As expected VMware opens the beta program for its Powershell-based VMware Infrastructure Toolkit.
VMware already has a programming toolkit for VI 3.x based on Perl language since September 2007 for Linux and Windows, but the company still wanted to offer a parallel version based on the Microsoft PowerShell scripting.
Obviously Microsoft guys couldn’t be happier, also because their System Center Virtual Machines Manager (SCVMM), which will soon compete against VirtualCenter, is completely built on PowerShell and VMware choice is providing a great unhoped validation.
The decision to use the new scripting language may depend on the greater simplicity of PowerShell over Perl, as the TechProsaic guys demonstrate with an enlightening example. The official documentation currently available confirms this reporting that:
The learning curve for the VI Toolkit (for Windows) is much shorter than for the Perl toolkit, or for the C# and Java SDKs, and it is possible to become productive in a matter of days, or even hours, as opposed to weeks with other VI SDKs and toolkits.
VMware included over 100 cmdlets in this first beta (build 81531) but only supports 32bit platforms to run (despite the RTM will support 64bit as well).
This new VI Toolkit is expected to be released in H2 2008. Meanwhile enroll for the program here.