---
title: Monitor vSphere
description: Use the vSphere Dashboard for InfluxDB v2 template to monitor your vSphere host.
url: https://docs.influxdata.com/influxdb/v2/monitor-alert/templates/infrastructure/vshpere/
estimated_tokens: 1282
product: InfluxDB OSS v2
version: v2
---

# Monitor vSphere

This page documents an earlier version of InfluxDB OSS. [InfluxDB 3 Core](/influxdb3/core/) is the latest stable version.

#### API token hashing is enabled by default in InfluxDB OSS 2.9.0

Stronger token security: tokens are stored as hashes on disk, so a copy of the database file doesn’t expose usable tokens. Existing tokens are hashed on first startup and the original strings can’t be recovered afterward — **capture any plaintext tokens you still need before you upgrade**.

For more information, see [Token hashing](/influxdb/v2/admin/tokens/#token-hashing).

Use the [vSphere Dashboard for InfluxDB v2 template](https://github.com/influxdata/community-templates/tree/master/vsphere) to monitor your vSphere host. First, [apply the template](#apply-the-template), and then [view incoming data](#view-incoming-data). This template uses the [Docker input plugin](/telegraf/v1/plugins//#docker) to collect metrics stored in InfluxDB and display these metrics in a dashboard.

The Docker Monitoring template includes the following:

-   one [dashboard](/influxdb/v2/reference/glossary/#dashboard): **vsphere**
-   one [bucket](/influxdb/v2/reference/glossary/#bucket): `vsphere`
-   label: vsphere
-   one [Telegraf configuration](/influxdb/v2/tools/telegraf-configs/): InfluxDB v2 output plugin, vSphere input plugin
-   one variable: `bucket`

## Apply the template

1. Use the [`influx` CLI](/influxdb/v2/reference/cli/influx/) to run the following command:
    
    ```sh
    influx apply -f https://raw.githubusercontent.com/influxdata/community-templates/master/vsphere/vsphere.yml
    ```
    
    For more information, see [influx apply](/influxdb/v2/reference/cli/influx/apply/).
    
    Ensure your `influx` CLI is configured with your account credentials and that configuration is active. For more information, see [influx config](/influxdb/v2/reference/cli/influx/config/).
    
2. [Install Telegraf](/telegraf/v1/introduction/installation/) on a server with network access to both the vSphere host and [InfluxDB v2 API](/influxdb/v2/reference/api/).
    
3. In your [Telegraf configuration file (`telegraf.conf`)](/influxdb/v2/tools/telegraf-configs/), do the following:
    
    -   Set the following environment variables:
        -   INFLUX\_TOKEN: Token must have permissions to read Telegraf configurations and write data to the `telegraf` bucket. See how to [view tokens](/influxdb/v2/admin/tokens/view-tokens/).
        -   INFLUX\_ORG: Name of your organization. See how to [view your organization](/influxdb/v2/admin/organizations/view-orgs/).
        -   INFLUX\_HOST: Your InfluxDB host URL, for example, localhost, a remote instance, or InfluxDB Cloud.
        -   INFLUX\_BUCKET: Bucket to store data in. To use the bucket included, you must export the variable: `export INFLUX_BUCKET=vsphere`
4. -   Set the host address to the vSphere and provide the `username` and `password` as variables:
        
        ```sh
        vcenters = [ "https://$VSPHERE_HOST/sdk" ]
        username = "$vsphere-user"
        password = "$vsphere-password"
        ```
        
5. [Start Telegraf](/influxdb/v2/write-data/no-code/use-telegraf/auto-config/#start-telegraf).
    

## View incoming data

1. In the InfluxDB user interface (UI), select **Dashboards** in the left navigation.
    
    Dashboards
    
2. Open the **vsphere** dashboard to start monitoring.