vRealize Infrastructure Navigator (VIN): Simple and Complete Guide

vRealize Infrastructure Navigator (VIN) is a VMware tool that helps you discover applications running inside virtual machines and shows how these applications connect to each other. It works without installing agents and gives you a clear view of application relationships inside a vSphere environment Plangud

Even though VMware has stopped supporting VIN, many people still search for information about how it works and what benefits it provided. This guide explains VIN in simple English so anyone can understand it, even if they are new to VMware tools.

What vRealize Infrastructure Navigator Does

vRealize Infrastructure Navigator helps IT teams by:

• Finding applications running inside virtual machines

• Showing how different VMs and applications are connected

• Helping with planning, troubleshooting, and change management

• Offering easy maps that display relationships between servers and apps

VIN is built into the vSphere Web Client, so administrators can see application details without switching to another tool.

Why Application Discovery Is Important

In modern IT environments, applications are not simple or isolated. Many apps depend on:

• Databases

• Web servers

• APIs

• Middleware

• Other virtual machines

If you do not know how these parts connect, problems can happen during:

• Migrations

• System upgrades

• Disaster recovery tests

• Security audits

• Troubleshooting

VIN solved these problems by giving clear visibility into how systems communicate.

How vRealize Infrastructure Navigator Works

VIN works with the help of VMware Tools installed on each virtual machine. It does not need extra agents. It checks the VM’s services, open ports, and communication to understand what applications are running.

Main Components

How VIN Finds Applications

VIN looks at:

• Running processes

• Network ports

• Traffic between VMs

• Known application types like web servers and databases

Where VIN Was Commonly Used

VIN was used mostly in:

• Traditional VMware data centers

• Virtualized environments with many interdependent apps

• vRealize Operations setups

Main Features of vRealize Infrastructure Navigator

VIN includes several helpful features that make managing virtual environments easier.

Automatic Application Discovery

VIN discovers applications inside virtual machines without extra software. Here are some apps it can detect:

• MySQL

• Oracle

• MSSQL

• Apache

• IIS

• Tomcat

• JBoss

• Custom TCP-based apps

Dependency Mapping

VIN shows which applications depend on each other. This helps you answer questions like:

• Which VMs connect to this database?

• If I reboot this VM, what other services will stop working?

Live Topology Maps

VIN displays visual maps that show:

• Layers of an application

• Data flows between servers

• Connection lines based on real network traffic

Change Tracking

VIN notices when something changes, such as:

• New applications detected

• Old services removed

• New connections created

Integration with VMware Tools

VIN works smoothly with:

Security and RBAC

VIN respects vCenter roles. This lets you:

• Control who can see app maps

• Restrict access to sensitive systems

• Follow least-privilege security models

How Businesses Benefit from Using VIN

VIN helps in many real-world situations. Here are the most common benefits.

Better Migration Planning

When moving apps between data centers or clouds, VIN helps by showing:

• What VMs must move together

• What services depend on each other

• Hidden communication paths

Improved Disaster Recovery

VIN helps build reliable DR plans by showing:

• Which servers must restart together

• Application groups and dependencies

• Priority order for recovery steps

Safer Change Management

Before patching a server or restarting a VM, VIN helps answer:

• Which applications will be affected?

• Does this VM support a critical service?

• Are there backups or redundant systems?

Faster Troubleshooting

VIN helps diagnose issues by showing:

• What changed before a failure

• What systems are connected to a failing VM

• Whether a dependency issue caused the outage

Stronger Security and Compliance

VIN helps with audits and compliance because it shows:

• Hidden services

• Unauthorized connections

• Actual server relationships

• Up-to-date information for CMDB systems

Better Capacity Planning

VIN shows how applications use resources together, helping with:

• Right-sizing VMs

• Placing workloads

• Improving performance

Installing and Setting Up VIN

Even though VIN is retired, here is how installation worked.

Requirements

You need:

• Working vCenter

• vSphere Web Client

• DNS entries for VIN appliance

• VMware Tools installed on VMs

• Required firewall ports open

Steps to Deploy VIN

1. Deploy the OVA file to VMware vSphere

2. Set up IP address and network details

3. Power on the appliance

4. Open the setup page in a web browser

5. Register VIN with vCenter

6. Log in through vSphere Web Client

Permissions Setup

VIN needs a service account with:

• Read-only access

• VIN discovery permissions

• Permission to view dependency maps

Setup Best Practices

• Keep VMware Tools updated

• Ensure good DNS resolution

• Protect VIN appliance with strong credentials

• Keep discovery scope well defined

How to Use VIN in Daily Work

VIN becomes available inside the vSphere Web Client after installation.

Where to Find VIN in vSphere

VIN usually appears in:

• Application Services tab

• Dependency Map tab

• VM details pages

Using Dependency Maps

With maps, you can:

• Expand or collapse service layers

• Follow communication lines

• Export diagrams for planning

• Group VMs based on function

Tagging and Grouping

VIN lets you create:

• Application groups

• Tags for VMs

• Labels for discovered apps

These help keep the environment organized.

Managing Discovery Scope

Admins can control:

• Which VMs are scanned

• What networks are included

• Sensitivity of service detection

Security, Governance, and Compliance

VIN supports good security practices.

Least Privilege Access

Only trusted users should view application maps to protect sensitive information.

Control Who Sees What

You can limit:

• Access to dependency diagrams

• Permissions to view internal app details

• The ability to change VIN settings

Audit and Logging Support

VIN logs:

• User activity

• Configuration changes

• Discovery events

This helps with:

• Compliance reports

• Security reviews

• Internal audits

Troubleshooting Common Issues

VIN users sometimes face problems. Here are common ones and their causes.

VIN Registration Issues

Usually happen because of:

• Wrong vCenter credentials

• DNS problems

• Certificate errors

Applications Not Showing

Possible reasons:

• Outdated VMware Tools

• Firewall blocking traffic

• Guest OS settings limiting visibility

• Unsupported custom apps

Permission Problems

Often caused by:

• Wrong user roles

• Missing RBAC privileges

Network and Port Problems

VIN needs proper ports to communicate with:

• vCenter

• VMs

• Other VMware products

Performance Issues

VIN may not work well when:

• There are thousands of VMs

• The environment changes too fast

• Apps are container-based or cloud-native

Limitations of vRealize Infrastructure Navigator

VIN has several limits that became more serious as IT environments evolved.

Limited Application Support

VIN supports many common apps but struggles with:

• Modern microservices

• Cloud-native workloads

• Container-based platforms like Kubernetes

Depends on VMware Tools

If VMware Tools is missing or old, VIN cannot gather full data.

Scaling Problems

VIN becomes less effective in:

• Very large data centers

• Highly dynamic environments

Retired Product

VIN is no longer supported. This means:

• No updates

• No security patches

• Not compatible with newer VMware versions

Modern Alternatives to VIN

VMware replaced VIN with more advanced tools that offer better discovery and analytics.

VMware Recommended Tools

Third-Party Alternatives

Many companies now use tools like:

• Dynatrace

• Datadog

• New Relic

• ScienceLogic

• SolarWinds AppStack

These tools provide deeper insights for cloud and hybrid environments.

Simple Migration Plan

Here is an easy approach for moving away from VIN:

1. Export VIN maps or save screenshots

2. List all key applications and dependencies

3. Install a modern discovery tool

4. Compare and validate new maps

5. Update DR plans and CMDB

6. Remove or retire vRealize Infrastructure Navigator appliance

Real Examples of VIN in Use

Migration Example

Table below shows how vRealize Infrastructure Navigator maps a simple 3-tier app:

This map helps ensure all related VMs move together.

Disaster Recovery Example

vRealize Infrastructure Navigator  helps identify:

• What services are critical

• What servers must recover together

• Risks of missing dependencies

Change Management Example

Before rebooting a VM, admins use vRealize Infrastructure Navigator to check:

• What apps will stop working

• Whether there are backup servers

• Whether customers will be affected

Best Practices

• Keep VMware Tools current

• Review maps regularly

• Limit access to dependency data

• Update documentation and CMDB

• Capture maps before migrations

FAQs

What is vRealize Infrastructure Navigator?

vRealize Infrastructure Navigator is a VMware tool that discovers applications running inside virtual machines and shows how these applications connect to each other. It helps IT teams understand relationships between servers, services, and workloads inside a vSphere environment.

How does vRealize Infrastructure Navigator work?

It works by using VMware Tools to read information from inside virtual machines. It checks processes, network ports, and traffic patterns to identify applications and map their dependencies. It does not require any extra software or agents.

Why is vRealize Infrastructure Navigator useful?

It is useful because it gives clear visibility into how apps communicate. This helps during migrations, disaster recovery planning, troubleshooting, performance tuning, and security audits. It also reduces risk when making system changes.

Is vRealize Infrastructure Navigator still supported?

No. VMware officially ended support for vRealize Infrastructure Navigator in 2017. It is now considered a legacy tool and does not work with newer versions of vSphere or vCenter.

What are the main features of v Realize Infrastructure Navigator?

Some key features include automatic application discovery, dependency mapping, topology diagrams, change tracking, and integration with VMware tools like vRealize Operations and Site Recovery Manager.

Does vRealize Infrastructure Navigator require agents?

No. It is completely agentless. It uses VMware Tools already installed on virtual machines, which makes setup easier and reduces overhead.

Conclusion

vRealize Infrastructure Navigator was a helpful and important tool for understanding how applications connect and work inside virtual machines. It gave IT teams clear visibility, simple dependency maps, and useful insights that supported better planning, stronger disaster recovery, safer changes, and easier troubleshooting. Even though vRealize Infrastructure Navigator is now retired, the ideas behind it are still valuable for every modern data center. Today’s environments depend on accurate application discovery and connection mapping, especially when dealing with cloud, hybrid systems, and complex workloads. For this reason, using modern VMware tools and advanced third-party platforms is the best way to continue the work that VIN once did. With the right tools and good visibility, organizations can build stable, secure, and well-planned IT systems that are prepared for future growth and change