Just before the beginning of VMworld 2009, VMware announced the upcoming availability of Go, a free web console to manage ESXi 4.0 (ESX hosts are not supported).
Yesterday the company finally released it.
Go allows to initialize and patch ESXi hosts, create and operate virtual machines, check the VMs patching level connecting to the Shavlik Technologies service (VMware OEMs the Shavlik technology for its Update Manager – VUM).
Go is a hosted application that resides on VMware servers.
To properly operate anyway, it needs that a number of components are installed on one corporate desktop, which basically acts like a proxy.
Specifically, Go needs the Microsoft .NET framework and PowerShell, the VMware vSphere Power CLI, the Remote Console and a copy of Converter Stand-Alone.
All this software can be installed on any Windows desktop (XP SP3, Vista SP2 or 7).