Overview
The components of Kyvernon, how they work together, and the ten terms a new reader needs.
Kyvernon runs virtual machines on your own servers. One controller keeps the inventory and runs every operation, and each host runs the virtual machines placed on it. You work with the platform through the web console, the command-line client, the native API or tools written for the vSphere API.
Components
| Component | What it does |
|---|---|
| Controller | Keeps the inventory, identity and permissions, runs tasks and stores their history. It serves the web console, the native API and, when enabled, the vSphere endpoints on one HTTPS address (port 8443 by default). Hosts connect to its gRPC address (port 8444 by default). |
| Host | A server that runs virtual machines. It carries the host agent and Kyvernon VMM. |
| Host agent | Joins the host to the controller, reports its hardware and the state of its virtual machines, and carries out what the controller asks: start, stop, change hardware, create disks. |
| Kyvernon VMM | The hypervisor layer. It runs each virtual machine on the hardware virtualization of the host processor. |
| Web console | The browser interface to the inventory, with a graphical console for each virtual machine. The controller serves it. |
| Command-line client | The kyvernon program. It calls the native API and prints tables or JSON. |
| Native API | The REST API under /v1 and the gRPC API. Every function of the web console and of the command-line client uses it. |
| vSphere endpoints | SOAP at /sdk and REST at /api and /rest, so tools written for the vSphere API work against the controller. They are off until an administrator turns them on. |
Configuration and state
The controller stores what you ask for: the number of CPUs, the memory, the disks and network adapters of a virtual machine. The host reports what is happening: the power state, the host it runs on, the addresses the guest reports. You change the first; Kyvernon brings the second in line and shows the difference as a task that runs or fails.
Every operation that takes time, such as powering on, cloning or creating a disk, is a task. The web console shows tasks in the pane at the bottom. The command-line client and the API return a task identifier that you can follow or wait for.
Ten terms
| Term | Meaning |
|---|---|
| Virtual machine | A computer defined in software: CPUs, memory, disks and network adapters, with a guest operating system inside. |
| Host | A server that runs virtual machines. |
| Cluster | A group of hosts that the controller places virtual machines on. |
| Datacenter | The top of an inventory tree. It holds folders, clusters, hosts, datastores and networks. |
| Datastore | Storage that holds disk images, ISO images and other files of virtual machines. |
| Network | The virtual network that network adapters connect to. |
| Folder | A container that organises objects of one kind in the inventory. |
| Resource group | The part of a cluster or host that a virtual machine belongs to. |
| Task | One operation with a state, progress and result. |
| Inventory | The tree of all objects, shown on the left of the web console. |
Where you work
- Use the web console for everyday work and for the graphical console of a virtual machine. First sign-in and First virtual machine lead through it.
- Use the command-line client for scripts and for work on a terminal. First CLI session installs it.
- Use the native API to build your own automation. The API conventions describe authentication, errors and tasks.
- Use Connect vSphere tools when you already have scripts or inventory tools written for the vSphere API.
Related tasks
Version 0.1. Last changed: 2026-11-13