vmware/govmomi

govmomi is a Go library for interacting with VMware vSphere APIs on ESXi and vCenter Server.

The library solves the problem of programmatically managing vSphere infrastructure by providing Go bindings to the VMware vSphere API. It wraps generated code from the vSphere API specification and adds convenience functions to simplify common operations. The APIs exposed closely follow the upstream VMware vSphere API Reference Documentation, allowing developers familiar with that documentation to work effectively with the library.

Developers should choose govmomi when building Go applications that need to automate vSphere operations. It suits projects requiring programmatic control over virtual machines, hosts, datastores, and other vSphere resources. The library supports vSphere 7.0 and higher. Beyond the core client library, the repository includes govc, a command-line tool for vSphere operations; vcsim, a mock framework for testing against a simulated vSphere API; and toolbox, a framework for VM guest tools. These additional components make the project useful both for direct API integration and for testing and operational workflows.

The project maintains semantic versioning for API stability and publishes a changelog documenting version-to-version changes. Community collaboration occurs through GitHub discussions and issues. The library's code generation approach from the vSphere API specification means it can track upstream API changes systematically, and the inclusion of a mock framework indicates active consideration of developer testing needs.