6.5
Table Of Contents
- Getting Started with vSphere Command-Line Interfaces
- Contents
- About This Book
- Managing vSphere with Command-Line Interfaces
- Installing vCLI
- Running Host Management Commands in the ESXi Shell
- Running vCLI Host Management Commands
- Overview of Running vCLI Host Management Commands
- Protecting Passwords
- Authenticating Through vCenter Server and vCenter Single Sign-On
- Authenticating Directly to the Host
- Trust Relationship Requirement for ESXCLI Commands
- Common Options for vCLI Host Management Command Execution
- Using vCLI Commands in Scripts
- Run Host Management Commands from a Windows System
- Run Host Management Commands from a Linux System
- Running DCLI Commands
- Index
Enabling Local ESXi Shell Access
You can enable the ESXi Shell from the direct console or the vSphere Web Client.
Enable the ESXi Shell in the Direct Console
If you have access to the Direct Console Interface, you can enable the ESXi Shell from there.
Procedure
1 At the direct console of the ESXi host, press F2 and provide credentials when prompted.
2 Scroll to Troubleshooting Options and press Enter.
3 Select Enable ESXi Shell and press Enter.
On the left, Enable ESXi Shell changes to Disable ESXi Shell. On the right, ESXi Shell is Disabled
changes to ESXi Shell is Enabled.
4 Press Esc until you return to the main direct console screen.
What to do next
After you enable the ESXi Shell, you can use it from that monitor or through a serial port.
Enable the ESXi Shell from the vSphere Web Client
If you do not have access to the Direct Console Interface, you can enable the ESXi Shell from the
vSphere Web Client.
Procedure
1 Select the host, click Manage, and keep Seings selected.
2 Click Security .
3 In the Services section, click Edit.
4 Select ESXi Shell.
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To temporarily start or stop the service, click the Start or Stop buon.
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To change the Startup policy across reboots, select Start and stop with host and reboot the host.
5 Click OK.
What to do next
After you enable the ESXi Shell, you can use it through a serial port.
ESXi Shell Timeout
The ESXi Shell supports a timeout for ESXi Shell availability and a timeout for idle ESXi Shell sessions.
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Availability timeout - The availability timeout seing is the amount of time that can elapse before you
must log in after the ESXi Shell is enabled. After the timeout period, the service is disabled and users
are not allowed to log in.
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Idle timeout - If a user enables the ESXi Shell on a host, but forgets to log out of the session, the idle
session remains connected indenitely.
You can set both timeout values from the Direct Console User Interface or from the vSphere Web Client. See
the vSphere Security document for detailed instructions.
Getting Started with vSphere Command-Line Interfaces
26 VMware, Inc.