone ESXi path and how it differs from vCenter-based discovery.
What VM Data Does Virima Capture and Store as CI Attributes?
For each virtual machine, Virima 6.1.1 captures the following attributes and stores them as structured CI fields in the CMDB:
| Attribute | Details |
| VM Name and UUID | The vCenter-assigned identity for the virtual machine |
| BIOS UUID (Serial Number) | Stable identifier that persists across vMotion migrations; used as the primary CI identifier to prevent duplicate records |
| Guest OS | Operating system type and version as reported by VMware Tools or the VM configuration |
| Power State | Powered on, powered off, or suspended |
| vCPU Count | Number of virtual CPUs allocated to the VM |
| RAM Allocation | Memory assigned to the VM, captured separately from the physical host RAM |
| MAC Addresses | Captured for every virtual network adapter on the VM |
| IP Addresses (All NICs) | All IP addresses from all virtual network adapters, sourced via VMware Tools in the guest |
| VMware Tools Status | Whether VMware Tools is installed and current in the guest OS |
How Does Virima Map VMware CI Relationships in the CMDB?
Virima creates a typed relationship hierarchy that mirrors the actual VMware virtualization stack:
| Relationship | Parent CI | Child CI | What It Answers |
| Runs On | Virtual Machine | ESXi Host | Which host does this VM run on? |
| Hosted By | ESXi Host | vSphere Cluster | Which cluster does this host belong to? |
| Managed By | ESXi Host | vCenter Server | Which vCenter manages this host? |
| Connected To | Virtual Machine | vNetwork / Port Group | Which network segments is this VM on? |
When a VM migrates via vMotion and discovery runs again, the “Runs On” relationship updates to reflect the new host. This keeps the CMDB current with the actual runtime topology without creating duplicate VM records. These relationships feed directly into change management blast radius analysis and ViVID service maps, where ViVID overlays dependency context on the maps built by Discovery and Service Mapping.
For a full breakdown of how vCenter and standalone ESXi discovery paths differ and how they feed blast radius analysis, see [VMware and ESXi CMDB Discovery: The Complete Guide →
Does Virima Capture VM IP Addresses Across Multiple Network Adapters?
Yes. Many enterprise VMs have more than one virtual NIC: management, backup, storage, or heartbeat interfaces. Virima 6.1.1 captures all IP addresses from all virtual network adapters reported through the vCenter API (via VMware Tools in the guest). For a VM with three NICs, all three MAC/IP pairs are stored as VM CI attributes.
Complete IP mapping matters for incident correlation (a network alert from any of the VM’s IPs resolves to the correct CI), firewall rule audits (all VM IPs are accounted for), and DHCP/NAC reconciliation (all MAC/IP pairs are available for cross-reference).
What VMware CI Types Does Virima Create?
Virima creates four VMware-specific CI types:
| CI Type | What It Represents |
| ESXi Host CI | The VMware hypervisor on bare metal, with hostname, ESXi version, hardware model, serial number, MAC addresses, CPU cores, and total RAM |
| vSphere Cluster CI | A group of ESXi hosts configured for high availability and distributed resource scheduling |
| Virtual Machine CI | Each guest VM with BIOS UUID, vCPU, RAM, MAC/IP for all adapters, guest OS, and power state |
| vCenter Server CI | The vCenter management server instance that controls the managed hosts |
How Does vCenter-Based Discovery Differ from Standalone ESXi Discovery?
Both paths produce the same CI types and relationships. The differences are scope and credentials:
| vCenter Discovery | Standalone ESXi Discovery | |
| API Endpoint | vCenter Server API | ESXi Host management API |
| Scope per Scan | All managed hosts, clusters, and VMs under that vCenter | One ESXi host and its local VMs |
| Credential Type | vCenter admin credentials | ESXi host read-access credentials |
| Cluster Data | Yes, includes vSphere cluster membership | No cluster context (host is standalone) |
| CI Output | ESXi Host, Cluster, VM, vCenter CIs | ESXi Host and VM CIs |
Organizations running a mix of vCenter-managed and standalone ESXi hosts need separate discovery profiles for each. The companion guide covers best practices for managing both in a single CMDB.
Does Virima Support Hyper-V Discovery?
Virima’s current VMware discovery covers VMware ESXi and vCenter environments specifically. For Hyper-V environments, contact Virima directly to discuss current support and roadmap coverage for your deployment.
How Does Virima Handle VMs That Move Between Hosts via vMotion?
Virima uses the VM’s BIOS UUID as the primary CI identifier rather than hostname or IP address. The BIOS UUID is stable across vMotion migrations. When discovery runs after a VM has moved to a different ESXi host, Virima updates the “Runs On” relationship to point to the new host without creating a duplicate VM CI. This is a critical design choice: CMDBs that use hostname or IP as the VM identifier create phantom duplicates every time a VM migrates.
How Often Should VMware Discovery Run?
VMware environments change faster than physical infrastructure. VMs are provisioned and decommissioned on shorter cycles, sometimes daily in development environments. A 24-hour discovery cycle that works for physical servers may miss entire VM lifecycles. For dynamic VMware environments, consider a 4 to 8 hour recurring scheduled scan cycle. Static environments with infrequent VM changes can run on longer intervals.
Do VMware CIs Appear in ViVID Service Maps?
Yes. VM CIs and ESXi Host CIs discovered through VMware discovery are available as nodes in ViVID service maps. ViVID overlays dependency and impact context on the topology maps built by Discovery and Service Mapping. A service map that includes an application server but not the VM it runs on, and not the ESXi host below the VM, is structurally incomplete for blast radius analysis. VMware CIs close that gap.
Full VMware CMDB Coverage Starts with the Right Discovery
This FAQ covers the most common questions about VMware discovery in Virima 6.1.1. For the full technical walkthrough, including change management scenarios, credential configuration, and best practices for maintaining VMware CI accuracy, read the companion guide: VMware and ESXi CMDB Discovery: How to Get Complete Visibility into Your Virtualized Infrastructure.
Ready to see your full VMware estate in your CMDB? Schedule a demo and we will show you what Virima 6.1.1 discovers in your environment.
