diff --git a/confluent_server/confluent/config/attributes.py b/confluent_server/confluent/config/attributes.py
index a6ce0e96..bd08b39c 100644
--- a/confluent_server/confluent/config/attributes.py
+++ b/confluent_server/confluent/config/attributes.py
@@ -369,7 +369,7 @@ node = {
                         'the managed node.  If not specified, then console '
                         'is disabled.  "ipmi" should be specified for most '
                         'systems if console is desired.'),
-        'validvalues': ('ssh', 'ipmi', 'openbmc', 'tsmsol'),
+        'validvalues': ('ssh', 'ipmi', 'openbmc', 'tsmsol', 'vcenter'),
     },
 #    'virtualization.host': {
 #        'description': ('Hypervisor where this node does/should reside'),
diff --git a/confluent_server/confluent/plugins/hardwaremanagement/vcenter.py b/confluent_server/confluent/plugins/hardwaremanagement/vcenter.py
new file mode 100644
index 00000000..8dc6aa60
--- /dev/null
+++ b/confluent_server/confluent/plugins/hardwaremanagement/vcenter.py
@@ -0,0 +1,315 @@
+
+import codecs
+import confluent.util as util
+import confluent.messages as msg
+import eventlet
+import json
+import struct
+webclient = eventlet.import_patched('pyghmi.util.webclient')
+import eventlet.green.socket as socket
+import eventlet
+import confluent.interface.console as conapi
+
+
+def fixuuid(baduuid):
+    # VMWare changes the endian stuff in BIOS
+    uuidprefix = (baduuid[:8], baduuid[9:13], baduuid[14:18])
+    a = codecs.encode(struct.pack('<IHH', *[int(x, 16) for x in uuidprefix]),
+        'hex')
+    a = util.stringify(a)
+    uuid = (a[:8], a[8:12], a[12:16], baduuid[19:23], baduuid[24:])
+    return '-'.join(uuid).lower()
+
+class VmConsole(conapi.Console):
+    def __init__(self, host, port, tls):
+        if tls:
+            raise Exception('TODO') # need to have a framework for storing host certificate
+        self.host = host
+        self.port = port
+        self.socket = None
+
+    def connect(self, callback):
+        self.connected = True
+        self.socket = socket.create_connection((self.host, self.port))
+        self.datacallback = callback
+        self.recvr = eventlet.spawn(self.recvdata)
+
+    def write(self, data):
+        self.socket.sendall(data)
+
+    def close(self):
+        if self.socket:
+            self.socket.close()
+
+    def recvdata(self):
+        while self.connected:
+            try:
+                pendingdata = self.socket.recv(1024)
+            except Exception as e:
+                print(repr(e))
+                pendingdata = ''
+            if pendingdata == '':
+                self.datacallback(conapi.ConsoleEvent.Disconnect)
+                return
+            self.datacallback(pendingdata)
+
+
+
+class VmwApiClient:
+    def __init__(self, vcsa, user, password, configmanager):
+        self.cachedurls = {}
+        self.user = user
+        self.password = password
+        if configmanager:
+            cv = util.TLSCertVerifier(
+                configmanager, vcsa, 'pubkeys.tls_hardwaremanager'
+            ).verify_cert
+        else:
+            cv = lambda x: True
+
+        try:
+            self.user = self.user.decode()
+            self.password = self.password.decode()
+        except Exception:
+            pass
+        self.wc = webclient.SecureHTTPConnection(vcsa, port=443, verifycallback=cv)
+        self.login()
+        self.vmlist = {}
+        self.vmbyid = {}
+
+    def login(self):
+        self.wc.set_basic_credentials(self.user, self.password)
+        self.wc.request('POST', '/api/session')
+        rsp = self.wc.getresponse()
+        body = rsp.read().decode().replace('"', '')
+        del self.wc.stdheaders['Authorization']
+        self.wc.set_header('vmware-api-session-id', body)
+
+    def list_vms(self):
+        rsp = self.wc.grab_json_response('/api/vcenter/vm')
+        self.vmlist = {}
+        for vm in rsp:
+            name = vm['name']
+            vmid = vm['vm']
+            self.vmlist[name] = vmid
+            self.vmbyid[vmid] = name
+        return self.vmlist
+
+    def index_vm(self, vm):
+        if vm in self.vmlist:
+            return self.vmlist[vm]
+        if vm in self.vmbyid:
+            return vm
+        self.list_vms()
+        if vm not in self.vmlist:
+            if vm in self.vmbyid:
+                return vm
+            raise Exception("VM not found")
+        return self.vmlist[vm]
+
+    def get_vm(self, vm):
+        vm = self.index_vm(vm)
+        rsp = self.wc.grab_json_response(f'/api/vcenter/vm/{vm}')
+        return rsp
+
+    def get_vm_inventory(self, vm):
+        rawinv = self.get_vm(vm)
+        hwver = rawinv['hardware']['version']
+        uuid = fixuuid(rawinv['identity']['bios_uuid'])
+        serial = rawinv['identity']['instance_uuid']
+        invitems = []
+        sysinfo = {'name': 'System',
+                   'present': True,
+                   'information': {
+                       'Product name': 'VMWare Virtual machine',
+                       'UUID': uuid,
+                       'Manufacturer': 'VMWare',
+                       'Model': hwver,
+                       'Serial Number': serial
+                  }}
+        inventory = [sysinfo]
+        for nic in rawinv['nics']:
+            nicinfo = rawinv['nics'][nic]
+            label = nicinfo['label']
+            mac = nicinfo['mac_address']
+            inventory.append({
+                'present': True,
+                'name': label,
+                'information': {
+                'Type': 'Ethernet',
+                'Model': nicinfo['type'],
+                'MAC Address 1': mac}
+                })
+        yield msg.KeyValueData({'inventory': inventory}, vm)
+
+
+
+
+    def get_vm_host(self, vm):
+        # unfortunately, the REST api doesn't manifest this as a simple attribute,
+        vm = self.index_vm(vm)
+        rsp = self.wc.grab_json_response(f'/api/vcenter/host')
+        for hostinfo in rsp:
+            host = hostinfo['host']
+            rsp = self.wc.grab_json_response(f'/api/vcenter/vm?hosts={host}')
+            for guest in rsp:
+                if guest['vm'] == vm:
+                    return hostinfo
+
+    def get_vm_serial(self, vm):
+        vm = self.index_vm(vm)
+        rsp = self.wc.grab_json_response_with_status(f'/api/vcenter/vm/{vm}/hardware/serial')
+        if rsp[1] == 200 and len(rsp[0]) > 0:
+            portid = rsp[0][0]['port']
+            rsp = self.wc.grab_json_response_with_status(f'/api/vcenter/vm/{vm}/hardware/serial/{portid}')
+            if rsp[1] == 200:
+                if rsp[0]['backing']['type'] != 'NETWORK_SERVER':
+                    return
+                netloc = rsp[0]['backing']['network_location']
+                portnum = netloc.split(':')[-1]
+                tlsenabled = False
+                if netloc.startswith('telnets'):
+                    tlsenabled = True
+                hostinfo = self.get_vm_host(vm)
+                hostname = hostinfo['name']
+                rsp[0]
+                return {
+                    'server': hostname,
+                    'port': portnum,
+                    'tls': tlsenabled,
+                    }
+
+    def get_vm_bootdev(self, vm):
+        vm = self.index_vm(vm)
+        rsp = self.wc.grab_json_response_with_status(f'/api/vcenter/vm/{vm}/hardware/boot')
+        if rsp[0]['enter_setup_mode']:
+            return 'setup'
+        rsp = self.wc.grab_json_response_with_status(f'/api/vcenter/vm/{vm}/hardware/boot/device')
+        if rsp[0][0]['type'] == 'ETHERNET':
+            return 'network'
+        return 'default'
+
+    def get_vm_power(self, vm):
+        vm = self.index_vm(vm)
+        rsp = self.wc.grab_json_response(f'/api/vcenter/vm/{vm}/power')
+        if rsp['state'] == 'POWERED_ON':
+            return 'on'
+        if rsp['state'] == 'POWERED_OFF':
+            return 'off'
+        if rsp['state'] == 'SUSPENDED':
+            return 'suspended'
+        raise Exception("Unknown response {}".format(repr(rsp)))
+
+    def set_vm_power(self, vm, state):
+        vm = self.index_vm(vm)
+        if state == 'boot':
+            current = self.get_vm_power(vm)
+            if current == 'on':
+                state = 'reset'
+            else:
+                state = 'start'
+        elif state == 'on':
+            state = 'start'
+        elif state == 'off':
+            state = 'stop'
+        rsp = self.wc.grab_json_response_with_status(f'/api/vcenter/vm/{vm}/power?action={state}', method='POST')
+
+
+    def set_vm_bootdev(self, vm, bootdev):
+        vm = self.index_vm(vm)
+        self.wc.set_header('Content-Type', 'application/json')
+        try:
+            bootdevs = []
+            entersetup = False
+            if bootdev == 'setup':
+                entersetup = True
+            elif bootdev == 'default':
+                # In theory, we should be able to send an empty device list.
+                # However, vmware api counter to documentation seems to just ignore
+                # such a request. So instead we just go "disk first"
+                # and rely upon fast fail/retry to take us to a normal place
+                currdisks, rcode = self.wc.grab_json_response_with_status(f'/api/vcenter/vm/{vm}/hardware/disk')
+                currdisks = [x['disk'] for x in currdisks]
+                bootdevs.append({'type': 'DISK', 'disks': currdisks})
+            elif bootdev in ('net', 'network'):
+                currnics, rcode = self.wc.grab_json_response_with_status(f'/api/vcenter/vm/{vm}/hardware/ethernet')
+                for nic in currnics:
+                    bootdevs.append({'type': 'ETHERNET', 'nic': nic['nic']})
+            payload = {'devices': bootdevs}
+            rsp = self.wc.grab_json_response_with_status(f'/api/vcenter/vm/{vm}/hardware/boot/device',
+                                                        payload,
+                                                        method='PUT')
+            rsp = self.wc.grab_json_response_with_status(f'/api/vcenter/vm/{vm}/hardware/boot',
+                                                        {'enter_setup_mode': entersetup},
+                                                        method='PATCH')
+        finally:
+            del self.wc.stdheaders['Content-Type']
+
+
+def prep_vcsa_clients(nodes, configmanager):
+    cfginfo = configmanager.get_node_attributes(nodes, ['hardwaremanagement.manager', 'secret.hardwaremanagementuser', 'secret.hardwaremanagementpassword'], decrypt=True)
+    clientsbyvcsa = {}
+    clientsbynode = {}
+    for node in nodes:
+        cfg = cfginfo[node]
+        currvcsa = cfg['hardwaremanagement.manager']['value']
+        if currvcsa not in clientsbyvcsa:
+             user = cfg.get('secret.hardwaremanagementuser', {}).get('value', None)
+             passwd = cfg.get('secret.hardwaremanagementpassword', {}).get('value', None)
+             clientsbyvcsa[currvcsa] = VmwApiClient(currvcsa, user, passwd, configmanager)
+        clientsbynode[node] = clientsbyvcsa[currvcsa]
+    return clientsbynode
+
+def retrieve(nodes, element, configmanager, inputdata):
+    clientsbynode = prep_vcsa_clients(nodes, configmanager)
+    for node in nodes:
+        currclient = clientsbynode[node]
+        if element == ['power', 'state']:
+            yield msg.PowerState(node, currclient.get_vm_power(node))
+        elif element == ['boot', 'nextdevice']:
+            yield msg.BootDevice(node, currclient.get_vm_bootdev(node))
+        elif element[:2] == ['inventory', 'hardware'] and len(element) == 4:
+            for rsp in currclient.get_vm_inventory(node):
+                yield rsp
+
+
+
+
+def update(nodes, element, configmanager, inputdata):
+    clientsbynode = prep_vcsa_clients(nodes, configmanager)
+    for node in nodes:
+        currclient = clientsbynode[node]
+        if element == ['power', 'state']:
+            currclient.set_vm_power(node, inputdata.powerstate(node))
+            yield  msg.PowerState(node, currclient.get_vm_power(node))
+        elif element == ['boot', 'nextdevice']:
+            currclient.set_vm_bootdev(node, inputdata.bootdevice(node))
+            yield msg.BootDevice(node, currclient.get_vm_bootdev(node))
+
+# assume this is only console for now
+def create(nodes, element, configmanager, inputdata):
+    clientsbynode = prep_vcsa_clients(nodes, configmanager)
+    for node in nodes:
+        serialdata = clientsbynode[node].get_vm_serial(node)
+        return VmConsole(serialdata['server'], serialdata['port'], serialdata['tls'])
+
+
+
+if __name__ == '__main__':
+    import sys
+    import os
+    from pprint import pprint
+    myuser = os.environ['VMWUSER']
+    mypass = os.environ['VMWPASS']
+    vc = VmwApiClient(sys.argv[1], myuser, mypass, None)
+    vm = sys.argv[2]
+    if sys.argv[3] == 'setboot':
+        vc.set_vm_bootdev(vm, sys.argv[4])
+        vc.get_vm_bootdev(vm)
+    elif sys.argv[3] == 'power':
+        vc.set_vm_power(vm, sys.argv[4])
+    elif sys.argv[3] == 'getinfo':
+        vc.get_vm(vm)
+        print("Bootdev: " + vc.get_vm_bootdev(vm))
+        print("Power: " + vc.get_vm_power(vm))
+        print("Serial: " + repr(vc.get_vm_serial(vm)))