Specifications

Administration Guide
168 VMware, Inc.
Using DHCP for the Service Console
The!recommended!setup!is!to!use!static!IP!addresses!for!the!service!console.!It!is!also!
possible!to!set!up!the!service!console!to!use!DHCP,!as!long!as!your!DNS!server!can!map!
the!service!console’s!host!name!to!the!dynamically!generated!IP!address.!
If!your!DNS!server!cannot!map
!the!host’s!name!to!its!DHCP‐generated!IP!address,!
determine!the!service!consoleʹs!numeric!IP!address!and!use!that!numeric!address!when!
accessing!the!management!interface’s!Web!pages.!
The!numeric!IP!address!might!change!as!DHCP!leases!run!out!or!when!the!system!is!
rebooted.!VMware!does!not!recommend!
using!DHCP!for!the!service!console!unless!
your!DNS!server!can!handle!the!host!name!translation.!
Managing the Service Console
The!command!summary!in!this!section!provides!an!introduction!to!the!commands!you!
are!most!likely!to!use!at!the!service!console.!Some!are!specific!to!ESX!Server.!Most!are!
commands!that!are!the!same!as!those!you!would!use!at!a!Linux!command!line.!
Connecting to the Service Console
If!you!have!direct!access!to!the!computer!where!ESX!Server!is!running,!you!can!log!in!
to!the!physical!console!on!that!computer.!Press!Alt‐F2!to!get!to!the!login!screen.
Depending!on!the!security!settings!for!your!ESX!Server!computer,!you!might!be!able!to!
connect!remotely!to!
the!service!console!using!SSH!or!Telnet.!For!information!on!the!
security!settings,!see!“Authentication!and!Security!Features”!on!page 180.
Detailed!usage!notes!for!most!service!console!commands!are!available!as!manual!files!
(man!pages).!To!view!the!man!page!for!a!command,!use!the!man!command!followed!by!
the!name!
of!the!command!for!which!you!want!to!see!information.!See!“Getting!Help!for!
Service!Console!Commands”!on!page 180.
Whether!you!use!the!service!console!locally!or!through!a!remote!connection,!you!must!
log!in!using!a!valid!user!name!and!password.
CAUTION Do!not!use!dynamic!(DHCP)!addressing!when!sharing!the!network!adapter!
assigned!to!the!Service!Console!with!Virtual!Machines.!ESX!Server!requires!
a!static!IP!address!for!the!Service!Console!when!sharing!a!network!adapter.!